INTRODUCTION
Acrylamide or propenic acid amide (AcA) has also been called a cooking carcinogen.AcA has been widely used for decades in various spheres of life, mostly (99.9%) for manufacturing of polyacrylamide (PAA). Acrylamide (CH_2 = CH-CONH_2) has been an important industrial chemical in particular it has been used worldwide to synthesize polyacrylamide. Polyacrylamide has been used for various purposes, including removal of suspended solids from industrial waste water, soil conditioner, grouting agents, surfactant for herbicide mixtures, a stationary phase for laboratory separations, and cosmetic formulations. Consequently, since acrylamide is formed from polyacrylamide degradation, it has been known to be present in drinking water for many years. Therefore, it may enter the food chain in the environment.
However, in April 2002, the discovery of significant levels of acrylamide in heat-processed starch-based foods, such as potato chips and French fries, triggered intensive studies confirming the presence and quantifying the amounts of acrylamide. Moreover, discovery of acrylamid...
U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. (March 20, 2007). Final Investigation Report. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from U.S. Chemical and Safety Board: http://www.csb.gov/assets/document/CSBFinalReportBP.pdf
Humans are among the many terrestrial mammals affected by the endocrine-disrupting capabilities of bisphenol A. The majority of human exposure comes from consumption of BPA from food products packaged in polycarbonate plastics (Crain et al., 2007). Laboratory studies done on mice indicate that exposure to high concentrations of BPA can cause pregnancy complications, reproductive organ defects, obesity, early puberty, and cancer (reviewed by Flint et al., 2012).
What would you give to rid yourself of acne? What would you do? The bane of every adolescent’s existence, these red spots develop to some degree in 85% of the population between ages 12 and 25 (Lamberg). Teenagers wake up every morning, look at the mirror, and sigh at the acne on their faces and often other places on their bodies. They dread these awful things that are absolutely ugly. They get desperate and eventually, if the acne grows worse than ever before, they resort to Accutane. Accutane, also known as isotretinoin, is a medication for acne. However, despite isotretinoin’s helpfulness in controlling acne that is unresponsive to other treatments, this medication should not be used because of its harmful physical side effects, its association with psychiatric adverse effects, and its effects on reproduction.
A huge fascination of arsenic started in the 19th century when people got word of a province in southeastern Austria where people ate arsenic. Women would eat arsenic to help gain weight and fix their complexion to look more beautiful and men would eat arsenic because they believed it helped them breath easier when they were climbing high up in the mountains. One doctor by the name of Dr. Robert Craig MacLagan, was particularly interested in this and visited the town to see for himself what was really occurring. He observed the people and tested their urine to prove that they have been indeed ingesting arsenic. He wrote about the things he witnessed in the Edinburgh Medical Journal. The men in the town would eat 6 grains/dose at least twice a week, sometimes eating it on their bread or just drinking it with their water. As a result many Victorians began self-medicating themselves with arsenic.
. Smoking is the leading cause of death by cancer. 1 out of every 5 deaths occurring in America is due to its cancerous effects. The Center for Disease Control estimates that over 46 million Americans smoke cigarettes daily. The International Agency for Research on Cancer is a world health organization that identifies causes of cancer. Through the use of patterns and lab results they can classify certain elements as carcinogens. A carcinogen can be defined as any substance or toxin that is known to produce cancer. There are more than 6000 of these cancer producing toxins found within cigarettes. Arsenic, Benzene, and Vinyl chloride are just a few of the most harmful carcinogens used by tobacco companies. Vinyl chloride is a basic component in manufacturing plastic. Excessive exposure to vinyl chloride has been proven to be pre-cancerous ultimately manifesting into full blown malignant cancer. The most notable effect of vinyl chloride is the cause of...
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a type of acid categorized as a salicylate, this acid works as a pain reliever in the body because once digested it lowers the amount of substances already in the body that cause pains, fevers and flare ups. Also, this chemical is administered to people for prevention of heart attacks, strokes, and angina which is also known as severe chest pains. Aspirin is created by chemically synthesizing salicylic acid through the acetylation with acetic anhydride, synthesizing aspirin comprises of three steps, synthesis of it, isolation and purification of it, and testing the purity of the aspirin made. Synthesizing aspirin is done by reacting salicylic acid and acetic anhydride with a catalyst, in which phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is used. After the aspirin has been prepared (synthesized), it must be isolated and purified. Aspirin is insoluble in cold water, therefore it can be isolated by filtering the cold solution product of the reaction. In order to remove the unreacted salicylic acid, acetic anhydride, acetic acid product and phosphoric acid the solution must be purified, the acetic anhydride is decomposed simply through the use of adding water after the reaction has finished (C4H602 + H20 2C2H402). Acetic acid and phosphoric acid can be removed from the solution by soaking the aspirin in cold water since they are soluble in water. The final ending step of purifying the aspirin is through a process referred to as recrystallization. This is when the aspirin is placed in warm ethanol, the solution is cooled, and the aspirin crystallizes leaving the salicylic acid and other impurities inside the solution. Lastly testing the purity of the finished product is achieved mainly from a melting point test a common...
Gratitude is the Best Attitude. Imagine being forced to fly a plane over towering mountains after the pilot has a heart attack all while you are just thirteen years old. That is the backdrop of the adventurous and suspenseful coming-of-age novel Hatchet by Gary Paulson. In the novel, Brian Robeson, a brave thirteen year old boy, perseveres through many challenges and grows in gratitude as he struggles to survive in the Canadian wilderness. Throughout this novel, the author, using Brian Robeson to illustrate his theme, teaches many lessons surrounding the ideas of perseverance, resilience, and, most of all, gratitude.
Over the course of the past 60 years, an increasing amount of the current population is using plastic and reusable products to try and reduce the amount of waste that is being thrown away. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate #7 plastic which have help strengthen plastic bottles, food containers and epoxy resins (University of Minnesota, 2008). BPA is used in a range of products from every day plastic beverage containers and plastic dinnerware, to compact disks, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The CDC (2013) also states that BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).
The advancement in chemical technology with these improved pesticides has created improvements in the public health as well. From this, perhaps, we have become careless in our use and control of them. While there are many positive points, there are also extreme risks involved in using th...
From this rudimentary description of the production of potato chips, one can see that the main ingredients include potatoes, oil, and some salt. However, what may not be so apparent are the “non-ingredient” inp...
“Acai is a berry grown on the acai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to tropical Central and South America and grows mainly in floodplains and swamps “(Ulbricht et al. 2012). Acai is being used as an alternative medicine for several diseases or conditions. In the United States acai is being used for weight-loss, anti- aging remedies, antioxidants, and as an oral contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the gastrointestinal tract (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012, NCCAM). Before we can use an alternative medicine treatment there needs to be research or trials done to prove the efficacy of the treatment. There are studies about acai that prove or disprove the claims of its use. The evidence or the science proves some uses of acai, but there is more research that needs to be done. There are contraindications for acai just like with all medicines and people need to be aware of this before they try any new medicines or treatments.
Weisburger, John. Hazards of Fast Food. Environmental Health Perspectives. 112.6 (2004) A336 1 Oct. 2007. < http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765%28200405%29112%3A6% 3CA336%3AHOFF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7 >.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound used to create polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are found in a wide range of products, but food and drink containers are the most concerning. Most people fear that BPA will have negative effect...
From Mark Twain to Vincent van Gogh, each genre of art comes with its greatest master. There are many compelling arguments to why this specific artist, musician or writer is the best in their category. In modern days, we don’t have a Mozart, or a Hemingway or even an Andy Warhol. There are many good artists of their own kind and many more are emerging thanks to new technology and new forms of media art. However, many arguments are made as to why these forms of art aren’t considered true forms of art. A few years back and even today, many argue that digital paintings aren’t real art so it is not surprising when people don’t think of a video game as an art form, but it is. The world is at constant change and so is art.
The American people love fast food, but little do they know about what is really in their “hamburger” or “chicken nuggets”, and what damage the real ingredients in these foods can cause. Fast food has become a great part in many people’s lives today because you could get it fast and on the move and it’s also cheap. Everyone has eaten fast food at one point in their lives, unless of course they don’t eat meat, but they really don’t have a clue as to what they’re ingesting. This paper will inform you as to what scientists have found in these deadly foods and what can happen in the future if you continue to eat these foods.