Since the first edition of Mike Lancaster's Green Chemistry: An Introductory Text was published by the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2002, the field of green chemistry has grown and evolved in many ways. New attitudes and actions towards preserving human and environmental health, such as advances in toxicology research and worldwide chemicals legislation, have created a more favorable setting for the impetus of green chemistry. At the same time, adequate green chemistry education, research funding, and industrial implementation still remain as challenges. The third edition of this text builds upon the first and second editions in serving as a resource that can begin to address these challenges. As the first two editions, the third edition embodies a comprehensive green chemistry resource for educators, students, and professionals alike, with few shortcomings.
The topics covered within this 392 page text are spread over 10 chapters: (1) Principles and Concepts of Green Chemistry; (2) Waste: Production, Problems, and Prevention; (3) Measuring and Controlling Environmental Performance; (4) Catalysis and Green Chemistry; (5) Organic Solvents: Environmentally Benign Solutions; (6) Renewable Resources; (7) Emerging Greener Technologies and Alternative Energy Sources; (8) Designing Greener Processes; (9) Industrial Case Studies; and (10) The Future is Green: An Integrated Approach to a Greener Chemical Industry. Each chapter is broken into several numbered subtopics, which are explained with the aid of chemical reactions, tables, and visual schematics. One key strength of this text is the diversity and breadth of subjects covered, giving the reader a representative perspective of the vast field of green chemistry.
Another strength of this text is the simple, yet high-level presentation of topics. Lancaster succeeds at detailing each topic enough for the reader to grasp key information, but does not overwhelm the reader with excessive facts. In his own words, “The concepts discussed in this book … are outlined in simple language with the aim being to educate, rather than over complicate.” The minimal amount of jargon and technical specification allows students and those from other industries or scientific fields to understand the information with relative ease. Sources for further reading are provided at the end of each chapter for those who wish to delve deeper. While the book is generally accessible, one caveat is that many chapters require at least an elementary understanding of organic chemistry. Because of this, the book is recommended for those with at least one semester of organic chemistry completed. The text may not be particularly suited for lowerclassmen, but educators may be able to tailor the content to students of various levels.
One last strength of this text is the integration of significant, but rarely discussed topics in chemistry texts. Typical chemistry texts may include general concepts, reactions and their mechanisms, as well as pictures, diagrams, and “real-world” examples to facilitate learning. However, this text is unique in its sheer volume of “real-world” examples and challenges. Throughout the text, Lancaster tastefully integrates many business and technical challenges faced by industry, and even includes a chapter dedicated to industrial case studies at the very end. The wide variety of industrial examples drive home the crucial fact that the green chemistry philosophy not only benefits human and environmental health, but serves as a cost-saving business tool in the form of preventative resource consumption and regulatory costs. In addition to the “real-world” examples and challenges presented, another unique element of this text is the integration of relevant and controversial topics such as the cost of waste, chemicals legislation, climate change, barriers to green chemistry, and the circular economy. Lancaster does not shy away from discussing these difficult topics in a factual and straightforward way. Yet another unique aspect of this text is the incorporation of process design and engineering concepts. Although there is only one chapter dedicated to process design, it highlights the union between green molecular design and scalability, further emphasizing the benefits of green chemistry as a cost-saving tool.
Although the excellent presentation, and diverse and unique content make this text an important read, some aspects of the text could use further development. The already exhaustive content may be further enhanced by a section on the role of toxicology in green chemistry. Many topics pertaining to sustainability, waste prevention, energy conservation, etc. were discussed throughout the text, but there was little mention of the testing and development of safer chemicals for human use in commercial products. As chemicals legislation continues to develop, potentially banning or regulating more and more chemicals, industry will need competitive, safer replacements, many of which have yet to be developed. An additional concern is the lack of attentive editing throughout the text. Many punctuation mistakes, spelling mistakes, and poorly worded sentences were found throughout, and distracted from the content. More careful editing would ensure better communication of these vital concepts.
Overall, the 3rd edition of Green Chemistry: An Introductory Text is an extensive, practical introduction to green chemistry, and is highly recommended by this reviewer. The broad topics covered concisely in this book make it an ideal resource for junior- or senior-level undergraduate students, graduate students, or professional scientists and engineers. As one of the few introductory green chemistry texts, this book continues to play a central role in the acknowledgement and adoption of green chemistry philosophy within the scientific community.