Paul Anastas
Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health Sciences); Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment; Professor in the Practice of Management; Senior Research Scientist in Chemical and Environmental EngineeringCards
Additional Titles
Co-Director, Environmental Health Sciences Track, Executive MPH
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Titles
Professor of Epidemiology (Environmental Health Sciences); Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment; Professor in the Practice of Management; Senior Research Scientist in Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Co-Director, Environmental Health Sciences Track, Executive MPH
Biography
Paul T. Anastas is the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Professor in the Practice of Chemistry for the Environment. He has appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Chemical Engineering. In addition, Prof. Anastas serves as the Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale. Anastas took public service leave from Yale to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Agency Science Advisor from 2009-2012. From 2004 -2006, Paul Anastas served as Director of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute in Washington, D.C. He was previously the Assistant Director for the Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he worked from 1999-2004. Trained as a synthetic organic chemist, Dr. Anastas received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University and worked as an industrial consultant. He is credited with establishing the field of green chemistry during his time working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the Chief of the Industrial Chemistry Branch and as the Director of the U.S. Green Chemistry Program. Dr. Anastas has published widely on topics of science through sustainability including eleven books, such as Benign by Design, Designing Safer Polymers, Green Engineering, and his seminal work with co-author John Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice.
Appointments
Environmental Health Sciences
ProfessorFully JointSchool of the Environment
Professor in the PracticeFully JointChemical and Environmental Engineering
Senior Research ScientistSecondarySchool of Management
Professor in the PracticeSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Research
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Overview
Public Health Interests
ORCID
0000-0003-4777-5172
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Julie Zimmerman
Hanno C. Erythropel, PhD
Momoko Ishii
Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, PhD
Sven-Eric Jordt, PhD
Stephanie O'Malley, PhD
Publications
2026
Planetary Health: Now, and for the Future
Brooks B, Anastas P, Diamond M, Klánová J. Planetary Health: Now, and for the Future. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2026, 13: 786-787. DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6c00437.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricTurning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties
Ioannidis I, Anastopoulos I, Barczak M, Davies N, Kinigopoulou V, Li W, Triantafyllidis K, Pashalidis I, Giannakoudakis D, Anastas P. Turning point for nylon microplastics: From pollution into magnetic radionuclides remediation media with antibacterial properties. Journal Of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2026, 14: 122625. DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2026.122625.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRemoval efficiencyPolyamide nylon 6Disposal of plasticsPristine microplasticsNylon microplasticsRemediation mediaMicroplasticsPrimary pollutantsSecondary pollutionPollutionGlobal threatTrace radionuclidesReal seawaterRemovalHybrid materialsSorbentContaminationOxide nanoparticlesHigh UDisposalRadionuclidesNylon-6SeawaterThreatUraniumFrom cool to non-cool: California’s ‘non-menthol’ cigarettes in 2025
Jabba S, Erythropel H, Anastas P, O’Malley S, Krishnan-Sarin S, Zimmerman J, Jordt S. From cool to non-cool: California’s ‘non-menthol’ cigarettes in 2025. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation 2026, 12: 1-5. PMID: 42211562, PMCID: PMC13215131, DOI: 10.18332/tpc/217322.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsWater addition to e-liquids to reduce flavour aldehyde acetal formation: chemistry and user sensory experience and appeal
Davis D, Green B, Krishnan-Sarin S, Martin T, Wu R, Gueorguieva R, Anastas P, Zimmerman J, O’Malley S, Allen W, Erythropel H. Water addition to e-liquids to reduce flavour aldehyde acetal formation: chemistry and user sensory experience and appeal. Tobacco Control 2026, tc-2025-060013. PMID: 42161504, PMCID: PMC13330406, DOI: 10.1136/tc-2025-060013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricCorrection: Enhanced production of dimethyl carbonate from the alternating polarity electrolysis of methanol and carbon dioxide
Ishii M, Paulsen M, Mellinghoff R, LeClerc H, Tse H, Erythropel H, Zimmerman J, Anastas P, Lee D. Correction: Enhanced production of dimethyl carbonate from the alternating polarity electrolysis of methanol and carbon dioxide. Green Chemistry 2026, 28: 5879-5880. DOI: 10.1039/d6gc90050j.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersRenewably sourced amino-acid- and lignin-based solid-state emitters
Tse H, Erythropel H, Backhaus A, Lee D, Cheng S, Yeung C, Phillips D, Zimmerman J, Anastas P. Renewably sourced amino-acid- and lignin-based solid-state emitters. Chem 2026, 12: 102781. DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2025.102781.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPowder X-ray diffractionSolid-state emittersIntersystem crossingEfficient intersystem crossingComplex synthetic proceduresX-ray diffractionH-aggregatesSynthetic procedureAfterglow phosphorescencePhotoluminescent materialsMild conditionsHeavy atomsPrepared materialsHost matrixFramework rigidityAnti-solvent crystallizationAmino acid histidineHydroxyl contentMethyl esterIntersystemPhosphorescenceMaterialsEmitterAtomsDiffractionUsing Machine Learning for Green Substitution of Industrial Chemicals: Integrating Functionality, Hazard, and Life Cycle Impact
Wang H, Chen J, Liu W, Wang D, Song Y, Hong H, Wang T, Anastas P, Zimmerman J. Using Machine Learning for Green Substitution of Industrial Chemicals: Integrating Functionality, Hazard, and Life Cycle Impact. Chemical Reviews 2026, 126: 841-894. PMID: 41481805, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5c00828.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLife cycle impactsDevelopment of AI agentsMolecular designCycle impactsGreen substituteDesign strategyFugitive releasesInnovative solutionsHazardous industrial chemicalsLife cycleIndustrial chemicalsDesignRisk managementChemical risk managementEcological healthMethodologyAdverse impactEnvironmental hazardsUnintended adverse effectsMachine learningAlternative chemicals
2025
Synthesis of Cleavable Polyolefins via Ring-Opening Insertion Metathesis Polymerization (ROIMP) of Cyclopentene with Unsaturated Polyester Oligomers
Farkas V, Erdélyi A, Varga K, Hai D, Ishii M, Nagyházi M, Turczel G, Dubey P, Trif L, Osterthun O, Anastas P, Klankermayer J, Moczó J, Tuba R. Synthesis of Cleavable Polyolefins via Ring-Opening Insertion Metathesis Polymerization (ROIMP) of Cyclopentene with Unsaturated Polyester Oligomers. Macromolecules 2025, 59: 515-523. PMID: 41768296, PMCID: PMC12805637, DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5c03036.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsAcyclic diene metathesisMetathesis polymerizationDiene metathesisWilkinson's catalystCleavable esterPolyester oligomersPolycarbonate oligomersHydrocarbon polymersCleavable unitEster oligomersCarbon functionalitiesPolyolefin copolymersBenign alternativeDirect substitutionCyclopenteneDegradable polymersPolymerizationUnsaturated polyesterOligomersLow molecular weightPolymerSynthesisMetathesisPolypentenamerCatalystEnhanced production of dimethyl carbonate from the alternating polarity electrolysis of methanol and carbon dioxide
Ishii M, Paulsen M, Mellinghoff R, LeClerc H, Tse H, Erythropel H, Zimmerman J, Anastas P, Lee D. Enhanced production of dimethyl carbonate from the alternating polarity electrolysis of methanol and carbon dioxide. Green Chemistry 2025, 27: 14513-14521. DOI: 10.1039/d5gc02358k.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsDimethyl carbonate yieldDimethyl carbonateEfficient reoxidationFormation of dimethyl carbonateSynthesis of dimethyl carbonateElectrolysis of methanolGlassy carbon electrodeProduction of dimethyl carbonatePd 2+Dimethyl carbonate productionPalladium bromideElectrochemical synthesisCarbon electrodeReaction conditionsMethyl formateElectrode passivationConcurrent oxidationPresence of CO 2Reduction of methanolGaseous carbon dioxideCO 2Electrode polarizationMethanolCarbon dioxideElectrodeRoger Sheldon - A Legacy of Green Chemistry Achievements and Wisdom
Anastas P, Marr A, Brower R, Licence P. Roger Sheldon - A Legacy of Green Chemistry Achievements and Wisdom. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2025, 13: 20330-20330. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.5c11699.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Honors
honor August Wilhelm von Hofmann Commemorative Medal
09/12/2022International AwardGerman Chemistry SocietyDetailsGermany
News
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News
- May 30, 2025Source: Yale School of the Environment
"We have the solutions" to the climate crisis, says YSPH's Anastas
- February 24, 2025Source: Yale Daily News
Yale’s $12.6-million initiative brings green chemistry to the Global South
- August 07, 2024
Novel E-Cigarette Products Marketed to Contain Nicotine Analogs Instead of Nicotine Show Discrepancies Between Label Information and Contents
- June 03, 2024Source: Scientific American
How Tobacco Companies Use Chemistry To Get Around Menthol Bans
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