Tox21: Safety Testing of 10,000 Chemicals to Begin this Year

Earlier this year the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banded together to give us a high-speed robotic screening system called Tox21.  This system was created to test the potential toxicity levels of 10,000 compounds.  The list of 10,000 compounds covers chemicals used in a wide variety of products including consumer products, food additives, chemicals used during industrial processes, and human and animal medications.

Not only will Tox21 provide us with information on individual chemicals, but it will also test the potential health hazards of mixtures of chemicals.  Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Toxicology Program, notes the importance of Tox21, “All of us are exposed to many different chemicals at the same time, not just one chemical at a time.  These new technologies allow us to more rapidly advance our understanding of not only individual chemicals, but mixtures of chemicals as well.”

This exciting technology will be able to test chemicals at a rate that was never made possible by human hand.  Such speed and efficiency will enable organizations like the EPA and the FDA to quickly determine any potential health risks related to newly developed compounds.  Additionally, Tox21 can improve the efficiency of companies who will be able to avoid the use of chemicals already declared unsafe.  The director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Janet Woodcock explains that, “the Tox21 rapid assessment of drug toxicity can become a powerful safety tool for protecting the American public.  It also has the potential to help bring innovative drugs to market by allowing drug developers to identify unsafe candidate drugs early.”

After many trial runs, Tox21 is ready to start testing!  Official testing of the 10,000 compounds began last week.  When testing results become available they can be accessed through NIH and EPA chemical toxicity databases.  For more information on Tox21 refer to the following informational pamphlet: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/assets/docs_p_z/ntp-tox21.pdf

~ Jessica

Resource:

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2011/december07/index.cfm

The Growth of Green Gaming

Back in the 80s, when our hair was teased and scrunchies were more than just hair ties—they were bracelets too—going green was somewhat of an afterthought.  As for green gaming, the “green” afterthought wasn’t much different, and in 1989, SimCity was at the forefront of the green gaming movement, dropping environmental underpinnings throughout the gaming experience.  Fast forward twenty something years and the video gaming industry has taken these environmental undertones and made them the solid focus of multiple games now available. No more “hints.” We now see video games, computer games and Smartphone apps focusing entirely on environmental consciousness, an issue that resonates especially with younger generations. 

According to an article published by USA Today on August 17^th, 2011, green games are quickly moving up to top the list of in-demand games available for consumers.  Personally, I think this is great! It’s a strong and seemingly effective way to increase awareness in children and adults about challenges we face in the environment today and how they will affect our future and the future of generations to come.

What green games can you buy and what green games can we buy in the future? Thanks to the USA Today article, we have the scoop on a handful of green games you can now purchase and look forward to.

Video Games:

Fate of the World: As heads of a fictitious global environmental organization, players confronted with the challenge of managing sociopolitical, energy consumption, population growth, food production, and natural disaster issues in order to improve our environment for the next 200 years.

FLOwer: Released in 2009, this video game lets players control wind and blow petals across various landscapes.  Players transform the environment presented to them which elicits a deeper green message that illustrates harmony between rugged industrialism and the aestheticism of nature.

Recycling Mobile APS:

Face the Waste: Players sort trash into the appropriate recycling bin while Toxic Tim, the villain, tries to stop them. 

Eco Mania: Players match items on a conveyer belt to the proper recycling bin—a great way to help consumers understand where and what can be recycled.

Web Games:

Yard Sale: Players clean a house and resell the items no longer needed at a virtual yard sale.

The McDonald’s Game: This satirical game educates players on the behind-the-scenes of the fast food industry that have a negative impact on the environment.  Issues include clearing rainforests, killing sick cows and marketing fast food to children.

Downloadable Games:

Okab: Similar to the concept of FLOwer, this game has a sort of Avatar feel to it where players help a race akin to nature fend off the terrors placed on them by an environmentally-threatening race.

While we have no played any of these games, we are interested to hear your feedback!  Have you played any of these green games? Will you? Let us know!

Resources:
USA Today