Advancing Alternative Analysis: Integration of Decision Science

Timothy F Malloy^{1

2

3}, Virginia M Zaunbrecher^{1

2}, Christina M Batteate², Ann Blake⁴, William F Carroll Jr⁵, Charles J Corbett^{6

7}, Steffen Foss Hansen⁸, Robert J Lempert⁹, Igor Linkov¹⁰, Roger McFadden¹¹, Kelly D Moran¹², Elsa Olivetti¹³, Nancy K Ostrom¹⁴, Michelle Romero^{2

3}, Julie M Schoenung¹⁵, Thomas P Seager¹⁶, Peter Sinsheimer², Kristina A Thayer¹⁷

Affiliations

¹ UCLA School of Law, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, USA
² UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
³ University of California Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁴ Environmental and Public Health Consulting, Alameda, California, USA
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
⁶ UCLA Anderson School of Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁷ UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁸ Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
⁹ RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA
¹⁰ U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
¹¹ McFadden and Associates, LLC, Oregon, USA
¹² TDC Environmental, LLC, San Mateo, California, USA
¹³ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
¹⁴ Safer Products and Workplaces Program, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Sacramento, California, USA
¹⁵ Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
¹⁶ School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
¹⁷ Office of Health Assessment and Translation, National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Morrisville, North Carolina, USA

PMID: 28669940
PMCID: PMC5743447
DOI: 10.1289/EHP483

Review

Advancing Alternative Analysis: Integration of Decision Science

Timothy F Malloy et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2017.

. 2017 Jun 13;125(6):066001.

doi: 10.1289/EHP483.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ UCLA School of Law, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California, USA
² UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
³ University of California Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁴ Environmental and Public Health Consulting, Alameda, California, USA
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
⁶ UCLA Anderson School of Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁷ UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁸ Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
⁹ RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA
¹⁰ U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
¹¹ McFadden and Associates, LLC, Oregon, USA
¹² TDC Environmental, LLC, San Mateo, California, USA
¹³ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
¹⁴ Safer Products and Workplaces Program, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Sacramento, California, USA
¹⁵ Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
¹⁶ School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
¹⁷ Office of Health Assessment and Translation, National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Morrisville, North Carolina, USA

PMID: 28669940
PMCID: PMC5743447
DOI: 10.1289/EHP483

Abstract

Background: Decision analysis-a systematic approach to solving complex problems-offers tools and frameworks to support decision making that are increasingly being applied to environmental challenges. Alternatives analysis is a method used in regulation and product design to identify, compare, and evaluate the safety and viability of potential substitutes for hazardous chemicals.

Objectives: We assessed whether decision science may assist the alternatives analysis decision maker in comparing alternatives across a range of metrics.

Methods: A workshop was convened that included representatives from government, academia, business, and civil society and included experts in toxicology, decision science, alternatives assessment, engineering, and law and policy. Participants were divided into two groups and were prompted with targeted questions. Throughout the workshop, the groups periodically came together in plenary sessions to reflect on other groups' findings.

Results: We concluded that the further incorporation of decision science into alternatives analysis would advance the ability of companies and regulators to select alternatives to harmful ingredients and would also advance the science of decision analysis.

Conclusions: We advance four recommendations: a) engaging the systematic development and evaluation of decision approaches and tools; b) using case studies to advance the integration of decision analysis into alternatives analysis; c) supporting transdisciplinary research; and d) supporting education and outreach efforts. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP483.

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Figures

Conceptual diagram. — **Figure 1.**
Decision frameworks. Compares the process for decision making under sequential, simultaneous, and mixed frameworks.

Stacked bar graph plots assigned scores (y-axis) of economic feasibility, technical feasibility, environmental impacts, ecological hazards, human health impact and physical chemical hazard across solder alloys (x-axis). — **Figure 3.**
Sample output from MAUT decision tool comparing alternatives to lead solder. SnPb is a solder alloy composed of 63% Sn/37% Pb; SAC (Water) is a solder alloy composed of 95.5% Sn/3.9% Ag/0.6% Cu; water quenching is used to cool and harden solder; SAC (air) is a solder alloy composed of 95.5% Sn/3.9% Ag/0.6% Cu; air is used to cool and harden solder; SnCu (water) is a solder alloy composed of 99.2% Sn/0.8% Cu; water quenching is used to cool and harden solder; SnCu (air) solder alloy composed of 99.2% Sn/0.8% Cu; air is used to cool and harden solder [Malloy et al. 2013 with permission from Wiley Online Library http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1551-3793/homepage/Permissions.html)]. Note: Ag, silver; Cu, copper; Pb, lead; Sn, tin.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Adelman L, Gualtieri J, Stanford S. 1995. Examining the effect of causal focus on the option generation process: An experiment using protocol analysis. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 61:54–66, 10.1006/obhd.1995.1005. - DOI
1. Ascough JC, Maier HR, Ravalico JK, Strudley MW. 2008. Future research challenges for incorporation of uncertainty in environmental and ecological decision-making. Ecol Modell 219:383–399, 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2008.07.015. - DOI
1. Bell DVJ. 2009. Education for Sustainable Development: Cure Or Placebo? In: Innovation, Science, Environmental, Special Edition: Charting Sustainable Development in Canada 1987–2007. Toner G, Meadowcroft J, eds. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 106–130.
1. Belton V, Stewart TJ. 2002. Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis: An Integrated Approach. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
1. BizNGO. 2016. The Commons Principles for Alternatives Assessment. http://www.bizngo.org/alternatives-assessment/commons-principles-alt-ass... [accessed August 22, 2016].

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Advancing Alternative Analysis: Integration of Decision Science

Affiliations

Advancing Alternative Analysis: Integration of Decision Science

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

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