Bisphenol A otherwise known as BPA is a manmade polymer that could have been found in most plastics until it was tested that BPA mimics estrogen. Bisphenol A was a key ingredient in the development of many polycarbonates such as DVDs, capacitors, some modern bumpers for cars, toys and water bottles. Bisphenol A has one main property that made it stand out from other competitors, it was a clear plastic. [1] This is really important because when adding the “building blocks” to a system, the system will build off of the properties of the blocks. One example would be carbon black, carbon black is great at absorbing thermal energy, however it will turn the substance black. In addition to its clear coating that Bisphenol A has, Bisphenol A is produced …show more content…
In some ways Bisphenol A is weaker than other manufactured chemicals such as estradiol, because it takes about one hundred thousand times more Bisphenol A (ppb) to stimulate breast cancer. On the other hand, it can take .23 ppt to stimulate the development of tumors. The same amount of estradiol is required to stimulate the development of tumors. Bisphenol A is dangerous because there are endocrine-signaling pathways that act as amplifiers. Bisphenol A has a strong affinity to these pathways which connect to estrogen-binding proteins. So it will have a higher rate of absorbance and will break down faster in the blood stream. In 2000 Timms was running test experiments and found that the fetuses of pregnant mice which have been fed Bisphenol A already had Bishphenol A within their system even though the fetus has a relatively low affinity as the fetus is still under …show more content…
Beer had no trace evidence of Bisphenol A, on the other hand both food cans had Bisphenol A from 5 ppb up to 121 ppb. However, after a second test on the food groups, there were readings from 5 to 77 ppb. The amount of Bisphenol A that is absorbed by food will vary to other variables, but the average human will consume about 2.2 ppb of Bisphenol A. The numbers derived in the experimentation were taken at extreme temperature of 250°F, breaking the ester bonds allowing Bisphenol A to attach itself to the
The manner in which a teratogen impacts the developing human may vary, though nicotine, caffine and medication consumption are all directly related to physical development. These are examples of habitual teratogens, each contributing to low birth weight and behavioral problems in adolescents. The level of influence of any given teratogen depends on many factors; the first, called the “threshold effect,” occurs when a relatively harmless teratogen in small quantity becomes toxic at a spe...
Barium is a soft, heavy, silver-colored metal element. This element does not have very many uses outside of the laboratory, but it combines easily with other chemicals to form compounds used for important industrial uses. For example, Barium carbonate is used in the manufacture of ceramics and special glass, and also to purify certain chemical solutions. It is also an ingredient in clay slurries, also known as water muds, used in drilling oil wells. Barium titanate is used in sonar detectors and other electrical equipment. At low doses, barium acts as a muscle stimulant and at higher doses affects the nervous system eventually leading to paralysis. Acute and subchronic oral doses of barium cause vomiting and diarrhea, followed by decreased heart rate and elevated blood pressure. Higher doses result in cardiac irregularities, weakness, tremors, anxiety, and dyspnea. A drop in serum potassium may account for some of the symptoms. Death can occur from cardiac and respiratory failure. Acute doses around 0.8 grams can be fatal to humans. Barium nitrate makes signal flares burn with a green flame. Barium ferrite is used to make magnets. Barium sulfate is an extremely insoluble barium compound that is not poisonous. Doctors use it in X-ray examinations of a patient's digestive system. The barium sulfate absorbs X rays to show an outline of the intestines on the developed film. A barium enema is performed to examine the walls of the colon. During the procedure, a well lubricated enema tube is inserted gently into the rectum. The barium is then allowed to flow into the colon. The flow of the barium is monitored by the health care provider on an X-ray fluoroscope screen. The test is used to detect colon cancer. The barium enema may also be used to diagnose and evaluate the extent of inflammatory bowel diseases. Barium sulfate and zinc sulfide form lithopone, a white coloring matter for paint. Barium is never found in a pure state because it combines so easily with other elements. Pure barium is obtained by passing an electric current through a fused barium compound, such as barium chloride. A piece of barium metal quickly reacts with oxygen and water vapor in the air to form barium oxide. It must be stored under kerosene to keep it pure. Barium is found most often as barium sulfate in the mineral barite. The chemical symbol for barium is Ba.
In 1896 the scientist Beatson reported that the removal of the ovaries resulted in the reduction of breast cancer tumours (Russo and Irma 1998). Breast cancer is a malignant, metastasizing cancer of the mammary gland. It is the leading cause of death in woman between the ages of 35 - 45. Breast cancer can also occur in males, although less frequent, around 400 men die each year from breast cancer in the united states. (Martini, F., 2004). Studies on rats have shown considerable evidence that rat oestrogens are mammary carcinogens. Oestrogens have shown to stimulate the hormone prolactin. Through studies involving the use of antioestrogens, for example, tamoxifen, "Tamoxifen alone or in combination with the retina all trans-N-(4 hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR) reduces the incidence of NMU-induced mammary tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats." (Jane M. Ussher Ph.D. 1996). This suggests that Oestrogens and Prolactin's can have the effect of the development of breast cancer since the pathogenesis of spontaneous breast cancer in humans is similar to that of chemical-induced rodent mammary cancer. (Jane M. Ussher
Para-nitrophenol is a stronger acid then phenol itself because the nitro group on the p-nitrophenol is a strong electron-withdrawing group. This strong deactivating nitro group attracts the loan pair from the oxygen towards itself by resonance so the O-H bond gets weak and the proton gets more susceptible to getting taken off. When the proton is pulled off the resonance stabilizes the negative charge creating a weak conjugate base. In contrast the phenol doesn’t have the nitro group to electron withdraw therefore it maintains the stronger electronegativity of the oxygen and the proton is not easily pulled off. As known before an acid donates a proton and has a weak conjugate base therefore the acidity is stronger for the nitrophenol then a
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).
An element in chemistry is more than just an element; at least Chlorine is more than just an element. It is very useful in many ways that help people today. Chlorine is a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; it is a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; it is used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt. People should know more about the uses of chlorine and why chlorine is used in many processes, for example; bleaching, and why we use it today. Everything has to start somewhere, and chlorine was produced many years ago.
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. (2004, August 11). Environmental Roadmapping Initiative. Retrieved October 14, 2011, from Plastics Impacts, Risks and Regulations: http://ecm.ncms.org/ERI/new/IRRPlastics.htm
The affects teratogens can have on the developing fetus can vary greatly. Research provided from the University of Iowa’s on teratogens explains some of the possible outcome to exposure to certain teratogens. Listed birth defects resulting from exposure to teratogens, range from prenatal death, to physical and mental abnormalities.
During recent years, numerous newspaper and magazine articles have suggested that humans may be at risk because small amounts of well known environmental contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, can affect hormone levels. Hormones are produced by the endocrine system as regulators of biological function in target organs. Because hormones play a critical role in early development, toxicological effects on the endocrine system often have an impact on the reproductive system. The term endocrine disruptor is used to describe chemicals that can mimic hormones and may either enhance or counteract their effects. It has been suggested that these hormone changes can, in turn, lead to a variety of health problems including cancer, decreased fertility, and abnormalities in newborns.
There is also debate on how much better biodegradable plastics are in the first place. This is because as biodegradable plastics break down, they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but never quite disappear. This leaves the potential that the plastic would continue entering the food chain. But although biodegradable plastics aren’t perfect, they are still much safer than standard plastic and present a much lower risk. In addition, by making the shift to ban single use plastics, research towards better plastic alternatives will speed up and better solutions will become available. Over time, these new alternatives to plastics may spread to other items that aren’t single use, making an even greater impact on the health of humans and the
- The amount of times the mixture was stirred. We stirred the mixture until the Ammonium Nitrate was dissolved, so the amount of times we stirred after each teaspoon was different.
The US Container Recycling Institute estimates that 67 million plastic water bottles are discarded every day, which is enough to wrap around the planet 149 times each year. Therefore, plastic water bottles should be banned from public use. The usage of water bottles should be suppressed because they are incredibly dangerous, wasteful, expensive, and rarely recycled. Researchers have stated that plastic bottles containing water can contain many harmful chemicals. After close examination of the plastic, researchers have concluded that some plastics contain chemicals, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens, which may leach into the water, especially after being stagnant for long periods of time.
An example of an additive is di-butyl phthalate and biphenyl A (BPA), these substances are incorporated while the plastics are being manufactured to provide tensile flexibility and tensile strength. The microplastics tend to accumulate and adsorb toxic materials from the seawater around them, such as organic pollutants and heavy metals. The chemicals are not bound to the microplastic surface, and as a result, when ingested they tend to leach into the animal tissues (Do Sul, J. A. I, 2014). The impacts from such chemical leaches include hepatic stress in fish, mortality, and endocrine
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...