Alternatives assessment gathers steam with launch of dedicated organisation

An organization has been set up in the US to drive the science, practice, and policy of alternatives assessment and informed substitution of hazardous chemicals. The Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4) officially launched at the second annual International Symposium on Alternatives Assessment, held earlier this month in Sacramento and hosted by California’s EPA. Researchers and practitioners from government agencies, academia, industry and NGOs, who cover a broad range of scientific disciplines, including toxicology, exposure science, engineering, chemistry, lifecycle assessment, law and policy, and economics are involved. According to the A4 website, it is the first organization to bring together the multiple disciplines involved in both the methodological development and practice of alternatives assessment and informed substitution.