The Principles Of Green Chemistry – Fourth Principle: Design Safer Chemicals

One of the biggest challenges for chemists is adhering to the fourth principle of green chemistry: designing safer chemicals. This goal demands an understanding of not only chemistry but also toxicology and environmental science.

In the pharmaceutical industry, there's often a degree of flexibility in this principle, especially when a chemical is designed to treat a deadly disease or improve a patient's quality of life. Even so, chemists should still strive to design molecules with the least possible environmental impact.