Post # 6 Careers in Chemistry

Careers in Chemistry

There are many careers in the field of chemistry, ones ranging from lab aid, to teacher, to forensic analyst; all with varying degrees of education.  To attain a career in chemistry, it's recommended to have a strong background in math and high natural interest in the sciences; normally the minimum education required is a BA in chemistry and about a year of lab experience.  That, of course will increase with with the difficulty of the job, as will pay.
An important Canadian chemist, Rudolph A. Marcas, born in Montreal Quebec 1923 and studied at McGill University for his Ph.D., was awarded the national medal of science and the Nobel prize in 1992 and more.  His biggest contribution to chemistry was his theory of electron transfer (2H+ + 2e− + 1/2 O2 → H2O + heat).  And more recently (2012) Marcus was awarded several honorary degrees from Queens University, University of New Brunswick, and University of Hyderabad (India).
Article Review
The article was focused on Doctor Rudolph A. Marcus, in short it was professional biography.  It talked a lot of his inspiration, family, and background.
LINK TO ARTICLE

Reflection

After reading the article, I was very interested in Doctor Marcus and his achievements, which needless to say are quite amazing.

Reader Reflection

If you plan to enter a career in chemistry, would you follow Doctor Marcus' example?

Post # 3 Quantities in Chemical Reactions

Are the good kind of drugs bad?

Every year over four billion prescriptions are filled out in the U.S. alone, and of the billions of prescriptions, the drugs taken to help someone, in fact account for approximately 30% of all hospital visits.  To fill a prescription a doctor or pharmacist must calculate the proper dosage and ensure it is completely accurate or risk harming a patient.  However, possible error doesn't only occur there; many mistakes are made during the production of prescription drugs.
The article bellow specified several points where errors can and will occur in an unnamed factory.  These areas include different water sources for the same product, that confuse the staff and lead to errors and waste.  If different water sources are used the product will be different as the temperature, purity, and p.h. levels may differ from each other and each reaction must be both accurate and precise.  For example: Tylenol, or acetaminophen, its formula is C8H9NO2 and has a molar mass of 151.56.  Tylenol normally has a molarity of 0.014 mols/L but it has a molarity of 0.05 mols/L in boiling water.  If different temperatures of water were used in production, the same drug would be much more concentrated in some cases.  Taking the risks to mind it's quite important to properly measure each ingredient's physical properties to ensure they are identical.  From that it's clear to see the relevance of chemical and molar ratios. 

Article Review

The article was written to inform the public of the abhorrent mistake-proofing that occurs at major pharmaceutical facilities.  The author took notice of over 30 potential areas for mistake to happen and also noted their defect rates which ranged from 1000 to 5000 ppm (parts per million) as apposed to car factories which maintain a 30 ppm defect rate.  After explaining the possible hazards the author went on to recommend better methods to achieve better quality products with lower defect rates.
LINK TO ARTICLE

Reflection

I personally find it startling that large corporations entrusted with our health maintain such a high defect rate.  The actions methods used in these facilities are, in my opinion, not satisfactory.  It's expected for the manufacturers to know the molar ratios and amounts, and not be guessing like some of the situations in the article.

Reader Reflection

Do you think 1000 - 5000 ppm is an acceptable defect rate?  If not what would be an appropriate rate, taking into account that 0 ppm is an impossible standard?         

Post # 2 Chemical Reactions

Pollution Near You...

Defined as the transformation of organic and inorganic raw materials by a chemical process and the formulation of products, chemical manufacturing does not seem very destructive. However, it is currently one of the leading causes of pollution.  Of course not all chemical manufacturing is bad, the global industry wouldn't function without chemical manufacturing but the methods that it is done by are a major issue.  Examples of chemical manufacturing include mining, metal refining, crude oil production, and synthetic material production (eg. plastic ).  The listed materials are all quite important but there are many more environmentally conscious methods to obtain these materials, currently the process to obtain these materials leaves dangerous by-product and hazardous waste suchas: dichloroethan (CH2Cl2) a mining by-product; butadiene (C4H6) a synthetic rubber by-product; mercury (Hg) by-product of coal combustion and waste incineration and highly toxic, whats worse is that all the chemical by-products listed (and all that are not listed as well) are more often then not, released into our environment, the three above are polluting Canada on a daily basis. This should not be happening in our backyard and we shouldn't let it.

Article Review

The source article is a small article in a large list of top pollutants in the world.  My source article focused on the dangers and problems associated with chemical manufacturing.  It listed many of the top producers and top materials produced, such as plastic, paints, cleaning supplies, and explosives.  The author also addressed the major areas of pollution and causes, he also briefly spoke of possible solutions and counter-measures that should be taken.LINK TO ARTICLE

Reflection

The article made many valid points and was quite relevant, I believe its points and methods and believe them to be very important.  Though most of its examples were in underdeveloped or more unstable parts of the world, the authors concerns do affect Canada and the U.S., just not as drastically.  To the same extent we also have a lower population that is affected by the issues compared to other countries but the population is large enough that something should be done and soon.

Reader Reflection

Do you believe that it would be more environmentally effective to limit the production of chemical manufacturing, or better to keep up production while in hope of a solution to containing the by-products in the near-future?

Post # 1 Matter & Bonding

Air Fresheners: a Common Household Threat...

Thought it may not be apparent, many everyday items in your household could poison you, and even less apparent is that we use and breathe them daily.  One of the biggest culpit is air fresheners.  They may smell pleasant, however most contain acetone, butane, isobutane, liquefied petroleum gas, propane, and benzene; all of which are known to either cause cancer or be a major toxin.  Most of the chemicals, not particularly harmful on their own and in small amounts, can stockpile in your body and build up over years leading to future health issues. The chemicals in the the air fresheners might not even be your biggest problem, continuous exposure to these chemicals can also wear down and harm your immune system allowing unrelated bacteria to harm you. To further my point, one of the most dangerous ingredient is also in air fresheners; dichlorobenzene (C6H4Cl2), a known carcinogen, linked to lung damage, and very hazardous to pets.  Dichlorobenzene is also a main ingredient in DDT, and studies have shown that dichlorobenzene can be found the blood stream of 96% of the American population.  Do please rethink your opinion on air fresheners.

Article Review

The article's main purpose was to inform the readers of the dangers related to using air fresheners.  It was written while referencing many scientific studies from sources such as the the E.P.A. and the N.R.D.C. though they also criticized "biased" studies published by air freshener producers.
LINK TO ARTICLE

Reflection

After reading the article above and doing research to further my understanding of the situation, I felt quite uneasy towards the simple household object.  I've been using air fresheners throughout my life in total ignorance to the dangers it can pose.  However the most unsettling fact in my opinion, is that the producers of these products are completely aware of the dangers yet the only actions taken on their part are biased studies and cover ups, this is not how it should be.

Reader Reflection

After reading this post, do you believe that air fresheners should be banned, or at least regulated by the government?