Okay, I need a moment to rant a little and reiterate what the purpose of my blog is. Chemistry is a beautiful science. Molecules, atoms, bonding-it is filled with all the lovely simplicities and complexities that give rise to our universe. I have just written about water and how crucial it is to life. Look at the immense diversity of life on this planet and realise that it is a simple molecule of two hydrogens and one oxygen that makes it possible. Even more amazing is my personal favourite molecule DNA. This simple, and I mean ridiculously simple especially when compared to the proteins that actually make up the human body, molecule is what encodes the amazing diversity that we see everyday. And yet this amazing and beautiful science is marred with fear-mongering and hate.
I really can't stand this "chemical-free" culture that has arisen because it is a complete lie! Everything is a chemical. Life is chemical, water is chemical, the earth is chemical. Chemicals are diverse. Some are good, some are bad. Just like human beings. Some are nice, some are mean, some are okay on their own but terrible when they get together. Chemicals are not evil. Because chemicals are what makes up matter, you can't ever have anything that is chemical-free. It is blatant false advertising (can we get litigious about this?) and creates a culture of hate. The most damning chemicals in the world are nature-made poisons, a little strychnine anyone? Did you know that while asprin (acetyl salicylic acid) is man-made it is actually better for you than its natural counterpart, salicylic acid isolated from willow bark. This is because the acetyl group that chemists put on the the salicylic acid mitigates many of the harsh side effects that salicylic acid has.
So what is the solution to help rail against those that would denigrate chemistry and chemicals? Well that is what I see the purpose of my blog as. Ask me your chemistry questions and I will answer them as non-technical as possible. I wish to spread the knowledge that I have gained in the 10 years that I have been studying chemistry and share it with the world to show the world there is nothing to be scared of and the chemistry is a big part of their lives, whether they know it or not. I encourage other scientists to do the same. We can't sit back and shake our heads, laughing or getting angry at the numerous people falling victim to this smear campaign. We need to take arms (metaphorically) and share our knowledge, making chemistry fun and interesting. Giving people the knowledge they need to combat the misinformation they are given on a daily basis. It is part of being an ethical scientist that we share what we learn, not just with other scientists, but with non-scientists as well.
Combat the fear-mongering with knowledge and education. chemical free nonsense
Are you answering any of the questions over on the "ask" part of your blog? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI am answering questions. I haven't received any new ones in awhile. Please, please leave your questions. I am running out of unprompted ideas.
DeleteI have a question. I've made my own homemade cleaners for a couple of years now. I enjoy the process of finding what works. One recipe I've had great success with consists of the following:
ReplyDelete1/2 tsp of liquid castile soap
1 tsp Borax
1 tsp of washing soda
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cups hot water
25-30 drops of essential oil ( I use Tea Tree, Grapefruit, and Eucalyptus)
ph level of ingredients is 7.5
I shared the recipe with a friend and she quickly pointed me to a post that states my recipe is ineffective: lisa.drbronner(dot)com/?p=292 I don't understand how this can be since this particular recipe works better than any other I've tried. Can you tell me if her post is accurate? Why or why not? Thank you!
Amy amico.del.dio(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteThe article from Dr. Bronner is totally correct. Soaps are bases that will be neutralised by acids; however, in your particular recipe you have the amount of acid doesn't equal the amount of base. I have done some very rough calculations, and from what it looks like, your base is nearly double what your acid is. Half a cup of vinegar would only neutralise about 6g of washing soda and you have about 10 (based on the density of the monohydrate form-which is most likely the form you have). You may have neutralised the castile soap-which is what that post is mentioning, but you haven't neutralised your other cleaning ingredients.
What this all means is that you probably don't have pH level of 7.5, but one much more basic-closer to 8.5.
If your recipe works for you, then keep using it and don't worry about what other people have to say. If you want to test what your friend is talking about (I always love a good experiment) then omit the Borax and the washing soda from your recipe.
Hi Michael, I can talk about ozone definitely! I actually had to use ozone a lot for one part of my PhD thesis. It may be a bit though-I am currently working on a vaccine series, which is taking a lot of time to put together.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this informative article thanks for sharing your great post,wish you have a nice day,happy every day.
ReplyDeleteSewage Water Treatment & Wastewater Treatment Plants