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Chemistry vis a vis Pollution

In the course of history, Chemistry truly shaped the course of mankind and its

propagation, leading to the modernization of the human populace. This however, does not

freely accelerate forward without friction. Despite the large benefits due to research in this

field, there are several detrimental effects as well. However, if mankind further immerses itself

in the understanding of chemistry and its subunits, then it can have a greater magnitude in the

efforts to reverse and reduce the number of deleterious effects that the pollution of chemistry

causes. With chemistry, man can explain life, but also delve into the secrets and mechanisms of

why life exists as well, and the forms which caused it.

With chemistry, there are truly an immense number of applications, and with chemical

engineering, several technological feats have been accomplished, which are truly vital to how

we live today in modern society. Research in chemistry has led to improvements in the field of

medicine, such as the creation of paracetamol, or even high end drugs used in chemotherapyfor cancer patients. Furthermore, chemical engineering has led to the extremely necessary

creation of synthetic polymers, such as nylon, PVC, and even Teflon. Nylon and PVC are often

seen in clothes, whereas Teflon is also known the famous non-stick coating seen in cooking

utensils. Also, the process of cracking, where longer hydrocarbons are converted into more

useful ones, saves money and ensures less wastage of the already limited supply of black gold.

With chemistry, usage of these hydrocarbons is more efficient, and they can be developed into

polymers as well. Aerogel is a chemical compound which is extremely light and a very powerful

insulator; due to this property of aerogel, it is currently used in airplanes.

In technology, usage of Indium oxide on touch screens for electronic devices and rare

earth metals for powerful speakers only substantiates the efficacy of chemistry to mankind.

However, there is a limited supply of these rare compounds, and research has led to several

alternatives, such as the usage of carbon and its allotropes. Recently, in 2005, a new allotrope

of carbon, known as graphene was discovered, which proves to be a truly viable replacement

for several applications. Graphene is the strongest material to be recently discovered, having an

extremely high tensile strength in addition to being extremely thin. It has presence of free

electrons, known as pi electrons, giving it additional strength in the third dimension. Graphene

will surely be a replacement for touch screens in the future, maybe even allowing for creation

of flexible touch screens as well. Carbon nanotubes can also be grafted from graphene, leading

to several possible applications, such as the idea of a space elevator. Carbon fiber is a currently

used allotrope which is used in automobiles to make them more streamlined and lighter, while

they are also applied in windmill fans to aid in green energy. With these developments, they

soon drifted into nanotechnology, which will prove to be an immense asset in the future, as

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nanomedicine has had developments in development prosthetic limbs to nanobots which will

combat and destroy HIV viruses.

However, in order to produce these vital products, there is a production process, and as

no process is 100% efficient, there will be waste products, many of which are harmful. In fact,

despite the palpable advantages of polymers, production of plastics uses hydrocarbons, where

the burning of these hydrocarbons release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, increasing

the greenhouse effect. Also, there are chemicals which deplete the ozone layer in several

locations, leading to excess cosmic radiation, causing higher rates of cancer in organisms and

genetic mutations. Greenhouse gases accelerate the process of global warming, where there

are bound to be several detrimental effects, such as changes in ocean currents, destruction of

habitats, and flooding of land. Further research into the production of air and water pollutants

has led to the discovery of dead zones, which is a phenomenon where excess aqueous effluents

create large expanses of anoxic regions in large water bodies, killing vast areas of organisms.

Also, air pollutants can travel in the air stream, thus causing effects in other parts of the globe.

For example, pollutants in China can travel by the air stream to the United States within 5 days,

causing lack of precipitation in that region. As a result, these pollutants must be resisted by as

well. Polymers produced must be recycled or collected, as their large molecular structures take

hundreds of years to deteriorate, thus leading to the evident problem of rubbish, litter, and

storage issues.

Pesticides also have their detrimental effects; despite the fact that they quickly kill the

desired pest, they have adverse effects on other organisms, some of which may be beneficial to

the environment. This is known as bioaccumulation and biomagnifications in organisms and infood chains respectively. Usage of pesticides, such as Dioxins have led to terror in ecosystems

as these do not easily break down, and are easily stored in fatty tissues. A study into dioxins

and other pesticides have shown that these act as endocrine system disruptors, as they

function as synthetic hormones. In the great lakes, dioxins were dumped into these water

bodies, and years later, it was observed that mutated amphibians with extra limbs and more

feminine characters were found. These synthetic hormones also cause sexual and behavioral

changes, as it was found in animals that they lead to loss of libido, less fertility, and even

development of homosexual urges in animals. Thus, it is greatly recommended that we avert

the use of these chemicals, as they have a deleterious effect on the ecosystem.

As a result, despite the critical need for chemistry in the survival of mankind, there are

evident issues which need immediate attention to, otherwise chemistry will show its double

edged sword, and the advances we have made may soon seem to take us several steps

backward. Consequently, we must learn to yield the correct side of the sword.