AGREE—Analytical GREEEnness Metric Approach and Software

AGREE—Analytical GREEEnness Metric Approach and Software

June 15, 2020 | Francisco Pena-Pereira, Wojciech Wojnowski, Marek Tobiszewski
The article introduces AGREE, a comprehensive, user-friendly, and informative metric system for assessing the greenness of analytical procedures based on the 12 principles of green analytical chemistry (GAC). AGREE provides a unified 0–1 scale for evaluating analytical methodologies, transforming the 12 GAC principles into a single score that reflects the procedure's performance across all criteria. The result is a pictogram that visually indicates the final score, performance in each criterion, and user-assigned weights. The software is freely available and open-source, making the assessment process straightforward and accessible. Green analytical chemistry focuses on making analytical procedures more environmentally benign and safer for humans. The greenness of analytical methods is a complex parameter influenced by factors such as reagent toxicity, waste generation, energy requirements, and procedural steps. Existing metric systems, such as the National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) and the Analytical Eco-Scale, have limitations, including a limited number of assessment criteria and non-continuous functions. AGREE addresses these issues by incorporating all 12 GAC principles, allowing for a more comprehensive and sensitive evaluation. AGREE's assessment criteria are derived from the 12 GAC principles, which are transformed into a 0–1 scale. Each principle is evaluated based on specific criteria, such as the use of direct analytical techniques, minimal sample size, in-situ measurements, integration of analytical processes, automation, avoidance of derivatization, waste management, multianalyte methods, energy minimization, use of renewable reagents, elimination of toxic reagents, and operator safety. The final score is calculated based on these principles, and the result is a clock-like graph with a color-coded representation of the procedure's performance. The software allows users to assign weights to different criteria based on their importance, providing a flexible and customizable assessment. The output is a pictogram that clearly indicates the procedure's strengths and weaknesses, making it easy to interpret. The AGREE system is validated through case studies comparing different analytical procedures for determining polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil samples. The results demonstrate AGREE's effectiveness in evaluating the greenness of analytical methods, highlighting the importance of considering multiple factors in the assessment process. The software is freely available for download, making it a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in the field of analytical chemistry.The article introduces AGREE, a comprehensive, user-friendly, and informative metric system for assessing the greenness of analytical procedures based on the 12 principles of green analytical chemistry (GAC). AGREE provides a unified 0–1 scale for evaluating analytical methodologies, transforming the 12 GAC principles into a single score that reflects the procedure's performance across all criteria. The result is a pictogram that visually indicates the final score, performance in each criterion, and user-assigned weights. The software is freely available and open-source, making the assessment process straightforward and accessible. Green analytical chemistry focuses on making analytical procedures more environmentally benign and safer for humans. The greenness of analytical methods is a complex parameter influenced by factors such as reagent toxicity, waste generation, energy requirements, and procedural steps. Existing metric systems, such as the National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) and the Analytical Eco-Scale, have limitations, including a limited number of assessment criteria and non-continuous functions. AGREE addresses these issues by incorporating all 12 GAC principles, allowing for a more comprehensive and sensitive evaluation. AGREE's assessment criteria are derived from the 12 GAC principles, which are transformed into a 0–1 scale. Each principle is evaluated based on specific criteria, such as the use of direct analytical techniques, minimal sample size, in-situ measurements, integration of analytical processes, automation, avoidance of derivatization, waste management, multianalyte methods, energy minimization, use of renewable reagents, elimination of toxic reagents, and operator safety. The final score is calculated based on these principles, and the result is a clock-like graph with a color-coded representation of the procedure's performance. The software allows users to assign weights to different criteria based on their importance, providing a flexible and customizable assessment. The output is a pictogram that clearly indicates the procedure's strengths and weaknesses, making it easy to interpret. The AGREE system is validated through case studies comparing different analytical procedures for determining polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil samples. The results demonstrate AGREE's effectiveness in evaluating the greenness of analytical methods, highlighting the importance of considering multiple factors in the assessment process. The software is freely available for download, making it a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in the field of analytical chemistry.
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Understanding AGREE%E2%80%94Analytical GREEnness Metric Approach and Software