ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY TIP SHEET - January 1998 1. Pure as the Driven Snow? Tracking Pollutants on Snowflakes 2. Getting the Lead out May Mean Cleaning up the Outdoors 3. What Is the Source of Atmospheric Mercury Contamination in Remote Areas?
A phenomenon that today allows scientists to quickly detect illegal drugs without tampering with the packaging, to analyze nuclear waste from safe distances and to detect life-threatening diseases at an early stage will be designated an International Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS).
Cherry hamburgers may be healthier for you than regular hamburgers, based on the results of a study by scientists looking into this unusual combination. Adding cherries to hamburger meat retards spoilage and reduces the formation of suspected cancer-causing compounds known as HAAs (heterocyclic aromatic amines).
A newly discovered chemical compound on the surface of some women's kidney cells may explain susceptibility to urinary tract infections, according to current research in the journal Biochemistry. The structure, a specific type of compound known as a glycosphingolipid, is suspected to be on urogenital tract cells in about 30% of all men and women and binds strongly to E. coli bacteria.
Americans who avoid red meat may not be getting enough iron in their diet, according to research reported in the January issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, due to be published on Jan. 20.
Women who take estrogen-replacement therapy after menopause often also take progestin to avoid an increased risk of endometrial cancer. But progestin itself has a number of side-effects, including resumption of menses and central nervous system disturbances. And estrogen replacement therapy is also associated with increased breast cancer risk, according to Dr. Timothy Grese of Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis.
Like beta-carotene, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are thought to prevent cancer and other diseases. But researchers have been puzzled by the apparent link between beta-carotene and an increased risk of lung cancer in heavy smokers, as reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. Research to be published in the Jan. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society appears to clear up this mystery.
The plastic bottle you throw in the recycling bin today may be in your gas tank tomorrow. That type of reclamation of waste material is now possible, according to Dr. Joseph Shabtai of the University of Utah. The results of his work appear in the January/February issue of Energy & Fuels, a bimonthly publication of the American Chemical Society.
Mutagens have long been known to be present in urban air, but their detection and potency has mostly been measured with a bacterial test. However, extrapolating the observed mutagenic effects from bacteria to humans continually leads to questions about the relevance of bacterial assays. New research represents the first time a human cell mutation assay has been applied to an atmospheric particle monitoring network.
The catalytic converter in your automobile may be removing most of the air pollutants in the car's exhaust gases, but it is also emitting a fine dust containing platinum, a precious metal that is the key ingredient in making the converter effective in controlling air pollution, according to Dr. R. R. Barefoot of the University of Toronto.
The hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used to replace the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) banned by the Montreal Protocol have low or no potential to deplete ozone in the stratosphere, but they may contribute to climatic change, says Dr. Garry D. Hayman of the National Environmental Technology Centre in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
The commonly used methods for measuring the efficiency of soil to remove viruses from human waste may be providing inaccurate and misleading information about virus retention and transport in the subsurface, says Dr. Yan Jin of the University of Delaware.
Methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) has been added to gasoline in many areas of the United States, but its environmental impact has not yet been fully assessed.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Cleland and his colleagues at Genentech in San Francisco say they are the first to develop an alternative to current vaccination practices by providing all the needed immunizations in a single shot.
A material with fuel potential ten times greater than all known coal, gas, and oil reserves on the planet lies deep within the oceans or in the permafrost of the arctic tundra, according to Dr. Timothy S. Collett of the United States Geological Survey
The familiar RDA (recommended dietary allowance) numbers that are the basis for nutrition labels are under review and may be revised.
The aroma of brewed coffee could have some of the same beneficial health effects that you get from eating fruits and vegetables, according to Dr. Takayuki Shibamoto of the University of California, Davis.
Parkinson's disease may be reversible if a drug that has worked in animal tests is as successful in humans.
Which Italian wines have the most health-boosting antioxidants?
There are two ways to approach the treatment of obesity, a condition that affects approximately one in three Americans," according to Dr. Robert Dow, principal research investigator with Pfizer Inc, "Either you inhibit food intake, or you improve energy expenditure to get the 'exercise effect.'"
Zapping a cancer patient's tumor with ultrasound increases the tumor's vulnerability to chemotherapy, according to Dr. Mark Bednarski, a visiting professor/scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine,
According to work being presented here at the American Chemical Society national meeting by Mark Knize of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, marinating chicken before it's grilled reduces the levels of some potentially cancer-causing compounds formed while cooking.
Should the U.S. continue to support scientists from the former Soviet Union to keep them from selling their expertise to forces hostile to the U.S.? The cost and utility of this support is explored in an article in the April 7 issue of Chemical & Engineering News
The search for potential pharmaceuticals derived from indigenous natural medicines -- marred in the bad old days by exploitation of local Third-World populations -- has now been refined to funnel significant benefits to these groups.
The heady odor of jasmine flowers is enough to give some people headaches and nausea. But there is a way to tame the aggressive perfume of jasmine and other blooms, according to research described in the June 16 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry.
Scientists are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the electron this year. Detection of this enigmatic particle -- which still has not surrendered all its secrets to modern researchers -- helped lift society up from its agrarian roots and permitted the development of such modern-day devices as microwave ovens, semiconductors, television and lasers, according to an article in the June 16 issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the American Chemical Society's weekly news magazine.
Nuclear waste disposal, risks from food impurities and potential flu treatments are among the topics that will be discussed at the 214th American Chemical Society national meeting here September 7-11. Approximately 10,000 registrants are expected to gather for about 400 technical sessions to be held in the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Las Vegas Hilton, and the Stardust hotel.
Montreal, July 13 -- More than 175 of the world's top high school chemistry students arrive here today for the 29th annual International Chemistry Olympiad, which runs through July 21st. The Olympians, who represent 47 countries, will attempt laboratory experiments and a rigorous exam designed at a level that would challenge most second or third-year college students
Frozen concentrated orange juice generally has the highest vitamin C levels compared to other commercial orange and grapefruit juice products, but even if you favor one of the others, you're probably still getting your daily requirement of the vitamin. That's according to a new, ten-year study reported in the July 16 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Washington, D.C., July 24 -- Four high school chemistry students, representing the USA in the 29th International Chemistry Olympiad, returned home from Montreal, Canada, with four medals-- and one California student earns the highest finish ever for a U.S. student.
A vast range of scientific research results will be available faster than ever before when - for the first time - the world's largest scientific society makes its entire collection of 26 prestigious research journals available via the Internet next month.
Drinkers of some espresso coffees who like a lot of foam can't be fussy about how quickly the foam disappears. That's because you can't have ultimate foaming and long-lasting foam at the same time, according to Dr. Manuel A. Coimbra and his student Fernando Nunes of the University of Aveiro in Portugal.
Emerging chemistry challenges -- from new, incurable diseases to global climate change -- may have few solutions today. But they're just what tomorrow's chemists will face in the year 2020. What will the young chemists of today need to learn to be prepared for the chemistry challenges of tomorrow? That's the subject of a special Presidential symposium to be held Sept. 8 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, in Las Vegas.
You've heard that small doses of red wine may be good for your health. Now, United States Department of Agriculture scientists say that peanuts may contain the heart- healthy chemical compound --resveratrol -- important in red wine. The latest findings that edible peanuts also contain resveratrol were presented here today at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Embargoed for 9-8-97, 11PM EDT
A new application of a chemical process called sol-gel technology shows promise for making automobile catalytic converters dramatically more efficient in reducing harmful air pollution emissions, by targeting the first minute-and-a-half in which your car is running after a cold start, according to research presented here today at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Embargoed for 9-9-97, 1 PM EDT
Honey has been used to cure meat for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In modern times, food chemist Paul Dawson and his group at Clemson University in South Carolina are discovering this natural preservative also confers excellent protection against oxidation and boosts shelf life in popular processed meats. Their research was presented here today at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Embargoed for 9-8-97, 11:00 PM EDT
Chemist and former U.S. Department of Commerce Undersecretary Mary L. Good, Ph.D., will address a historic gathering of women chemists at the national meeting of the world's largest scientific society, the American Chemical Society, in Las Vegas Sept. 9. To honor 70 years of actions by the Society's Women Chemists Committee, Dr. Good, a past president of the Society, will speak on the historic and future challenges faced by women chemists as they enter the 21st century.
People are always amazed at what they find in their attics, but the latest discovery is that dust in the attics of some older homes in Nevada and Utah contain trace amounts of radioactivity left over from above-ground nuclear testing northwest of Las Vegas in the 1940s and 1950s. The researchers stressed that the radioactivity is low enough that the dust poses no direct danger to area residents. Embargoed for 9-10-97, 1:00 PM EDT
Whether you perm, straighten, style or just brush your hair, you're eroding its protective cuticle layer and, eventually, breaking hair strands. Now scientists have, for the first time, figured out the step-by-step chemical effect of hair relaxers on curly hair, leading to new uses for polymers to protect your hair. The new research was presented here today at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Embargoed for 9-9-97, 7:00 PM EDT
New research shows, for the first time under real-life conditions, evidence of a cancer-causing substance in non-smokers who work in smoke-filled rooms. That substance, called NNK, was biologically processed and its metabolite detected in their urine. The study is being presented here today at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Embargoed for 9-9-97, 4:30 PM EDT
The pain-relieving drug codeine is totally ineffective in some ethnic groups -- including one in ten whites -- according to new findings presented here today at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. The report shows a variety of differences in the drug's effectiveness and side effects, based on a person's ethnicity. Embargoed for 9-8-97, 7:00 PM EDT
"You shouldn't wear lipstick when you're drinking a glass of champagne." That unique reporting style of Joe Palca, science correspondent for National Public Radio, has earned him the top chemistry reporting award from the world's largest scientific society.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY TIP SHEET Summaries of papers which will appear in the November issue of Environmental Science & Technology, a monthly peer-reviewed journal published by the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Chemists graduating in 1998 should find a favorable job market that will offer the most opportunities since the late 1980s, according to the annual employment outlook published in the Nov. 3 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. "Only four years ago," says C&EN editor Madeleine Jacobs, "the job market was being described as the bleakest in 20 years." But now "there are more recruiters with more job openings coming out sooner to get the jump on their competition," notes Paul A. Bartlett, chemistry department chair at the University of California, Berkeley.
Washington, DC -- Thousands of school children and American Chemical Society volunteers across the country will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of National Chemistry Week in their communities through exhibits in local museums, malls and parks, and in displays organized to demonstrate the wonders of chemistry and its impact on our lives.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- New technologies and scientific research are finding innovative ways to detect, attack and prevent food safety problems caused by the microorganisms that are linked with some 90 percent of all food-related contamination outbreaks, according to an article published in the Nov. 10 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Food Chemistry Tip Sheet (from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry): Health Benefits of Sugar Found in Garlic Include Lower Cholesterol and Reduced Tooth Decay & Using Chemistry to Make Cultivated Shrimp Taste Wild
The following research articles will appear in the December issue of Environmental Science & Technology, a monthly peer-reviewed journal published by the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society: 1. Sunflowers Filter Uranium, Clean Up Contaminated Ground Water, 2. Mother Nature's Outdoor Air Cleaner Proves a Health Problem For Indoor Offices, 3. Mexican Auto Emissions Improve, but Problems Still Exist, 4. Exposure to PCBs In Residential Indoor Air near a Superfund Site
WASHINGTON -- The chemical analysis of a 9000-foot core taken from the Greenland ice sheet has now uncovered unequivocal evidence of large-scale atmospheric lead pollution in the Northern Hemisphere dating to 300 A.D. And the source has been traced to ancient Carthaginian and Roman mines in Spain, according to Dr. Kevin J. Rosman of the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia. Rosman's group, along with colleagues from the Domaine Universitaire in France, report their results in the December issue of Environmental Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Washington -- Scientists today report making modifications to the promising anticancer drug paclitaxel, originally isolated from the Pacific yew tree, that they say may enable it to be more soluble in a patient's body and therefore more effective. The drug's limited solubility has complicated its efficacy in cancer treatment.
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