Group items tagged

good article for risk unit  The American Academy of Pediatrics is cautioning parents and pediatricians to avoid exposing children to eight chemicals found in food and in plastic packaging. The chemicals may be especially harmful to kids due to their small size, says the report published July 23 in Pediatrics. Pregnant women should also avoid the chemicals. And lower-income families who eat a lot of prepackaged foods could be at greater risk for exposure.

A new study led by researchers at UC Berkeley and Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas demonstrates how even a short break from certain kinds of makeup, shampoos and lotions can lead to a significant drop in levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the body.

This problem-based case study guides students through a systematic exploration of the scientific issues surrounding the application and development of hydrogen fuel technology. A PowerPoint presentation introduces a New York Times article about the impact of our abundant natural gas resources on the cost of hydrogen fuel production. The article includes an Energy Department estimate that places the gasoline-cost equivalent of hydrogen fuel production, compression, and distribution at less than $4 per gallon, making it a viable option for the transportation sector. Students are then given primary literature articles and a worksheet to help them examine (1) the benefits and drawbacks of using hydrogen as a fuel in automobiles and trucks, (2) the current technological/engineering limitations of using hydrogen fuel, and (3) whether the pursuit of developing large-scale use of hydrogen-powered cars is the right direction for the country. Originally written for a second semester/second quarter general chemistry course, the case study is designed to illustrate the direct application of chemical thermodynamics and gas laws to the production and distribution of renewable fuels.  

On July 26, 1943, Los Angeles was blanketed by a thick gas that stung people's eyes and blocked out the Sun. Panicked residents believed their city had been attacked using chemical warfare. But the cloud wasn't an act of war. It was smog. So what is this thick gray haze actually made of? And why does it affect some cities and not others? Kim Preshoff details the science behind smog.

short video Sir David Attenborough narrates the extraordinary history of the Montreal Protocol to raise awareness of the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda, and efforts to control powerful global warming chemicals hydrofluorocarbons - HFCs - under the Protocol. Reducing HFCs under the Montreal Protocol can avoid 0.5°C of global warming by the end of the century, while continuing to protect the ozone layer.

I show this documentary (around 27 min. in for the Buffalo Creek Mine dam disaster), when discussing nonrenewable energy, dams and the impact of chemicals on the environment.