/oss/taxonomy/term/1047/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/macropanic-over-nanoplastics <p>I keep teasing my analytical chemist colleagues that they are responsible for the anxiety that so many people have about chemicals invading their lives. Hardly a day goes by without some report of phthalates, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, dioxins, bisphenol A, or a host of other mischievous “toxins” being detected in our food and water. That detective work is carried out by analytical chemists who continue to devise better and better means to uncover smaller and smaller amounts of contaminants.</p> Thu, 11 Jan 2024 19:48:05 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9800 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/phthalate-fears <p>I don’t think Einstein had chemical anxiety or the amount of chemicals in our urine in mind when he famously stated that “not everything that counts can be measured and not everything that can be measured counts.” But I think the quote has great relevance when it comes to current chemical concerns. Scarcely a day goes by without some activist organization clamoring about the number of “untested” chemicals to which we are exposed, and lamenting the “fact” that we have become a nation of “unwitting guinea pigs.” True, we are exposed to chemicals, hundreds of thousands every day.</p> Tue, 22 Mar 2022 18:42:34 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9060 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/rats-people-and-bisphenol <p>Bisphenol A (BPA) first hit the headlines in 2008 when Canada banned polycarbonate baby bottles because of possible leaching of the chemical from the plastic into the contents. Concern had been raised because BPA was known to have hormone-like activity, placing it in the category of “endocrine disruptors.” Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers and are active in very small doses. Our pituitary gland, for example, produces only about 1 microgram of hormones a day, a very, very, small amount, yet it is critical to life.</p> Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:48:59 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8914 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health-news-toxicity/phthalates-and-microwave-ovens <p>It always pays to read the study! It really does, because popular accounts often misinterpret what researchers actually found and end up raising undue alarm. Of course it is raising the red flag of alarm that gets attention, and these days, with all sorts of bloggers scooting around to popularize their websites hoping to recruit advertisers, getting attention is what it is all about.</p> Sun, 20 Sep 2015 11:48:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2284 at /oss /oss/article/environment/plastics-plants <p style="text-align:justify"></p> Tue, 04 Jun 2013 02:11:25 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1951 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-food-health/holistic-nutritional-rockstars-rocky-science <p>Sometimes you can evaluate a person’s scientific acumen by a single comment they utter. This is the case with Catherine Sugrue who labels herself a “holistic nutritionist rockstar.” Of course suspicion about her knowledge is immediately raised when we learn that it was gained at the “Institute of Holistic Nutrition,” which isn’t exactly Harvard. But the giveaway of the rockstar’s untrustworthiness is her reiteration of the absurd statement that “margarine is about one molecule away from plastic.” This isn’t about coming to the rescue of margarine. I don’t like it and I don’t eat it.</p> Fri, 06 May 2016 08:39:29 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2337 at /oss /oss/article/food-health-technology/metal-micro <p>Because I take the odd shot at Dr. Oz (he is after all such an inviting target) people send me reports of some of his antics. Apparently he, or one of his guests, muttered something about using stainless steel containers in the microwave instead of plastic which was claimed to release "toxic chemicals." This caused quite a commotion in chat rooms with some people commenting that only someone with the IQ of plankton would suggest the use of metal in a microwave.</p> Sat, 01 Feb 2014 03:28:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2084 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-technology/plastics <p>"I hate plastics. We should get rid of them.” So began an email I received. The correspondent went on to talk about how plastics are a plague on the environment, how they contain chemicals that contaminate our food supply, disrupt our hormones, cause autism and ADHD and use up valuable petroleum deposits. What prompted the email was some comments I made about different plastics having different properties and how there were some concerns with some but not with others.</p> Sat, 16 Jul 2016 01:36:33 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2346 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health/when-it-comes-bisphenol-there-smoke-there-fire <p style="text-align:justify">During the 1930s, Swiss chemist Pierre Castan was researching materials for denture repair and American Sylvan Greenlee was working on novel paints. Independently, the two hit upon epoxy resins, one of the most useful classes of chemicals ever developed. These resins find a wide array of uses in paints, flooring materials, dental sealants, printing inks, medical devices, electronic equipment, printed circuit boards and adhesives. Epoxy glues help hold together our cars, airplanes, furniture, boats, skis and electronic equipment.</p> Sat, 22 Feb 2014 14:54:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 2100 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health/toxic-chemicals-environment <p>Virtually no day goes by without an alert from the media about some chemical in the environment that is suspected of harming our health. It may do this by disrupting our hormones, triggering cancer, causing heart disease, affecting brain development, or any combination of these. Among numerous other substances it might be oxybenzone in sunscreens, tetrachloroethylene residue in dry cleaned clothes, caramel colouring in cola drinks, arsenic in rice or phthalates in plastics.</p> Sat, 16 Jul 2016 01:42:03 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2347 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-household-products-technology/electronic-waste <p>Some people are concerned about radiation from cell phones possibly causing brain tumours. Others worry about exposure to wi-fi causing cancer. And now I’m getting questions about whether cell phones are toxic because they contain benzene. No, cell phones do not contain benzene. Where does this notion come form? A misinterpretation of a quest by some environmental groups to have Apple in China stop using benzene along with another solvent, hexane, in the production of electronic equipment such as cell phones.</p> Fri, 16 May 2014 13:21:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2147 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-drugs-food-health-history-news/it-comes-earth <p>You may have heard of propylene glycol in several contexts. It is used as a safer alternative to ethylene glycol in antifreeze, as a preservative in foods and cosmetics, as a solvent in some pharmaceuticals and as a carrier of nicotine and flavours in electronic cigarettes. Propylene glycol also appears in the list of substances used by Tom’s of Maine, a company that prides itself on using natural ingredients in the consumer products they sell. According to Tom’s: “We’re always thinking about natural ingredients, where they come from and what they can do for a healthy world.</p> Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:53:23 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2186 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/toys-and-toxins <p>Buying toys used to be easy. You went into a toy store, looked around and found something you liked. What mattered was whether the rubber ducky had an appealing look and feel or whether the doll had flexible joints. You didn’t think about the kind of plastic that was used to make the toy or whether it contained plasticizers. Nor did you wonder about the heavy metals such as lead, mercury or chromium that might lurk in the paint. Today, however, buying a toy has become a scientific puzzle. Is it made of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. Is it plasticized or not?</p> Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:58:24 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1571 at /oss