5
Introduction
Some thoughts regarding the additional conceptual-level steps that could be taken
toward this objective are also provided as part of Chapter 16.
Any program that will have an impact on our use of toxic chemicals is going
to have a cost. Changing processes can be expensive, and there is competition
for resources with projects that bring new products to market. For instance, converting chloralkali plants from mercury cells to membrane systems can cost over
a billion U.S. dollars. It is hard for a toxic chemical use reduction program to
compete with projects that bring new products to the market with this level of cost.
On the other side of the balance sheet, however, a toxic chemical use reduction
program will also have numerous other returns on investment as well as numerous
and important health benefits (e.g., avoided medical costs for exposures that do
not occur, for cancers that are avoided, for productive lives that are extended). The
costs and potential benefits of a toxic chemical use reduction program are laid out
in Chapter 17.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Croteau, M., S. N. Luoma, and A. R. Stewart. 2005. Trophic transfer of metals along freshwater food webs: Evidence of cadmium biomagnification in nature. Limnology and
Oceanography 50 (5): 1511–1519.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1997. Mercury Study Report to Congress. Vol. IV: An
Assessment of Exposure to Mercury in the United States. EPA-452/R-97-006. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards and Office
of Research and Development. http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/2000EIMV.TXT?
ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1995+Thru+1999&Docs=&Query=
&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=3&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=
pubnumber^%22452R97006%22&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=pubnumber&IntQFieldOp=1&ExtQFieldOp=1&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A\
zyfiles\Index%20Data\95thru99\Txt\00000009\2000EIMV.txt&User=ANONYMOU
S&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h|-&MaximumDocuments=10&FuzzyDegr
ee=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=p|f&DefSeekPage=
x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x (accessed January 17, 2009).
Introduction
Some thoughts regarding the additional conceptual-level steps that could be taken
toward this objective are also provided as part of Chapter 16.
Any program that will have an impact on our use of toxic chemicals is going
to have a cost. Changing processes can be expensive, and there is competition
for resources with projects that bring new products to market. For instance, converting chloralkali plants from mercury cells to membrane systems can cost over
a billion U.S. dollars. It is hard for a toxic chemical use reduction program to
compete with projects that bring new products to the market with this level of cost.
On the other side of the balance sheet, however, a toxic chemical use reduction
program will also have numerous other returns on investment as well as numerous
and important health benefits (e.g., avoided medical costs for exposures that do
not occur, for cancers that are avoided, for productive lives that are extended). The
costs and potential benefits of a toxic chemical use reduction program are laid out
in Chapter 17.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Croteau, M., S. N. Luoma, and A. R. Stewart. 2005. Trophic transfer of metals along freshwater food webs: Evidence of cadmium biomagnification in nature. Limnology and
Oceanography 50 (5): 1511–1519.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1997. Mercury Study Report to Congress. Vol. IV: An
Assessment of Exposure to Mercury in the United States. EPA-452/R-97-006. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards and Office
of Research and Development. http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/2000EIMV.TXT?
ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1995+Thru+1999&Docs=&Query=
&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=3&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=
pubnumber^%22452R97006%22&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=pubnumber&IntQFieldOp=1&ExtQFieldOp=1&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A\
zyfiles\Index%20Data\95thru99\Txt\00000009\2000EIMV.txt&User=ANONYMOU
S&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h|-&MaximumDocuments=10&FuzzyDegr
ee=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=p|f&DefSeekPage=
x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x (accessed January 17, 2009).