Thermo Fisher Advances "Green Chemistry"

Thermo Fisher Scientific is taking a leadership role in advancing "green chemistry" - finding ways to alter chemical usage to reduce the environmental impact of hazardous substances.

Green chemistry, also called sustainable chemistry, is a chemical philosophy encouraging the design of products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Examples of applied green chemistry include supercritical water oxidation, on-water reactions and dry media reactions.

Thermo Fisher hosted a green chemistry seminar at Simmons College in Boston to validate four new laboratory protocols. The protocols were designed to encourage scientists to explore and teach new ways of reducing the environmental impact of hazardous substances by applying the principles of green chemistry.

Following an opening address by green chemistry pioneer Dr. John Warner, 14 Ph.D. chemists engaged in a "wet workshop." The chemists validated four lab protocols focused on high-priority green chemistry areas, such as biodiesel conversion from vegetable oils.

Bob Forte, senior vice president of the company's research market customer channel, said the seminar reflected growing interest in green chemicals from scientists and industrial companies.

"For what used to be a simple manufacturing cost analysis, companies are now looking at product life cycles and are not only asking what it costs to buy the necessary chemicals, but are also considering the associated regulatory compliance, liability, and waste disposal and treatment costs," he said.

In a further initiative, Thermo Fisher is exploring ways to promote green chemistry teaching in school systems across the U.S.