Week 4: Green Chemistry As a Social Movement

I think that one of the testimonials to how the Green Chemistry Social Movement is doing, is the fact that prior to attending this class, I had never heard about such a concept. Not that I am at the pinnacle of the Green Movement in America -but- I would have thought I would have at least heard about this concept.

That being said, after reading the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, I can see that there are several of these principles that are embodied in the environmental changes that people the world over are adopting in the face of global warming. Hopefully, it isn’t too late.

And I can also see that on other levels policies are also changing. Take for examples the Presidential Green Chemistry Awards that have been in effect since 1995. Many of the companies who have won the award since the programs inception, are those chemical corporations that we might have identified as the biggest offenders to the environment. Companies such as Dow Chemical, Cargill Dow and Shaw Industries are winning this award because of the cutting edge green chemistry programs they are enacting to reduce toxins, use safer solvents and eliminate waste in their production processes.

In 2006, the University of California, Berkeley, published a report on potential chemicals policy for the California Legislature entitled, Green Chemistry in California: A Framework for Leadership in Chemicals Policy and Innovation (http://coeh.berkeley.edu/greenchemistry/). The report finds that “long-standing weaknesses in the U.S. chemical management program, have produced a chemicals market in the U.S. that discounts the hazardous properties of chemicals relative to their function, price, and performance. The report concludes that these market conditions represent a key barrier to the scientific, technical, and commercial success of green chemistry in the U.S., and that fundamental policy changes are needed to correct these weaknesses.”

In 2007, Europe enacted legislation that requires companies to prove that their products are safe. Unfortunately, as of yet, the U.S. has not yet brought any similar legislation into effect. Need I say more?

Week 3: onal Metal of the Week: Manganese

Name: Manganese
Symbol: Mn
Atomic number: 25
Atomic weight: 54.938045 (5)
Standard state: solid at 298 K
Group in periodic table: 7
Group name: Transition Metals
Period in periodic table: 4
Block in periodic table: d block
Color: silvery-grey metal
Classification: Metallic

Manganese, whose name is a derivation from the Greek word for magic, is a silvery-gray metal resembling iron. It is part of the iron group of elements, which are thought to be synthesized in large stars shortly before their supernova explosion. Manganese is hard and very brittle, difficult to fuse, but easy to oxidize.

According to John Emsley, author of Nature’s Building Blocks: A-Z Guide to the Elements, “Manganese makes up about 1000 ppm (0.1%) of the Earth's crust, making it the 12th most abundant element there Abundance of elements in the universe.” Sources of this commonly occurring element are thought to be the sun, meteorites, the Earth's crust, the oceans (manganese is present in quantity in the ocean’s floor), as well as rivers and streams.

The Linus Pauling Institute states that “Manganese is a required trace mineral for all known living organisms and may be essential for utilization of vitamin B. As such, it plays an important role in a number of physiologic processes; as a constituent of some enzymes and an activator of other enzymes. Low dietary manganese and low levels of manganese in blood or tissue have been associated with several chronic diseases such as: Osteoporosis, Diabetes mellitus and Epilepsy”. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/manganese/

The human body contains about 10 mg of manganese, which is stored mainly in the liver and kidneys; and it’s also an important component in the process of photosynthesis for plants.
Several oxides of manganese, for example manganese dioxide, are abundant in nature and due to color these oxides have been used as since the Stone Age. The cave paintings in Gargas contain manganese as pigments and these cave paintings are 30,000 to 24,000 years old.
Manganese compounds were used by Egyptian and Roman glassmakers, to either remove color from glass or add color to it.

Manganese is essential to iron and steel production, since by its virtue it makes iron and steel hard, but not brittle. Steelmaking, and iron making, have accounted for most 80-90% of the manganese demand. Manganese phosphating is used as a preventative treatment against rust and corrosion on steel. The second largest application for manganese is as an alloying agent for aluminum. Among a variety of other uses, manganese is a key component of low-cost stainless steel formulations. It is also used for its sulfur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties. Manganese ions have various colors, depending on their oxidation state, and are used industrially as pigments.

Manganese oxidizes easily and forms halides, oxides, sulfides, hydrides, and complexes. In the 20th century, manganese dioxide has been widely used in commercial applications as material for commercial disposable dry cells and dry batteries.

While, manganese compounds are less toxic than those of other widespread metals such as nickel and copper; in larger amounts, and apparently with far greater activity by inhalation, manganese can be toxic in mammals, including causing neurological damage which is sometimes irreversible. Excesses of Manganese build up in the Liver and Kidneys, the organs of elimination, and are difficult to remove from the body. Manganese poisoning has been linked to impaired motor skills and cognitive disorders and all manganese compounds should be regarded as highly toxic as well as possibly carcinogenic and teratogenic (causes birth defects).

According to Science Daily, “Manganism, or manganese poisoning, is prevalent in such occupations as mining, welding, and steel manufacturing. It is caused by exposure to excessive levels of the metal manganese, which attacks the central nervous system, producing motor and dementia symptoms that resemble Parkinson's disease.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090201141559.htm

Week 3: Chemical Bonding

When I read the article in the handout from class, I had a hard time understanding all of the material. I could easily envision how an ionic, covalent and multiple bonds worked (or at least I thought so) from reading the assignment. But, I had a harder time understanding polar and non-polar covalent bonding…probably, because in my mind’s eye, I couldn’t grasp how these concepts would work in actuality.

Then, I checked out the link for this week about the same subject to see if there was more material available online…and indeed there is. The flash animations really helped me understand how we think atoms and molecules work. But, the funny thing is, that the way the shared electrons move back and forth between the two different elements wasn’t at all how I had thought it worked when I imagined it in my mind. Even what I thought I understood about how covalent bonds worked - was different that I had imagined! And, I’ll bet that these models are just our best bets about how it all works…on a quantum level.

According to the ThinkQuest website, “…have the electrons outsmarted us? Perhaps, but they have also taught us one of the most fundamental lessons in quantum physics - an observation is only valid in the context of the experiment in which it was performed. If you want to say that something behaves a certain way or even exists, you must give the context of this behavior or existence since in another context it may behave differently or not exist at all. We can't just say that an electron is a particle…we can only say that when we observe the electron in the two slit experiment it behaves like a particle. To see how it would behave under different conditions, we must perform a different experiment.”

So, maybe we don’t really know how these bonds work at all…check out this animation on You Tube, “Dr. Quantum Double Slit Experiment” to see more about these enigmatic electrons!

Week 3: Neptune’s Medicine Chest

I can appreciate the spirit and efforts of Bill Fenical and Scripps research, working toward a ‘cure for cancer‘. However, I think the approach and motivation is the same as it always has been, just in a different location: instead of terra firma, we’re now plundering the oceans. What disturbs me about this are several things. #1: Apparently, we haven’t learned any lessons from our experiences with the previous ‘magic bullet’ medicines that the pharmaceutical industry has developed and produced over the years; that biologic life is smarter and bacteria will adapt and overcome whatever they throw at it. #2: In TCM, Western Herbalism, Ayurveda, Homeopathy (just to name a few), we already have plenty of herbal remedies made of plants, animals, herbs, fungi, minerals, etc. that can be used to treat the imbalances that lead to cancer -or- to relieve the pain of swelling and inflammation…but, the problem is just that: they are naturally occurring substances that can’t be patented. However, only the natural substances are complex enough that the bacteria, etc. can’t mutate and become immune to it. Which leads me to reason #3: Really what Scripps is after are products that they can patent and make royalties on…essentially, making money on people’s illness. Currently, I have a friend who is using Western Medicine to fight an aggressive form of kidney cancer; one of his medicines, alone, costs $10,000 per month! That’s unconscionable! People are going bankrupt trying to heal from their diseases! #4: If we really want to prevent cancer, we need to take a look at the environmental pollution of our air, water and food and the over-proliferation of chemicals that we are bombarded by internally and externally every day. That approach would go further in the fight against cancer…the only problem is, Scripps won’t make $$$ that way.

In Mendocino County, and many other places, the latest treatment for cancer is something called “Simpson Oil”, after the man who developed a process of distilling cannabis leaves to an essential oil that truly is healing and curing all kinds of cancers and other illnesses…and people are making this medicine available to those who are sick, for free. To watch a 7-part video regarding this go to You Tube and type in: “Run From the Cure: the Rick Simpson story”. Thankfully, were able to procure some Simpson Oil for our friend, who is feeling much more comfortable in his body, since he’s been using the oil for the last week.

Week 2: Elements, Compounds & Mixtures

Well, at least I could understand this link. I’m going to have to review the Atomic properties Menu & Structure & Bonding Menu at another time. Right now, they’re just making my eyes roll back in my head.

It’s interesting that an element can be either a single atom or a molecule, which contains 2 or more of the same atoms, chemically bound together. And, they can’t be broken down into simpler matter physically or chemically.

Then there are compounds, which consist of the atoms of 2 or more elements bound together (always in the same ratio to each other) but that can be broken down into their component parts chemically -but- not physically. Whereas mixtures are 2 or more different elements or compounds that have been physically combined and therefore can be physically separated once again.

Looking at this page, the material doesn’t appear that difficult. But, truly understanding it, is another question. I find myself rereading the class material, but not really absorbing it. Chemistry is hard.

Week 2: Ozone

I decided to use this opportunity to learn how our Ozone system works to clean our water, something I have been wondering about for awhile. So, I contacted Larry Desmond from Mendocino Water Works, who designed the system for our well to explain how it worked.
Larry explained to me that our water system is one of the more challenging that he has had to deal with. It seems that we have some really ‘nasty’ water due to the high amounts of naturally occurring manganese and iron that need to be filtered out…which is why he recommended we use (2) 5,000 gallon tanks, each with it’s own Ozonator unit.

With our non-filtered water, if we tried to use bleach (not that we do) to wash out clothes, the bleach would react with the iron in the water, cause the iron to precipitate out of the water, using our clothes as a filter, leaving behind orange stains (which is not really the look you were going for with your white clothes!).

Larry said he really likes using Ozone for this application, since it is a much stronger oxidant than bleach with none of the toxic side effects to us or the environment. The way our water purification system works is that we have an atmospheric ozone unit; the pump of which draws in Oxygen from the atmosphere, exposes it to Ultra-Violet light which changes the O2 to O3 -or- Ozone, an unstable, free radical.

Next this free radical Ozone is bubbled out of the filter in each tank. Because it is highly unstable and is looking to combine with something else in order to become more stable, the Ozone bubbles create a positive flow toward the filter of any minerals, bacteria or viruses in the water.
The idea is that when these particles combine with the Ozone it creates an even larger particle (iron and manganese particles are too fine by themselves) that precipitates out of the water and can then be removed. The reason we need the (2) tanks, Larry explained, is that the 1st tank removes the iron and the 2nd removes the manganese.

Because we are on well water, this system is sufficient to purify our drinking water. However, if our source were a spring or some other surface water system, Larry said it would require an additional Ultra-Violet purification and filtration process be added to the system. The way the Ultra-Violet rays work is that any bacteria, E. coli, Giardia, that are exposed are sterilized at the DNA level, so they just die off and don’t reproduce in our bodies.

In our case, we are seriously considering drilling a deeper well, say maybe down to 200 feet or so (the current one is only 90 feet deep) to get out of the pocket of naturally occurring iron and manganese that we are in. For several reasons: #1 is our health. Manganese is a trace element and necessary in small amounts, but Hair Mineral Analysis has revealed that myself, my partner Martha and our land partner Carolyn all have 3,000 times more Manganese in our bodies than we need!! At these levels, excess Manganese lodges in the Liver and Kidneys, where it causes myriad health problems while being difficult to remove from these important organs. Not to mention, that because of the extraordinary amounts of precipitate in our water, we have to clean out the tanks every 2-3 months, versus once a year like with most other water purification systems. The labor costs for this are very high and we even burned out a pump with the excessive precipitate last year. And, we not only use this water for household use (bathing & cooking), we also use it to water in the vegetable and lavender gardens and for our distillation process. So, no matter how you look at it, we need good water…and whether we pay for it sooner (by drilling a new well) -or- later (multiple cleanings/replacement pumps), ultimately it’s a wash.

Week 2: Element of the Week…Iodine

• Name: Iodine
• Symbol: I Atomic number: 53
• Atomic weight: 126.90447 (3)
• Standard state: solid at 298 K
• Group in periodic table: 17
• Group name: Halogen
• Period in periodic table: 5
• Block in periodic table: p-block
• Color: violet-dark grey, lustrous
• Classification: Non-metallic

The word Iodine comes from Greek: iodes meaning violet (or purple). Under normal conditions, Iodine is a shiny grey solid. However, when heated it becomes a gas that is violet-pink in color with a an irritating odor. This halogen forms compounds with many elements, but is less reactive than the other members of its Group VII (halogens).

Iodine naturally occurs in the environment chiefly as dissolved iodide in seawater, although it is also found in some minerals and soils. Although the element is actually quite rare, kelp and certain other plants have the ability to concentrate iodine, which introduces the element into the food chain. This helps us to understand how Iodine came to be required in trace amounts by all animals and some plants, while being the heaviest element commonly used by living organisms.
Iodine is used in pharmaceuticals, antiseptics, medicine, food supplements, dyes, catalysts, halogen lights, photography and water purification.

We humans need the proper amount of iodine in their diets for optimal thyroid and endocrine system function. I became aware of just how important Iodine is to our health, when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year. That being said, I never realized it is because Iodine is actually used to create the steroid hormones.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute: “Iodine is an essential element that enables the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Three iodine molecules are added to make T3 (triiodothyronine), and four for T4 (thyroxine) -- the two key hormones produced by the thyroid gland -- so iodine is essential to the production of these two hormones of the master gland of metabolism. Iodine accounts for 65% of the molecular weight of T4 and 59% of the T3. 15–20 mg of iodine is concentrated in thyroid tissue and hormones, but 70% of the body's iodine is distributed in other tissues, including mammary glands, eyes, gastric mucosa, the cervix, and salivary glands. In addition to regulating many aspects of growth and development, thyroid hormone is important for mylenation of the central nervous system, which is most active before and shortly after birth.”

Thyroid enlargement, or goiter, is one of the earliest and most visible signs of iodine deficiency. The thyroid enlarges in response to persistent stimulation by TSH. But, without the proper amounts of Iodine in the system, the body is incapable of producing the T3 & T4 hormones regardless of the TSH istimulation.

In areas where there is little iodine in the diet—typically remote inland areas and semi-arid equatorial climates where no marine foods are eaten—iodine deficiency gives rise to hypothyroidism, symptoms of which are extreme fatigue, goiter, mental slowing, depression, weight gain, and low basal body temperatures. Iodine deficiency is also the leading cause of preventable mental retardation, called Cretinism, an effect which happens primarily when babies and small children suffer from hypothyroid symptoms due to lack of the element in their diets.

The addition of iodine to table salt has largely eliminated this problem in the wealthier nations, but iodine deficiency remains a serious public health problem in the developing world…what a pity, considering how easily it could be prevented by using iodized salt.