Pub Date : 2024-09-19DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00062
Mircea-Alexandru Comănescu
In Europe, unaligned regulatory requirements between the EU and member states often require that researchers and educators undertake additional labor intensive activities to ensure that the institutions where they work do not fall short of meeting both requirements. Because manually introducing information piecemeal from thousands of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) into other required lists is labor intensive, this project provides a stand-alone application that can populate the required information within minutes and be easily used by any employee. Though the application is currently limited to the Romanian language and there are certain improvements that can be addressed within the script, as it stands, the application can fulfill its purpose.
{"title":"Developing an In-House Application for Hazardous Chemicals Management","authors":"Mircea-Alexandru Comănescu","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00062","url":null,"abstract":"In Europe, unaligned regulatory requirements between the EU and member states often require that researchers and educators undertake additional labor intensive activities to ensure that the institutions where they work do not fall short of meeting both requirements. Because manually introducing information piecemeal from thousands of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) into other required lists is labor intensive, this project provides a stand-alone application that can populate the required information within minutes and be easily used by any employee. Though the application is currently limited to the Romanian language and there are certain improvements that can be addressed within the script, as it stands, the application can fulfill its purpose.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142266896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-11DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00037
Gopika Jagannivasan, Jayasree G Elambalassery, Suja Haridas
While nuclear power offers a viable solution to the ever-growing energy demands, the piling up of nuclear waste remains a looming threat, endangering life on Earth. Safe disposal of radionuclides, especially highly volatile ones such as iodine, is a grave concern to be addressed for operational safety. Even though porous adsorbents for iodine capture have been widely investigated, less focus has been directed toward nonporous materials. Herein, we describe the synthesis of nonporous, macrocyclic Calix[4]resorcinarenes (C4Rs) via a near solventless green protocol mediated by Keggin-type phosphovanadotungstic acid and avoiding the use of mineral acids. The applicability of the synthesized C4Rs for iodine absorption at elevated temperatures has been explored. Facile synthesis strategy and metal-free nature coupled with moisture and temperature stability endorse our interest in C4Rs as highly attractive substrates for iodine sorption, with the substituent functionalities playing an important role in adsorption efficiency. We hereby report a novel C4R, DEAS, with an exceptional iodine sorption capability. The retention of iodine in the macrocyclic framework, mainly in the form of polyiodides, could be ascertained through a detailed characterization. The adsorption was found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption of iodine from an aqueous solution was also subjected to investigation. Furthermore, theoretical investigation into the guest–host interactions between C4Rs and I2 has been attempted for better insights.
{"title":"Calix[4]resorcinarenes as Stable, Metal-Free Unexplored and Unfathomed Material for Iodine Capture: Experimental and Theoretical Insights","authors":"Gopika Jagannivasan, Jayasree G Elambalassery, Suja Haridas","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00037","url":null,"abstract":"While nuclear power offers a viable solution to the ever-growing energy demands, the piling up of nuclear waste remains a looming threat, endangering life on Earth. Safe disposal of radionuclides, especially highly volatile ones such as iodine, is a grave concern to be addressed for operational safety. Even though porous adsorbents for iodine capture have been widely investigated, less focus has been directed toward nonporous materials. Herein, we describe the synthesis of nonporous, macrocyclic Calix[4]resorcinarenes (C4Rs) via a near solventless green protocol mediated by Keggin-type phosphovanadotungstic acid and avoiding the use of mineral acids. The applicability of the synthesized C4Rs for iodine absorption at elevated temperatures has been explored. Facile synthesis strategy and metal-free nature coupled with moisture and temperature stability endorse our interest in C4Rs as highly attractive substrates for iodine sorption, with the substituent functionalities playing an important role in adsorption efficiency. We hereby report a novel C4R, DEAS, with an exceptional iodine sorption capability. The retention of iodine in the macrocyclic framework, mainly in the form of polyiodides, could be ascertained through a detailed characterization. The adsorption was found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption of iodine from an aqueous solution was also subjected to investigation. Furthermore, theoretical investigation into the guest–host interactions between C4Rs and I<sub>2</sub> has been attempted for better insights.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-09DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00044
Benedetta Masia, Ming Yang, Valerio Cozzani
Ammonia is a promising fuel for decarbonizing the shipping industry, but its safety compared to traditional maritime fossil fuels remains questionable. As more projects explore ammonia-fueled vessels, safety concerns, particularly the acute toxicity and risks of ammonia release, are paramount. This research focused on the effects of accidental ammonia releases during ship-to-ship collisions, affecting ammonia tank integrity. We examined various release scenarios, considering factors like tank types and locations, breach sizes and positions, weather conditions, and dispersion patterns, using PHAST software for modeling. Results indicated that semipressurized tanks pose greater health risks on human health than fully refrigerated ones. Underwater releases are less hazardous, as a significant amount of ammonia dissolves before surfacing. Mitigation efforts, such as water curtains and containment basins, were evaluated for their effectiveness in minimizing the impact of ammonia releases. These measures significantly reduce risks to nearby populations but are less effective for crew safety onboard. This underscores the challenge of ensuring onboard safety in ammonia-fueled vessels, highlighting the need for innovative and effective safety design.
{"title":"Risk Assessment of Ammonia Fueled Ships: Consequences on Human Health of Ammonia Releases from Damaged Fuel Storage Tanks","authors":"Benedetta Masia, Ming Yang, Valerio Cozzani","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00044","url":null,"abstract":"Ammonia is a promising fuel for decarbonizing the shipping industry, but its safety compared to traditional maritime fossil fuels remains questionable. As more projects explore ammonia-fueled vessels, safety concerns, particularly the acute toxicity and risks of ammonia release, are paramount. This research focused on the effects of accidental ammonia releases during ship-to-ship collisions, affecting ammonia tank integrity. We examined various release scenarios, considering factors like tank types and locations, breach sizes and positions, weather conditions, and dispersion patterns, using PHAST software for modeling. Results indicated that semipressurized tanks pose greater health risks on human health than fully refrigerated ones. Underwater releases are less hazardous, as a significant amount of ammonia dissolves before surfacing. Mitigation efforts, such as water curtains and containment basins, were evaluated for their effectiveness in minimizing the impact of ammonia releases. These measures significantly reduce risks to nearby populations but are less effective for crew safety onboard. This underscores the challenge of ensuring onboard safety in ammonia-fueled vessels, highlighting the need for innovative and effective safety design.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-31DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00043
Tongming Su, Zichun Chen, Xuan Luo, Xinling Xie, Zuzeng Qin, Hongbing Ji
Tetracycline (TC) is not only a threat to aquatic ecosystems and the health of organisms but also a crucial contributor to the drug resistance of bacteria. The photodegradation of TC is an effective strategy for overcoming antibiotic pollution in the water environment. Fe–In2O3/In2S3 composites were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method for the photocatalytic degradation of TC under visible light illumination. When the Fe doping content was 2%, the degradation rate of TC by the 2% Fe–In2O3/In2S3 composite under visible light irradiation reached 92.4%, which was higher than that of 41.5% for In2O3/In2S3, 86.7% for 1% Fe–In2O3/In2S3 and 79% for 3% Fe–In2O3/In2S3. The photodegradation of tetracycline on Fe–In2O3/In2S3 was a first-order reaction under visible light. The rate constant of photocatalytic tetracycline degradation was 5.12 × 10–3 min–1, which was 4.1 times greater than the rate constant of In2O3/In2S3. The characterization results revealed the excellent separation efficiency of the 2% Fe–In2O3/In2S3 composites for photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which increased the photodegradation efficiency. Furthermore, under the most suitable reaction conditions, the photodegradation rate of tetracycline was 92.4%. A mechanistic study revealed that the doping of Fe ions effectively improved the transfer efficiency of photoproduced charges and inhibited the combination of photoproduced electron–hole pairs, thereby improving the photocatalytic performance of the material and achieving efficient oxidative degradation of tetracycline.
{"title":"Preparation of Fe-doped In2S3/In2O3 Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline","authors":"Tongming Su, Zichun Chen, Xuan Luo, Xinling Xie, Zuzeng Qin, Hongbing Ji","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00043","url":null,"abstract":"Tetracycline (TC) is not only a threat to aquatic ecosystems and the health of organisms but also a crucial contributor to the drug resistance of bacteria. The photodegradation of TC is an effective strategy for overcoming antibiotic pollution in the water environment. Fe–In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> composites were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method for the photocatalytic degradation of TC under visible light illumination. When the Fe doping content was 2%, the degradation rate of TC by the 2% Fe–In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> composite under visible light irradiation reached 92.4%, which was higher than that of 41.5% for In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>, 86.7% for 1% Fe–In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> and 79% for 3% Fe–In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>. The photodegradation of tetracycline on Fe–In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> was a first-order reaction under visible light. The rate constant of photocatalytic tetracycline degradation was 5.12 × 10<sup>–3</sup> min<sup>–1</sup>, which was 4.1 times greater than the rate constant of In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub>. The characterization results revealed the excellent separation efficiency of the 2% Fe–In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/In<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> composites for photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which increased the photodegradation efficiency. Furthermore, under the most suitable reaction conditions, the photodegradation rate of tetracycline was 92.4%. A mechanistic study revealed that the doping of Fe ions effectively improved the transfer efficiency of photoproduced charges and inhibited the combination of photoproduced electron–hole pairs, thereby improving the photocatalytic performance of the material and achieving efficient oxidative degradation of tetracycline.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-30DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00080
Lauren Goulding
This article references 10 other publications. This article has not yet been cited by other publications.
本文引用了 10 篇其他出版物。本文尚未被其他出版物引用。
{"title":"The Gist of the List","authors":"Lauren Goulding","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00080","url":null,"abstract":"This article references 10 other publications. This article has not yet been cited by other publications.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-27DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00041
Jeremy Lebowitz
Laboratories contain many common sources of flammable gas and vapor which can pose a fire or explosion hazard in the presence of a competent ignition source. While all facilities handling hazardous materials should follow the hierarchy of process safety controls, the nature of research laboratories is often such that flammable vapors or gases are unavoidable. Accordingly, the use of hazardous area electrical classification is a key component of an overall ignition source control strategy. This article outlines major concepts associated with area classification for vapors and gases in the context of the hierarchy of controls, and offers practical suggestions for how to limit risk in research laboratories.
{"title":"Applying Hazardous Area Classification in Laboratories","authors":"Jeremy Lebowitz","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00041","url":null,"abstract":"Laboratories contain many common sources of flammable gas and vapor which can pose a fire or explosion hazard in the presence of a competent ignition source. While all facilities handling hazardous materials should follow the hierarchy of process safety controls, the nature of research laboratories is often such that flammable vapors or gases are unavoidable. Accordingly, the use of hazardous area electrical classification is a key component of an overall ignition source control strategy. This article outlines major concepts associated with area classification for vapors and gases in the context of the hierarchy of controls, and offers practical suggestions for how to limit risk in research laboratories.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-27DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.3c00116
Shahadat Hossain, M. M. Mahfuz Siraz, Md. Zakir Hossain, Selina Yeasmin
With the use of traditional thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), this study was carried out to determine the effective dose and its trend in order to ensure radiation safety at interventional cardiology practices in Bangladeshi hospitals. Between 2015 and 2019, 1015 radiation workers in Bangladesh who were under observation for their personal dose equivalent were reported. There were 417 physicians among them, while the remaining personnel included radiological technologists, physicists, and other medical staff members. To measure the exposure dose, a conventional TLD-100 (LiF:Mg, Ti) was used. A Harshaw TLD reader (Model 4500) was used to read the TLDs on a quarterly basis. All of the monitored workers, who made up around 19.11% of the total, had ionizing radiation exposure below the limit established by international organizations. The Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator were also applied to the annual collective effective doses, and it showed a decreasing trend over the time frame. The current state of occupational exposure and its trends show that most workplaces have effective radiation protective measures in place.
{"title":"Ionizing Radiation Exposure at Interventional Cardiology Practices in Bangladesh","authors":"Shahadat Hossain, M. M. Mahfuz Siraz, Md. Zakir Hossain, Selina Yeasmin","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.3c00116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.3c00116","url":null,"abstract":"With the use of traditional thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), this study was carried out to determine the effective dose and its trend in order to ensure radiation safety at interventional cardiology practices in Bangladeshi hospitals. Between 2015 and 2019, 1015 radiation workers in Bangladesh who were under observation for their personal dose equivalent were reported. There were 417 physicians among them, while the remaining personnel included radiological technologists, physicists, and other medical staff members. To measure the exposure dose, a conventional TLD-100 (LiF:Mg, Ti) was used. A Harshaw TLD reader (Model 4500) was used to read the TLDs on a quarterly basis. All of the monitored workers, who made up around 19.11% of the total, had ionizing radiation exposure below the limit established by international organizations. The Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator were also applied to the annual collective effective doses, and it showed a decreasing trend over the time frame. The current state of occupational exposure and its trends show that most workplaces have effective radiation protective measures in place.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00070
Philip Vassallo
Citing continuous improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) and growing endorsements for its use during every phase of the writing process, the author suggests practical techniques for using AI in writing at work for creative planning, productive drafting, and improved revising, editing, and proofreading.
{"title":"Using AI to Improve Writing Creativity, Productivity, and Quality","authors":"Philip Vassallo","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00070","url":null,"abstract":"Citing continuous improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) and growing endorsements for its use during every phase of the writing process, the author suggests practical techniques for using AI in writing at work for creative planning, productive drafting, and improved revising, editing, and proofreading.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-17DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00005
Orikeda Trashi, Neha Satish, Thien-Quang Nicholas Nguyen, Jeremiah J. Gassensmith, Mary Beth Mulcahy
This Commentary critically evaluates scientific journals’ responsibility in addressing safety concerns within chemical research publications. We highlight the risks associated with uncritically accepting initial safety claims in the chemical literature, especially when such claims are later retracted or corrected. Our analysis focuses on three specific cases where procedures initially deemed safe necessitated significant safety corrections, and we emphasize the inadequate response of the publishing community to these updates. It is important to note that safety corrections often remain less visible and less cited than the original flawed publications. We scrutinize the mechanisms publishers employ for marking safety-related corrections and retractions and find them inconsistent and insufficiently visible to alert researchers, particularly trainees and those with less experience. We propose more effective strategies to enhance the clarity and prominence of safety information, including mandatory peer-review by chemical safety specialists and prominent watermarking of papers with safety corrections. We also advocate for authors and reviewers to use a safety checklist that includes detailed hazard identification, clear storage and handling instructions, and justification of hazardous reagents. Our Commentary underscores the shared responsibility across the scientific ecosystem in maintaining safety standards, advocating for a proactive role by journal publishers in protecting researchers from hazardous procedures and compounds, thus prioritizing safety in the publication of chemical research.
{"title":"How Should Journals Address a Procedure That Turns out to Be Dangerous?","authors":"Orikeda Trashi, Neha Satish, Thien-Quang Nicholas Nguyen, Jeremiah J. Gassensmith, Mary Beth Mulcahy","doi":"10.1021/acs.chas.4c00005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.4c00005","url":null,"abstract":"This Commentary critically evaluates scientific journals’ responsibility in addressing safety concerns within chemical research publications. We highlight the risks associated with uncritically accepting initial safety claims in the chemical literature, especially when such claims are later retracted or corrected. Our analysis focuses on three specific cases where procedures initially deemed safe necessitated significant safety corrections, and we emphasize the inadequate response of the publishing community to these updates. It is important to note that safety corrections often remain less visible and less cited than the original flawed publications. We scrutinize the mechanisms publishers employ for marking safety-related corrections and retractions and find them inconsistent and insufficiently visible to alert researchers, particularly trainees and those with less experience. We propose more effective strategies to enhance the clarity and prominence of safety information, including mandatory peer-review by chemical safety specialists and prominent watermarking of papers with safety corrections. We also advocate for authors and reviewers to use a safety checklist that includes detailed hazard identification, clear storage and handling instructions, and justification of hazardous reagents. Our Commentary underscores the shared responsibility across the scientific ecosystem in maintaining safety standards, advocating for a proactive role by journal publishers in protecting researchers from hazardous procedures and compounds, thus prioritizing safety in the publication of chemical research.","PeriodicalId":12,"journal":{"name":"ACS Chemical Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.73,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142184009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-22DOI: 10.1021/acs.chas.4c00049
Imee Su Martinez
Imagine yourself as an idealistic recent university graduate, who has been recruited by the Institute of Chemistry University of the Philippines-Diliman for tenure track with a relatively decent repatriation package. You start dreaming about starting your own laboratory and doing novel research work that has never been done before in your home country. You feel really good about yourself, thinking that you will be contributing to national development by mentoring the cream of the crop, leading researchers in advancing science and technology in the country. And then you start working in the laboratory. For the first part of your work, you need nitric acid, a regulated chemical. You realize that it takes a ton of paperwork to procure and at least a week to acquire. Your timeline is still doable, so you feel this is just a minor setback. Then the next phase requires equipment purchasing, and this is when reality hits you, because by then you realize that it takes years to actually procure this piece. Research in the Philippines in general, and particularly in the University of Philippines (UP), is quite challenging─to put it mildly. We do not worry about the science and the problem solving, nor about funding, which is a concern for every researcher around the globe. I wish that looking for the next meal ticket were our focus, because we researchers are trained to solve problems and write proposals to secure funding. But our problem is something else entirely. Ingrained regulations─or perhaps restrictions is the better word─appear, from funding utilization to procurement to safety. Many of these rules seem designed to impede researchers from performing their tasks efficiently. Is our lack of a research culture preventing us from striking the necessary balance between regulatory compliance and functional efficiency? Is our insufficient research experience compared to other countries cause for regulations or policies that may affect research? Is our interpretation of the law keeping us from moving forward at a pace that is on par with the rest of the world? Research and innovation are established key factors in attaining sustainable national development. Clearly, an enabling, nurturing environment conducive to work is essential. We all agree that research funding require due diligence, especially government-provided funds from citizens’ tax payments. We are painfully aware that as a developing country, we need to be very conscientious about how we use money for research. The laser, hood, safety shower, and vacuum line in my laboratory could have been housing and food for our fellow Filipinos. But how would our nation benefit if the science community could not use funds at all? How would our nation gain ground in research when young researchers are demoralized because of delayed salaries due to a regulation in transferring and receiving research funds. Are not the Commission on Audit Circular No. 94-013 and related regulations meant to expedite t
想象一下，你是一名充满理想的应届大学毕业生，被菲律宾大学-迪利曼化学研究所聘为终身教职员工，并享受相对优厚的回国待遇。你开始梦想建立自己的实验室，从事国内从未有过的新颖研究工作。你自我感觉非常良好，认为自己将为国家发展做出贡献，指导顶尖研究人员推动国家科技进步。然后，你开始在实验室工作。在工作的第一部分，你需要硝酸，一种受管制的化学品。你意识到这需要大量的文书工作和至少一周的时间来采购。但您的时间安排仍然可行，所以您觉得这只是一个小挫折。下一阶段需要购买设备，这时你才意识到现实的残酷，因为此时你已经意识到，要真正买到这些设备需要好几年的时间。在菲律宾，特别是在菲律宾大学（UP）开展研究工作，可以说是相当具有挑战性。我们既不担心科学和问题的解决，也不担心资金，而资金是全球每位研究人员都关心的问题。我希望我们的工作重点是寻找下一张饭票，因为我们研究人员接受的培训就是解决问题和撰写提案以获得资金。但我们的问题完全不同。从资金使用到采购，再到安全，都出现了根深蒂固的规定--或许用 "限制 "这个词更合适。其中许多规定似乎都是为了阻碍研究人员高效完成任务而设计的。我们缺乏研究文化，是否妨碍了我们在遵守法规和提高职能效率之间取得必要的平衡？与其他国家相比，我们的研究经验不足，这是否是制定可能影响研究的法规或政策的原因？我们对法律的解释是否使我们无法与世界其他国家同步前进？研究与创新是实现国家可持续发展的既定关键因素。显然，一个有利于工作的有利环境至关重要。我们都同意，科研经费需要尽职尽责，尤其是政府从公民纳税中提供的资金。我们痛苦地意识到，作为一个发展中国家，我们需要非常认真地对待科研经费的使用。我实验室里的激光器、抽油烟机、安全淋浴和真空管道本可以为菲律宾同胞提供住房和食物。但是，如果科学界根本无法使用资金，我们的国家将如何受益？如果年轻的研究人员因为转拨和接收研究资金的规定而导致工资拖欠，从而士气低落，那么我们的国家又如何在研究领域取得进展呢？难道审计委员会第 94-013 号通知及相关规定不是为了加快这一进程吗？难道我们不应该将拨付的资金用于其应有的用途吗？如果我们把每年的前两个季度留给可能出现延误的采购，甘特图又有什么用呢？我们是否询问过全球其他地区的研究人员，他们需要等待多久才能获得所需的设备和用品？我在国外读研究生时的经验表明，购买光学元件只需要一天时间。相比之下，在菲律宾购买同样的元件需要三个月的时间。难道我们不能做得更好吗？菲律宾政府采购手册》就放在我家里的床头柜上。该手册包括第 9184 号共和国法案的修订实施细则和条例，该法案规定了政府采购活动的现代化、标准化和监管及其他目的。该法明确允许从国外采购所需的研究设备，也允许通过直接谈判从国外采购专有技术。鉴于我国目前的科技状况，我们需要从国外采购大部分研究设备和用品。毫无疑问，《第 9184 号共和国法案》让我们在每次采购中都能获得最优惠的价格。那么，为什么我们要以三倍的价格从第三方供应商那里购买设备呢？很多时候，我们甚至会买到劣质品牌的设备，科学家们担心在实验室中使用这些设备会因维护费用而受到影响。这样使用资金合适吗？当涉及到安全设备和用品时，购买价格过高的劣质设备就更加令人担忧了。试想一下，层流罩的工作性能达不到广告宣传的规格，或者安全淋浴器因招标失败而多年才到货，但半年后就出现故障。无论在世界任何地方，安全就是安全。一个常见的误解是，发展中国家一直面临困难和挑战，因此坚不可摧。 并非如此。当学生或同事卷入实验室事故的那一刻，重要的不是事故发生在哪里，而是一个人的生命经历了痛苦或死亡。这是一个打破地域或其他界限的问题。安全问题不仅是资金雄厚的发达国家的问题。在经济困难的情况下，它甚至更为重要，因为人们无法承担巨额的医院账单、环境破坏和其他最坏的情况。在菲律宾这样的贫困地区，必须采取预防性措施，这意味着工作人员在进行实际实验和其他实验室活动之前，必须格外注意安全规划，包括采购能实际使用多年的安全设备和材料。风险评估对于开发更环保、更安全的方法显然至关重要。化学安全教育和培训对学生和研究人员了解实验室工作的危险性至关重要。与学生讨论实验计划和可能存在的安全问题可以挽救生命。这种做法是在工作场所进行安全管理和创建安全文化的一种更经济实惠的方式。我看到了化学品安全和安保法规的价值，如第 9165 号共和国法（又称《综合危险药品法》）、第 9516 号共和国法（《受控化学品实施细则和法规》）和第 6969 号共和国法。这些法规旨在控制有毒物质、危险废物和核废料。它们存在的崇高理由是：保护人民的健康、安全和保障。然而，当研究人员因机构超出分配数量而需要一个多月才能获得硝酸时，当人们因某种废弃化学品未分类而无法对其进行处置时，当人们每次只能订购一毫升丙酮时，这些法规就成了研究的障碍。这些障碍造成的环境不再有利于发现和创新。这些后勤负担意味着研究人员应该关门大吉。我们不妨说，我们不希望在我们的国家进行研究和技术进步。的确，道路是艰辛的。我们只能希望，也许这一次，新的大学管理部门会倾听科学家们的困境，会阅读我们厚厚的关于科研管理和采购的 "宣言"，并附上我们的数据和经验证明。管理者确实答应与我们会面。然而，学生们非常聪明，有些甚至很有天赋。他们激励着我们教职员工坚持不懈地攀登，努力营造一种安全、富有成效的科研文化。考虑到菲律宾是我们的国家（图 1），我们不能不继续前进。这是我们的未来，也是我们要解决的问题。图 1.化学安全与研究的反思之镜。伊米-苏-马丁内斯（Imee Su Martinez）是菲律宾大学（University of the Philippines-Diliman）化学研究所的教授。她的研究兴趣是表面化学，重点是利用表面特异性非线性光学技术和其他经典表面技术表征界面上的分子。她是表面科学与光谱激光实验室（S3LLAB）的首席研究员，国内第一台二次谐波发生显微镜（SHG）就是在这里建成的。她还在研究所为研究生开设了化学安全和安保课程。该课程的重点是化学伦理实践。她目前担任禁止化学武器组织科学顾问委员会（OPCW SAB）副主席。本文尚未被其他出版物引用。图 1.化学安全与研究中的反思之镜。
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