More than twenty years of teaching chemical risk assessment courses at ETH Zurich and three more years of writing efforts have resulted in a new textbook on “Chemical Products and Processes – Foundations of Environmentally Oriented Design” released by Springer in the first quarter of 2021.
During the last few decades, the volume and pace of global chemical production have dramatically increased. Nonetheless, the rise of social media and informed citizen scientists ensure that this increase is not left unchecked and is accompanied by meaningful dialogue with stakeholders.
Five authors, including Prof. Martin Scheringer, a full professor at Masaryk University and lecturer at ETH Zurich, have combined their extensive knowledge in a wide range of areas, such as chemical engineering, environmental chemistry, toxicology, chemical regulation, and chemical management in the chemical industry to write an academic textbook. The book “Chemical Products and Processes: Foundations of Environmentally Oriented Design” uniquely addresses the monumental challenges of creating better chemical products for the markets of tomorrow.
The book provides students from different scientific fields (chemistry, chemical engineering, and environmental sciences) with the necessary cross-sectional knowledge “toolbox” to prepare them for jobs in the chemical industry or state regulatory or chemicals management authorities. Exposure to a wide range of chemicals is a growing concern nowadays. Therefore, it is essential that university graduates, including graduates from Masaryk University, are aware of these concerns and are equipped with methods and tools for addressing them. The textbook was developed in collaboration with industry partners providing readers with workable and illustrative case studies to guide them on applying those fundamentals to the production and application of real-world chemical products.
The textbook uses the “integrated development” concept to present the numerous concepts and approaches necessary to develop more sustainable chemical products. Integrated development has three core elements: eco-efficiency, inherent safety, and social acceptability. All of them need to be considered in concert in the integrated development of chemical products and processes.
“The book’s content has been developed over 25 years of research and teaching chemical risk assessment courses within the Safety and Environmental Technology Group at ETH Zürich, headed by Prof. Konrad Hungerbühler. Our aim in this new textbook is to provide the available knowledge and information as freely and widely as possible to encourage students and professionals alike to enhance the responsible use of chemicals in the future. The book covers a wide range of related topics applicable across scientific study programs and professions at a basic level, and as such covers the existing gap in other more specialized textbooks“, says prof. Martin Scheringer.
In their latest study, scientists from RECETOX (MUNI), the University at Buffalo in the U.S., the National Institute of Public Health in Prague, and University College London in the U.K. found that education plays a role in protecting lung health during the aging process.
From November 5–7, 2024, we participated in the annual meeting of the European consortium ACTRIS. This event serves as a key platform for regular partner meetings, fostering collaboration, sharing the latest updates and experiences, and discussing critical topics related to the development and operation of the ACTRIS research infrastructure.
