The “miracles of science” has brought on an era of super materials that are unaffected by extreme conditions and provide us many overlooked benefits that are a part of our everyday life. Clothing that resists open fire and moisture, gasses used to fuel your automobiles air conditioner, to plastics that release that fried egg from the fry pan with perfection. These discoveries made by DuPont can arguably yield some of the most significant products made by man in the 21st century. One among the many products, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, aka Teflon) is a synthetic fluoropolymer that can be used in a wide range of products. It’s extremely low coefficient of friction, and very hydrophobic and lipophobic characteristics are highly desired in its uses in non-stick coatings in cookware, and food packaging such as microwave popcorn bags. This characteristic is the cause of the aggregate effect of carbon-flouride bonds. As nearly every house hold has a non-stick pan being put to use on a daily basis, the safety of such a product should have been researched and presented when it was first developed in the 40s. It took nearly 50 years for any real concern of pyrolysis of PTFE to emerge to the public. Even now the effects of off-gases emitted from PTFE are still largely a mystery. Although many studies reveal that several gases are emitted, such as Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and Perfluoroisobutene (PFIB), the effects of these gasses from a toxicological standpoint is still a mystery to the public and unregulated by the EPA. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluoroisobutene (PFIB), are of the Perfluorinated compounds (PFC) family that refer to a class of organofluorine compounds that have all hydrogens replaced with fl... ... middle of paper ... ...tam. 2005, 22, 1023- 1031. Waritz, R.S, An industrial approach to evaluation of pyrolysis and combustion hazards. Enviormental Health Perspectives Vol. 11, p. 197 – 202, 1975 United States Enviormental Protection Agency. Provisional Health Advisories for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS). January 8, 2009. Stewart C.E. Weapons of mass casualties and terrorism response handbook. P.42-43. 2006. EPA.gov. 2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/stewardship/index.html Sinclair E, Kim SK, Akinleye HB, Kannan K. Quantitation of gas-phase perfluoroalkyl surfactants and fluorotelomer alcohols released from nonstick cookware and microwave popcorn bags. Environ Sci Technol. 2007;41:1180–1185. Clayton JW. Toxicology of the fluoroalkenes: Review and research needs. Environ Health Perspect. 1977;21:255–267.
In this experiment, column chromatography and thin layer chromatography were used to separate a mixture of fluorene and 9-fluorenone. These two methods were then compared, and the results were analyzed. In column chromatography, 0.1010 g of mixture was separated. During the separation, fluorene eluted first. This compound was white in color once dried with the rotary evaporator. A percent yield of 93.47% was calculated for fluorene. The product that eluted first was confirmed to be fluorene by the IR spectrum obtained and the experimental melting point. The IR spectrum RM-02-CC1 was the spectrum obtained for this compound. Aromatic carbon- hydrogen bonds, carbon-carbon double bonds and hydrogens attached to sp2 carbons were shown by peaks 3038
Teflon is resistant to strong acids, bases, heat, and solvents, which contributes to its many applications1
A specific branch used in this article was health and medicine. This can be shown where the article talks about the different effects that perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) can have on our health. Among those included were the production of cancerous cells and a change in our genetic information. Both of the effects mentioned are harmful to us and can damage the health of a human and animal. Another place where the article has to do with health and medicine is where it talks about where they saw the PFAs building up in polar bears. Although the liver normally regulates PFAs, many were found in the brain, which was not n...
EPA. (2009, December 29). Retrieved January 15, 2011, from Toxicity and Exposure Assessment for Children's Health: http://www.epa.gov/teach/
Another unique characteristic of Teflon is its weather resistance ("Teflon PTFE fluoropolymer resin" 29). In multiple trials, it was discovered that Teflon was dependable throughout fifteen years of different weather scenarios such as high heat, extreme cold, and ultraviolet rays. The resins coming from its fluoroethylene base also does not react with a majority of chemicals. There are a few exceptions such as fluorine in the gas state, extremely hot alkali metals, and some compounds like chlorine trifluoride and oxygen difluoride ("Teflon PTFE fluoropolymer resin"
Stephania A. Cornier, S. L. (2006). Origin and Helth Impacts of Emissons of Toxic By-Produts and Fine Particles from Combustion and Thermal Treatment of Hazardous Wastes. Environmental Health Perspectives, 810-817.
Fossil fuels are an extreme hazard to workers in the industry. In order to contribute the fossil fuels that power our economy, workers in coal mines, natural gas fields and oil rigs perish or endure major injuries every year. An article in the Center for American Progress states, “Explosions, fires, and collapsed mine shafts have killed at least 3,827 miners since 1968—not to mention thousands of others who have suffered from pulmonary diseases and other work-related injuries” (Weiss). Coal mining is one of the United States’s most dangerous professions and has been responsible for thousands of workplace injuries. In addition, Natural gas pipelines have caused 892 deaths and 6,258 injuries since 1970 and 161 deaths and 576 injuries this decade alone (Shearman). Workers in the fossil fuel industries risk their health exposing themselves to harsh working conditions every si...
PTFE has many benefits, the two most notable are, it has exceptional chemical resistance, which there are only a few chemicals that will attack the polymer, and can withstand temperatures up to 260C (500F).
We used think that toxic pollution was external when chemicals are discharged into the atmosphere or when waste are dumped into water we failed to realize that toxic chemicals are invading our bodies externally and internally through the use of everyday household items. Slow Death by Rubber Duck is a groundbreaking book written by two Canadian Leading Environmentalists Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie and Sarah Dopp who through self-experimentation showed us how dangerous everyday household items are polluting our bodies. These two environmentalists meticulously measured the chemical levels in their body before and after the experiment. Their toxic experiment was to explore chemicals such as phthalates, PFOA and PCBs, Teflon, BPA,
Smoking is the processed of putting the meats to the smoke of a charcoal or wood fire for cooking. The purpose of smoking meats are adding brown colour to it, enhance its flavour and prevent the growth of microorganisms. The chemicals that formed during smoking or cooking the meat using high temperature are heterocyclic amine (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) (Butler 2003). These two chemicals are mutagenic and can cause changes in DNA which lead to cancer. HCA is formed during the reaction between heat and amino acids and creatines (both found in meat). On the other hand, PAH is formed when the juices or fats from the meats dropped into the fire that use for grilled or smoking meats and causes flames. Theses flames that contain PHA will transferred to the surface of the meats by air (Butler 2003). The temperature, type of food, cooking duration and cooking method are the four factors that affects the formation of HCA. The most predominant factor is temperature. As smoking or grilling the meat at high temperature (100°C-300°C) favour the formation of HCA on the meat which cause cancer to human (Turesky 2007). Meats that are low in moisture and fat contents tend to have higher concentration of HCA after cooking. If the surface of the cooing appliance higher than 220°C, for instance grilling and smoking will favours the formation of HCA. In addition, the type of fuel used in heating, temperature of
The food we consume everyday touches plastic infinitely, whether it is during the preparation stages, packaging, storage or even just eating the food from a plastic plate. There is no escaping the fact that the food we eat has a huge contact with plastics. However, what does this mean for our food? There is an adverse effect to plastics and their contact with foods, particularly acidic, fatty or salty foods. The chemicals in plastics go through a process called “leaching” or “migration” which leads to transfer of polymer additives, impurities and polymerisation solvents into packaged goods with a consequent risk of toxic hazard to the consumer (Crompton, T. (1979). [book]). In this
These are just some of the substitutes for harmful chemicals in the house. At least when you clean you house you don’t have to worry about hurting your child or yourself if you use the alternatives.
A Review of EPA’s Standards stated, “When we looked at the studies that have been done we found that many of these questions are unsettled and we have much less information that we should, considering how long this [fluoridation] has been going on.” The absence of studies for as long as the fluoridation has been going on the health problems and concerns of people has also been absent too. The National Research Council has also been called to attention for the lack of study done on fluoride (Connett 15).
...terephthalic acid solubility in water increased linearly proportional with temperature. This situation happens due to the low dielectric constant nature in supercritical water, making it as a good solvent for non-polar substance like para-xylene. Therefore, it can be concluded that the reaction and yield of the reaction could be adjusted by the modification of reaction temperature. As shown in Table 1, the application of sub and supercritical water, could give a greater yield in terephthalic acid, >50%. However, the industrial implementation always demanding the practical application in terms of energy, nature of chemical and operation cost. Even sub and supercrical water could produce high amount of terephthalic acid, but the temperature and pressure applied in this application was far from safe and commercially practical.
Microplastics carry various additives and harsh chemicals to give them their properties. Decades of research on the plastics used in grocery bags, liquid containers, and utensils have provided the public with useful information regarding their chemical makeup