While typing in "bestest/coolest/awesome-est jobs in chemistry" I came across the FLAVOUR CHEMIST. And yes, it is as awesome as it sounds (or tastes..yum).
The job description of the flavour chemists is, and I quote, " ...[to] enhance natural flavours and create new ones using various scientific applications and creative thinking". They usually work in "flavour houses" within the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and pet industries, and sell their products to companies that are in the need to amp up the flavour or, shall I say, spice it up a little bit. But in all seriousness this is a legitimate career branch in chemistry and there are a few things you do need in order to acquire this job.
Firstly, you do require a Bachelor degree for entry level careers, although for some positions more higher up in the field, they may also require for graduate degrees. Even though those are the only mandatory conditions, previous lab experience is also recommended.
Although it may not seem like the most ground-breaking branch in science, it is definitely something we take for granted, as it's the reason behind why a lot of the food you buy at the grocery store looks, feels, tastes, and lasts the way it does. Take for example pudding–sold in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. To make pudding, you start with dairy milk, which provides liquid and protein. Then you add starch to make the formulation thicker. As starch expands, it traps liquids to help create the pudding texture goodness. But, after only a few days, the expanded starch molecules start coming back together and the starch leaks water, which, for a consumer product, is undesirable. Thus, that's where the food chemists come in. They use chemically modified starches to prevent this from happening (crazy stuff!). So...yeah. They're the ones coming up with those wacky chemicals on your food products you can't pronounce...whoops. Whether or not that's a good thing, it's still pretty cool on a chemistry stand-point how you can alter the chemical makeup of food to make it do certain things that you want it to. So, if you're into that kind of stuff, the flavour chemist or the flavourist, just may be the right career for you.
Link to Article:
https://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/memberapp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=1188&content_id=CTP_003389&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1
Thursday, 11 June 2015
Vaping vs. Smoking: Is There Really a Difference? (Post #5)
In recent years, E-cigarettes or vapes have become increasingly more popular–especially among younger individuals like myself. I was inspired to do some research on this topic as recently someone with whom I'm close with decided to splurge on a 170$ vape in their attempt to quit smoking conventional cigarettes. I was a little taken back at the price, but I didn't think much of it as I supported the thought behind it. I, myself, have tried these before and enjoyed it (they come in multiple flavours so it's quite pleasant), and was always told "it's only water vapour, so it's good for you" but I decided to investigate further as I asked myself: Is it really completely harmless?
Turns out, based on a number of studies, no...but it depends. Basically, on a vape (including the one my friend purchased), you have the option to increase or decrease the voltage. This essentially means how much of the flavoured liquid you fill it up with is heated to (which then causes it to evaporate and turn into "smoke"). Based on multiple studies done including The New England Journal of Medicine, it concluded that vaping on a high voltage releases the chemical formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) and one study even claimed you are 15 times more likely of getting cancer than a long-term smoker if you vape on a high voltage. This relates to our fifth unit "Gases and Atmospheric Chemistry" as the process of vaping turns a liquid into a gas (through energy given via electricity), and well...that's some form of atmospheric chemistry happening!
My personal opinion on the idea is pretty neutral. Some people claim vapes are "dumb" or "pointless" or "people only do it to look cool", but what the heck! If you're doing it safely, who cares the reason why? Whether that be for quitting tabacco, for health benefits (someone told me it greatly helps their asthma!), food cravings, or just for the fun of it, if it's used properly, doesn't harm your health (or improves it!) and tastes like candy, vape away!
What do you think about the idea of vapours/e-cigs? Would you ever purchase one? Why or why not?
Link to Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/opinion/joe-nocera-is-vaping-worse-than-smoking.html?_r=0
Turns out, based on a number of studies, no...but it depends. Basically, on a vape (including the one my friend purchased), you have the option to increase or decrease the voltage. This essentially means how much of the flavoured liquid you fill it up with is heated to (which then causes it to evaporate and turn into "smoke"). Based on multiple studies done including The New England Journal of Medicine, it concluded that vaping on a high voltage releases the chemical formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) and one study even claimed you are 15 times more likely of getting cancer than a long-term smoker if you vape on a high voltage. This relates to our fifth unit "Gases and Atmospheric Chemistry" as the process of vaping turns a liquid into a gas (through energy given via electricity), and well...that's some form of atmospheric chemistry happening!
My personal opinion on the idea is pretty neutral. Some people claim vapes are "dumb" or "pointless" or "people only do it to look cool", but what the heck! If you're doing it safely, who cares the reason why? Whether that be for quitting tabacco, for health benefits (someone told me it greatly helps their asthma!), food cravings, or just for the fun of it, if it's used properly, doesn't harm your health (or improves it!) and tastes like candy, vape away!
What do you think about the idea of vapours/e-cigs? Would you ever purchase one? Why or why not?
Link to Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/opinion/joe-nocera-is-vaping-worse-than-smoking.html?_r=0
Sunday, 31 May 2015
April Showers Bring May WEEDS?!?! (Post #4)
Ahhh...spring. The blooming of flowers, chirping of baby birds, and the sweet, sweet smell of pesticides. As humans begin to plant their fruit and veggies, those pesky little caterpillars love to come visit for their daily snacking. Because of this, it's easy to want to get something to keep them away. But, in an article I recently read, it talked about the detrimental effects household pesticides can have not only on the environmental health, but human health.
Most of our fruits and vegetables come from farms, where farmers rely on pesticides to ensure there's no chance in losing their crops. So, they spray certain chemicals that repel insects and animals, to keep them from munching on their money-makers. But not only are pesticides found on farms, they're probably sitting in your home right now. For example, that bug spray you cover yourself in to repel those blood-thirsty mosquitos, or that weed-repellent spray you have to kill those so called "flowers" known as dandelions.
So what is really so harmful about this method of keeping bugs away? Firstly, pesticides can affect the environment in numerous ways, such as: killing sea life from pollution and therefore disrupting the ecosystem (this relates to our fourth unit, Solutions & Solubility, as it is one of the main areas where pesticides affect the environment, and forms a deadly solution for the inhabitants who live there), as well as harming other wildlife such as frogs from volatilization (when the pesticide turns into a vapour and gets into the air animals like frogs breathe). Some scientists link this to reproductive issues with the frogs. Not only does it affect the environment and its little creatures, but it can also have devastating effects on humans as well. When you eat non-organic fruit that has been sprayed with pesticides, you're eating over 30 different pesticides, where the poison gets stored in your colon that builds up, and eventually poisons you (even if you wash it). Plus, countless studies have linked cancer, Alzheimers Disease, ADHD, and even birth defects to being exposed to these chemicals.
So how can you avoid it? Eat organic as much as possible. Although organic farms do still use pesticides, they are more natural and safer than conventional ones, and in turn are much better for you and the world around you. After reading this article, it definitely has made me reconsider eating organic foods as it is important to know what I'm putting in my body (this is coming from someone who doesn't wash their fruit before eating it). I think it's really important to inform more people about the dangers and health risks they face when eating fruit and veggies covered in poison.
Has this article made you reconsider going organic? And do you think it's worth spending a little extra money to get organic produce? Should this be illegal?
Link to article:
http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/green-science/the_dangers_of_pesticides
Most of our fruits and vegetables come from farms, where farmers rely on pesticides to ensure there's no chance in losing their crops. So, they spray certain chemicals that repel insects and animals, to keep them from munching on their money-makers. But not only are pesticides found on farms, they're probably sitting in your home right now. For example, that bug spray you cover yourself in to repel those blood-thirsty mosquitos, or that weed-repellent spray you have to kill those so called "flowers" known as dandelions.
So what is really so harmful about this method of keeping bugs away? Firstly, pesticides can affect the environment in numerous ways, such as: killing sea life from pollution and therefore disrupting the ecosystem (this relates to our fourth unit, Solutions & Solubility, as it is one of the main areas where pesticides affect the environment, and forms a deadly solution for the inhabitants who live there), as well as harming other wildlife such as frogs from volatilization (when the pesticide turns into a vapour and gets into the air animals like frogs breathe). Some scientists link this to reproductive issues with the frogs. Not only does it affect the environment and its little creatures, but it can also have devastating effects on humans as well. When you eat non-organic fruit that has been sprayed with pesticides, you're eating over 30 different pesticides, where the poison gets stored in your colon that builds up, and eventually poisons you (even if you wash it). Plus, countless studies have linked cancer, Alzheimers Disease, ADHD, and even birth defects to being exposed to these chemicals.
So how can you avoid it? Eat organic as much as possible. Although organic farms do still use pesticides, they are more natural and safer than conventional ones, and in turn are much better for you and the world around you. After reading this article, it definitely has made me reconsider eating organic foods as it is important to know what I'm putting in my body (this is coming from someone who doesn't wash their fruit before eating it). I think it's really important to inform more people about the dangers and health risks they face when eating fruit and veggies covered in poison.
Has this article made you reconsider going organic? And do you think it's worth spending a little extra money to get organic produce? Should this be illegal?
Link to article:
http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/green-science/the_dangers_of_pesticides
Pinterest Cupcakes More Like Pinter-MESS Cupcakes!! (Post #3)
So it's a lazy Sunday afternoon, and you're in the mood for baking some cupcakes. You look up on google and find a cute recipe on Pinterest entitled "Simple and Cute Cupcake Recipe" followed by an HD close-up picture of a perfectly golden brown, full and fluffy cupcake...so you decide to give it a try. During the mixing of the dry ingredients, your shaky hand accidentally puts a little too much baking powder, but you brush it off as no big deal. Time passes and it's time to take your masterpiece out of the oven, only to find a dozen little concave disasters, lacking that cute little rounded top the recipe promised. Moping at your baking failure, you can't help but ask yourself "What went wrong?". Well dry those tears hypothetical me! And have no fear, because I recently read an article that talked about the importance of baking powder, and as it turns out, was the reason your lovely cupcakes turned out the way they did.
Firstly, it's important to talk about what baking powder even is, before I can share its importance in baking. In the article, it explained that baking powder is a mix of baking soda, and an acid (usually cream of tartar). When adding liquid to the dry mixture, whether it be eggs, milk or any water-based ingredients, it reacts with the baking soda (NaHCO3) and cream of tartar (KHC4H4O6) to form carbon dioxide bubbles, which is what makes the mixture rise (and why it is important to separate the dry and wet ingredients until right before you bake). The reaction looks like this:
Firstly, it's important to talk about what baking powder even is, before I can share its importance in baking. In the article, it explained that baking powder is a mix of baking soda, and an acid (usually cream of tartar). When adding liquid to the dry mixture, whether it be eggs, milk or any water-based ingredients, it reacts with the baking soda (NaHCO3) and cream of tartar (KHC4H4O6) to form carbon dioxide bubbles, which is what makes the mixture rise (and why it is important to separate the dry and wet ingredients until right before you bake). The reaction looks like this:
NaHCO3 + KHC4H4O6 → KNaC4H4O6 + H2O + CO2
This relates to our third unit, as it involves the use of chemical quantities and calculations–like when you add TOO much baking powder, just like hypothetical me did.
So what DID happen to the cupcakes? Why did adding too much of the ingredient ruin the texture of the cupcakes? Well, since the reaction causes carbon dioxide bubbles to form and rise the cupcakes, adding too much makes the cupcakes rise too much, and therefore the cupcake collapses on itself, turning it into a sunken mess.
This article was very helpful to me, as I did not know the chemistry on what was actually happening to the batter when you add baking powder, and it definitely explains a lot of mishaps in the past. Now I will make sure to bake with complete accuracy, to ensure I get Pinterest-perfect cupcakes every time!
Has this ever happened to you? Share your experience down below :)
Link to article:
http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/How-Baking-Powder-Works.htm
Monday, 18 May 2015
Warning: Buying Cheap Makeup May Result in DEATH (Post #2)
"Beauty products are meant to enhance your features, however, the fakes can in fact do quite the opposite."
Recently, officers have suspended 5 500 sites that are selling for what appear to be luxury makeup, yet are actually fake alternatives said to contain dangerous levels of lead, mercury and cyanide as well as human urine and rat droppings. These criminal organizations produce large quantities of cheap toxic makeup in their underground laboratories, claiming to be high-end brands, on popular sites such a eBay and Amazon. Unfortunate victims have had extreme allergic reactions including swelling of the face and eyes, and permanent face sensitivity. These fake versions of popular makeup brands such as MAC and Urban Decay, have said to contain 19 times the legal limit of lead which can have defecating effects to your health such as high blood pressure, fertility problems, memory and concentration problems and increased risk of harm to the fetus during pregnancy.
In our second unit in chemistry, we discussed Chemical Reactions and this article is a prime example of a real-life, every-day chemical reaction. Because of the high levels of metals in the makeup, it reacted with skins natural chemical balance and disrupted it, causing an allergic reaction. A lot of people have a reaction to normal makeup as it is, from the preservatives, fragrance or non oil-free products. To avoid this, look for products that say "hypoallergenic" (less likely to cause allergic reactions), "non-comedogenic" (won't block pores), "non-acnegenic" (they won't cause acne), and try to go as natural as possible when it comes to beauty products.
When I read this article, I honestly wasn't too surprised at the idea, but I was pretty shocked of how common and readily available it is to purchase. As a makeup wearer, I understand how tempting it is to snatch at a cheaper price for luxury makeup, so it's a little scary how people like myself can be easily lured into a potentially deadly trap. Reading this article definitely opened my eyes on what I'm putting onto my skin, and has definitely made me reconsider going "all-natural" as much as I can. I hope this helps others like myself wake up and realize the dangers of buying make up from an unreliable source and the dangers it can have on our skin.
Do you wear makeup regularly? If so, has this made you rethink about the products you're putting on your skin? And whether or not you're an active make up wearer, do you believe there should be more laws or some sort of regulation against certain ingredients they use in make up products?
Link to article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3085665/Warning-fake-make-tainted-cyanide-dangerous-chemicals-Counterfeit-versions-leading-brands-cooked-criminals-squalid-underground-labs.html
Recently, officers have suspended 5 500 sites that are selling for what appear to be luxury makeup, yet are actually fake alternatives said to contain dangerous levels of lead, mercury and cyanide as well as human urine and rat droppings. These criminal organizations produce large quantities of cheap toxic makeup in their underground laboratories, claiming to be high-end brands, on popular sites such a eBay and Amazon. Unfortunate victims have had extreme allergic reactions including swelling of the face and eyes, and permanent face sensitivity. These fake versions of popular makeup brands such as MAC and Urban Decay, have said to contain 19 times the legal limit of lead which can have defecating effects to your health such as high blood pressure, fertility problems, memory and concentration problems and increased risk of harm to the fetus during pregnancy.
In our second unit in chemistry, we discussed Chemical Reactions and this article is a prime example of a real-life, every-day chemical reaction. Because of the high levels of metals in the makeup, it reacted with skins natural chemical balance and disrupted it, causing an allergic reaction. A lot of people have a reaction to normal makeup as it is, from the preservatives, fragrance or non oil-free products. To avoid this, look for products that say "hypoallergenic" (less likely to cause allergic reactions), "non-comedogenic" (won't block pores), "non-acnegenic" (they won't cause acne), and try to go as natural as possible when it comes to beauty products.
When I read this article, I honestly wasn't too surprised at the idea, but I was pretty shocked of how common and readily available it is to purchase. As a makeup wearer, I understand how tempting it is to snatch at a cheaper price for luxury makeup, so it's a little scary how people like myself can be easily lured into a potentially deadly trap. Reading this article definitely opened my eyes on what I'm putting onto my skin, and has definitely made me reconsider going "all-natural" as much as I can. I hope this helps others like myself wake up and realize the dangers of buying make up from an unreliable source and the dangers it can have on our skin.
Do you wear makeup regularly? If so, has this made you rethink about the products you're putting on your skin? And whether or not you're an active make up wearer, do you believe there should be more laws or some sort of regulation against certain ingredients they use in make up products?
Link to article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3085665/Warning-fake-make-tainted-cyanide-dangerous-chemicals-Counterfeit-versions-leading-brands-cooked-criminals-squalid-underground-labs.html
Sunday, 10 May 2015
Perfume That Makes Your Sweat Smell Good? (Post #1)
I recently read an article from scientists at Queen's University Belfast, who have discovered a way to chemically change the smell of your sweat by using a liquid salt solution (no smell), and a raw fragrance. Back when we did our first unit "Matter & Chemical Bonding" we discussed Ionic Bonding and Compounds, and how matter changes between its states based on a number of factors. Just like Sodium and Chlorine, the most common and most popular example of ionic bonds, which combine to produce sodium chloride (commonly known as the table salt), the perfume has the ability to decrease bad smells from the sweat by using "thiol" compounds, an organosulfur compound that contains a carbon-bonded sulfhydryl, which are responsible for the malodour in sweat. They become attracted to the ionic liquid and attached themselves to it, therefore losing its effectiveness.
In the article it explains how the "perfume ionic liquid" releases its scent when it comes into contact with water or sweat, allowing the aroma to be released onto the persons skin. They found that when more water was added, the stronger the smell. The scientists believe that this could help individuals who suffer from a condition called hyperhidrosis, where they sweat excessively and without warning. Making up three percent of the population, this may become a regular treatment option to aid in the overstimulation of their sweat glands.
Personally, I think the idea itself is quite compelling, yet I think it seems like something that sounds better in theory than in reality. If this were to be available to the public, in my opinion it should not be available over-the-counter, but you would need a prescription for its use. As the article mentioned previously, individuals suffering from the overproduction of sweat could highly benefit from a product like this, and should have the access to it.
How would the idea of a world without smelly people sound to you? Wouldn't you love to live in a world where going to the gym would smell the same as visiting a pretty flower shop? Or do you believe humans should stick to being "au naturel"?
Link to article:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/new-perfume-smells-better-more-you-sweat-it-out-body-odor-solution-327962
In the article it explains how the "perfume ionic liquid" releases its scent when it comes into contact with water or sweat, allowing the aroma to be released onto the persons skin. They found that when more water was added, the stronger the smell. The scientists believe that this could help individuals who suffer from a condition called hyperhidrosis, where they sweat excessively and without warning. Making up three percent of the population, this may become a regular treatment option to aid in the overstimulation of their sweat glands.
Personally, I think the idea itself is quite compelling, yet I think it seems like something that sounds better in theory than in reality. If this were to be available to the public, in my opinion it should not be available over-the-counter, but you would need a prescription for its use. As the article mentioned previously, individuals suffering from the overproduction of sweat could highly benefit from a product like this, and should have the access to it.
How would the idea of a world without smelly people sound to you? Wouldn't you love to live in a world where going to the gym would smell the same as visiting a pretty flower shop? Or do you believe humans should stick to being "au naturel"?
Link to article:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/new-perfume-smells-better-more-you-sweat-it-out-body-odor-solution-327962
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