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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.
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