Chemical substances are negative, right? Otherwise why would so many purveyors of all issues wholesome proudly proclaim their goods to be “chemical-free of charge” and why would phrases such as “it’s chock complete of chemicals” be so generally used to imply anything is unnatural and as a result inherently hazardous?
On one particular level these phrases are meaningless – after all, chemical substances are all over the place, in almost everything. From the air that we breathe to the drugs we pop, it really is all chemical substances. Conversely, several would argue (the Marketing Specifications Agency included) that we all know perfectly properly what “chemical-cost-free” implies and individuals who rail against the absurdity of the phrase are just currently being pedantic. Even the Oxford Dictionary defines a chemical as “a distinct compound or substance, especially 1 which has been artificially prepared or purified.”
So “chemical-totally free” goods are adhering to a recognised usage.
But pedantry and definition aren’t actually the point. The level is that each and every time anti-chemical slogans are used folks are being misinformed. The implication is usually that the terms “chemical” and “poison” are interchangeable. This is a perception that permeates our subconscious to the extent that chemists themselves have been guilty of precisely the exact same lazy language.
As a consequence of this frequent usage of “chemical compounds” the total subject has been tainted with unpleasant connotations. And although physics and biology have their celebrity scientists extolling the wonders of bosons, bugs and big bangs, chemists are left floundering in their wake or are left entirely unrepresented in the mainstream media (where’s the Guardian’s chemistry site?).
This is all despite the modern globe obtaining been created on the innovations of chemists. For illustration, most of the world’s population is sustained by the innovations of 1 of them. Fritz Haber invented a means to turn the nitrogen in the air into valuable agricultural fertiliser (forty% of the nitrogen in you comes from Haber’s reaction). Meanwhile the chemists who artificially ready or purified antibiotics are responsible for a therapy that saves much more lives than any other healthcare intervention.
All these arguments are trotted out by chemistry bloggers on a typical basis, but these writers are only preaching to the converted. The very good information is that on Monday the campaign group Sense about Science joined the discussion with the publication of a guidebook entitled Generating Sense of Chemical Stories. Sense about Science is a respected charitable organisation that “equips men and women to make sense of scientific and health-related claims in public discussion”. In quick, it facilitates discussions in between concerned/interested groups and related authorities.
The aim of its guide is to bridge the disconnect in between the life-style view (and well-liked definition) of chemical compounds and the realities of how chemistry is utilized to sustain the contemporary world. The guidebook does this by tackling common misconceptions about chemistry.
A crucial misconception is that normal chemicals are by some means safer than manmade ones. The wrongheadedness of this is nicely illustrated by a pair of infographics (above) developed by Sense About Science that really don’t shy away from admitting synthetic chemical substances are usually toxic, but also make it clear that regardless of whether a chemical is naturally happening or manmade tells us precisely nothing about its toxicity.
Not only that, but the place dangerous chemical substances do occur (be that in potatoes or lethal injections) the dose is the genuinely critical point to think about.
Generating Sense of Chemical Stories is being promoted to the public, journalists, life style press and policymakers. It, along with the infographics, are freely available to download from Sense about Science, or if you choose a hard copy (or a box complete of them) electronic mail enquiries@senseaboutscience.org or call 020 7490 9590 with your make contact with information.
Buy some and spread the word: chemicals are good for you!
Mark Lorch is a senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of Hull. He blogs at www.chemistry-weblog.com and tweets as @sci_ents
Manmade or normal, they"re all chemical substances | Dr Mark Lorch
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