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Hidden Toxins in Our Everyday Lives and How to Avoid Them

As many of us know, we can find toxins and nasty chemicals in almost everything. From the pesticides on our produce, to the chemicals in our cosmetics, even our computers; it’s hard to come by something completely chemical free. All these chemicals and toxins are released into our environment, traveling through our water, the air we breathe, are also absorbed by humans and wildlife through the food and water we consume, and through our skin. You can’t see, touch, or smell many of these toxins. We typically do not feel their affects until/unless we come down with a chronic disease after years of exposure. A report done by Columbia University school of Public Health estimated that 95% of cancer cases are caused by diet, and environmental toxicity. These chemicals have contaminated many wildlife environments, including birds, polar bears, panthers, alligators, and frogs. These are the animals that are known to be suffering. A surprising (or not so surprising) 300 man-made chemicals have been reportedly found in humans. These are hazardous chemicals, found on nearly every person on our planet, and some of these toxins have been linked to several cancers, and a variety of reproductive problems. In fact, a study done by the British Medical Journal concludes that 75% of all cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors. It really makes you wonder what chemicals you are using daily, without even knowing it!

Spotlight

Wintershall

Wintershall is an international energy company specializing in the exploration and production of natural gas and crude oil – for over than 85 years. We focus on core regions where we have built up a high level of regional and technological expertise: Europe, North Africa, South America, Russia as well as the Middle East. Today, the company is Germany’s largest crude oil and natural gas producer and employs worldwide about 2,000 staff from more than 50 nations. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the chemical group BASF in Ludwigshafen and its headquarter is based in Germany (Kassel).

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Chemical Technology

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Chemical Technology

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Chemical Technology

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Downhole fluid build-up coupled with a drop in reservoir pressure can lead to the rapid decline of gas production rates, and can ultimately result in a well ceasing production. While there are many ways to deliquify a well to maximise production, chemical foamers can be incredibly effective and well worth considering. In this blog post, Kevin Lonie shares some of the benefits of using chemical foamers, and provides insights and advice around how best to use them… “Foamers are a much cheaper option than alternative solutions, such as mechanical lifts, and there is very little risk associated with their usage. If a foamer doesn’t work, it won’t make the well worse - so often we see clients giving them a go before opting for more expensive methods, in the hope that they produce the desired results. And we have seen their success over and over again.”

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Chemical Technology

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Chemical Management

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BEFORE the pandemic, GDP growth rates in the developing world were always higher than in developed economies.And because developing economies had much lower levels of petrochemicals consumption than their rich counterparts, it meant that the multiples over GDP were higher than in the rich word, where consumption was pretty much saturated. For instance, polyethylene (PE) demand in a developed country such as Germany might have grown at 0.3% times GDP whereas in Indonesia the growth could have been one or more times higher than the rate of growth in GDP.But as The Economist wrote in this 11 July article: “In 2021 the poorest countries, which are desperately short of vaccines, are forecast to grow more slowly than rich countries for only the third time in 25 years.” Might the multiples over GDP growth also be adversely affected in the developing world, trending lower than the historic norms? They will almost certainly remain higher than the rich countries. But here is the thing: as millions more people are pushed back into extreme poverty by the pandemic or are denied the opportunity to achieve middle-income status, I believe that developing-world multiples may well decline.Escaping extreme poverty means being able to, say, afford a whole bottle of shampoo for the first time rather than a single-serve sachet, thereby raising per capita polymers consumption.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Wintershall

Wintershall is an international energy company specializing in the exploration and production of natural gas and crude oil – for over than 85 years. We focus on core regions where we have built up a high level of regional and technological expertise: Europe, North Africa, South America, Russia as well as the Middle East. Today, the company is Germany’s largest crude oil and natural gas producer and employs worldwide about 2,000 staff from more than 50 nations. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the chemical group BASF in Ludwigshafen and its headquarter is based in Germany (Kassel).

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Read More

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Regulators from the US and Canada have laid out plans to coordinate efforts on workplace hazard communication standards as the two countries implement updates to the UN's Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS). According to the US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) 2019-20 workplan, released this week, the council expects to roll out joint guidance on the implementation of GHS and interpreting requirements for safety data sheets (SDSs) and communicating product hazards across the two jurisdictions. Another primary goal, highlighted in the RCC workplan, is to have "one label and one SDS" that is acceptable in both countries. US and Canadian regulators also will continue to work together to push for a common position on the GHS at future UN meetings and plan to hold a stakeholder meeting this summer.

Read More

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TheHill | November 25, 2019

Most Americans assume that the chemicals in the consumer products we buy, such as that long list of unpronounceable ingredients in your bathroom cleaner or laundry detergent, have been tested and found safe for people and the environment. The truth is, not so much. And Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is missing an important opportunity to make those products safer. For decades, efforts to ensure chemical safety were stymied by an ineffective regulatory regime: the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976, which regulated household and industrial compounds, was widely regarded as toothless. During my 20-plus year career at EPA, I served as a senior manager in the agency’s toxics program from 1987 to 1989. The weakness of the original TSCA was a key factor in my decision to leave that position.

Read More

Tiny gels sop up intestinal toxins

phys.org | March 20, 2018

Bacterial infections that target the intestine can cause conditions that range from uncomfortable to deadly. While it's easy to blame the bacteria, it's actually the toxins the bacteria produce that trigger inflammation, diarrhea, fever and cramps. Treatment strategies typically include indiscriminate antibiotics that slaughter health-promoting gut bacteria along with disease-causing microbes. Researchers now report the development of a microgel scavenger that targets toxins instead of bacteria. The researchers will present their work today at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS)."We want to develop a new therapy that is based on scavenging the toxins rather than killing both the good and bad bacteria," says Alexander Kuehne, Ph.D. "This way inflammation can be reduced while supporting the natural intestinal flora and holding the bad bacteria at bay."About three decades ago, Kuehne says, scientists developed a particle that used electronic charge to bind toxins in the intestine. It made it to the clinical testing stage, he says, but had too many non-specific targets for further development. This idea was the basis, though, for Kuehne's team's current project.

Read More

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