ACS Chemistry for Life

From the ancient Amazonian Indians: A modern weapon against global warming
Environmental Science & Technology

Kelli Roberts and colleagues report that “biochar” – a material that the Amazonian Indians used to enhance soil fertility centuries ago – is charcoal produced by heating wood, grass, cornstalks or other organic matter in the absence of oxygen. The heat drives off gases that can be collected and burned to produce energy. It leaves behind charcoal rich in carbon. Mass production of biochar could capture and sock away carbon that otherwise would wind up in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. The study involved a “life-cycle analysis” of biochar production, a comprehensive cradle-to-grave look at its potential in fighting global climate change and all the possible consequences of using the material. It concludes that several biochar production systems have the potential for being an economically viable way of sequestering carbon – permanently storing it – while producing it.

Getting plants to rid themselves of pesticide residues
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Jing Quan Yu and colleagues have discovered that a type of natural plant hormone — brassinosteroids (BRs) — applied to crops, can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides. Farmers worldwide use about 2.5 million tons of pesticides each year. The scientists treated cucumber plants with one type of BR then treated the plants with various pesticides, including chloropyrifos (CPF), a broad-spectrum commercial insecticide. BR significantly reduced their toxicity and residues in the plants, they say. BRs may be “promising, environmentally friendly, natural substances suitable for wide application to reduce the risks of human and environmental exposure to pesticides,” the scientists note. The substances do not appear to be harmful to people or other animals, they add.

School classroom air may be more polluted with ultrafine particles than outdoor air
Environmental Science & Technology

Lidia Morawska and colleagues are reporting that the air in some school classrooms may contain higher levels of extremely small particles of pollutants – easily inhaled deep into the lungs – than polluted outdoor air. Evidence suggests that airborne ultrafine particles can be toxic when inhaled into the lungs. Much of the scientific research, however, has focused on outdoor sources of these invisible particles, but little research has been done on indoor sources, and even less on ultrafine particles in school classrooms. In an effort to fill those gaps in knowledge, the scientists studied levels of ultrafine particles in 3 elementary school classrooms in Brisbane, Australia. The highest levels of ultrafine particle levels occurred during art activities such as gluing, painting and drawing when indoor levels were several times higher than outdoor levels. There also were significant increases in ultrafine particle levels when detergents were used for cleaning.

Improving China’s acid rain control strategy
Environmental Science & Technology

Lei Duan and colleagues are reporting the first evidence that China’s sharp focus on reducing widespread damage to soil by acid rain by restricting sulfur dioxide air pollution may have an unexpected consequence: Gains from that pollution control program will be largely offset by increases in nitrogen emissions, which the country’s current policy largely overlooks. China is trying to stop soil acidification by reducing sulfur dioxide pollution from electric power plant smokestacks. China is striving for a 10 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions by 2010, a policy that seems to have had only a limited impact so far, the researchers say. However, China has paid little attention to pollution from nitrogen oxides, which also contribute to acid rain and soil contamination. The scientists’ analysis found that the benefits of sulfur dioxide reductions will almost be offset by increased nitrogen emissions. To control this problem, “China needs a multipollutant control strategy that integrates measures to reduce sulfur, nitrogen, and particulate matter,” the article notes.

Glacial melting may release pollutants in the environment
Environmental Science & Technology

Those pristine-looking Alpine glaciers now melting as global warming sets in may explain the mysterious increase in persistent organic pollutants in sediment from certain lakes since the 1990s, despite decreased use of those compounds in pesticides, electric equipment, paints and other products. In the study, Christian Bogdal and colleagues focused on organic pollutants in sediment from a model body of water – glacier-fed Lake Oberaar in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland – testing for the persistent organic pollutants, including dioxins, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides and synthetic musk fragrances. They found that while contamination decreased to low levels in the 1980s and 1990s due to tougher regulations and improvements in products, since the late 1990s flow of all of these pollutants into the lake has increased sharply. Currently, the flow of organochlorines into the lake is similar to or even higher than in the 1960s and 1970s, the report states. The study attributed the most recent spike in the flow of pollutants into Lake Oberaar to the accelerated release of organic chemicals from melting Alpine glaciers, where contaminants were deposited earlier and preserved over decades.

An inexpensive “dipstick” test for pesticides in foods
Analytical Chemistry

John Brennan and colleagues are reporting the development of a fast, inexpensive “dipstick” test to identify small amounts of pesticides that may exist in foods and beverages. Their paper-strip test is more practical than conventional pesticide tests, producing results in minutes rather than hours by means of an easy-to-read color-change, they say. They cite a growing need for cheaper, more convenient, and more eco-friendly tests for pesticides, particularly in the food industry. The scientists describe the development of a new paper-based test strip that changes color shades depending on the amount of pesticide present. In laboratory studies using food and beverage samples intentionally contaminated with common pesticides, the test strips accurately identified minute amounts of pesticides. The test strips, which produced results in less than 5 minutes, could be particularly useful in developing countries or remote areas that may lack access to expensive testing equipment and electricity, they note.

Home washing machines: Source of potentially harmful ocean “microplastic” pollution
Environmental Science & Technology

Mark Browne and colleagues are reporting that household washing machines seem to be a major source of so-called “microplastic” pollution – bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin – that they now have detected on ocean shorelines worldwide, raising health and safety concerns. The bits of plastic contain potentially harmful ingredients which go into the bodies of animals and could be transferred to people who consume fish. The scientists looked for microplastic contamination along 18 coasts around the world and did some detective work to track down a likely source of this contamination. They found more microplastic on shores in densely populated areas, and identified an important source – wastewater from household washing machines. They point out that more than 1,900 fibers can rinse off of a single garment during a wash cycle, and these fibers look just like the microplastic debris on shorelines. The problem, they say, is likely to intensify in the future, and the report suggests solutions: “Designers of clothing and washing machines should consider the need to reduce the release of fibers into wastewater and research is needed to develop methods for removing microplastic from sewage.”

A breath-takingly simple test for human exposure to potentially toxic substances
Environmental Science & Technology

The search for a rapid, non-invasive way to determine whether people have been exposed to potentially toxic substances in their workplaces, homes and elsewhere in the environment has led scientists to a technology that literally takes a person’s breath away. Andrea M. Dietrich, Masoud Agah, and their students Heather Vereb and Bassam Alfeeli explain that scientists have known since the late 1970s that exhaled breath contains traces of any potentially toxic substances that people may have inhaled. Research has shown that those amounts are an accurate reflection of the levels that exist in a person’s blood. Those advances have positioned exhaled breath as the ideal substance to use in rapid, non-invasive, simple testing for human exposure to potentially harmful substances in the air. Advances in microelectronics have helped position breath analysis for more extensive use in the 21^st century — equipment for analyzing substances in human breath that once had to be housed in laboratories, for instance, have shrunk to hand-held size. The technology can detect minute amounts of substances in the breath and do so quickly – offering the promise of helping limit human exposure and improve health.

Recycling thermal cash register receipts contaminates paper products with BPA
Environmental Science & Technology

Bisphenol A (BPA) – a substance that may have harmful health effects – occurs in 94 percent of thermal cash register receipts, scientists are reporting, and the recycling of those receipts, they add, is a source of BPA contamination of paper napkins, toilet paper, food packaging and other paper products. Kurunthachalam Kannan and Chunyang Liao explain that manufacturers produce more than 8 billion pounds of BPA worldwide every year. To see whether BPA on register receipts was a concern, the researchers analyzed hundreds of samples and 14 other types of paper products from the U.S., Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The only receipts that were BPA-free were those from Japan, which phased out this use of BPA in 2001. BPA on receipts is responsible for more than 98 percent of consumer exposure to BPA from paper. They note that handling of paper products can contribute up to 2 percent of the total daily BPA exposures in the general population, and that fraction can be much higher in occupationally exposed individuals.

Good news plus lingering concerns for Deepwater Horizon cleanup workers
Chemical & Engineering News

Several new studies of air and water near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill conclude that cleanup workers may have escaped harm from one of the most worrisome groups of potentially toxic substances in the oil, but it cites concerns that another group of potentially harmful chemicals did escape from the water and could create a health hazard for cleanup workers. C&EN Senior Editor Elizabeth Wilson describes research showing that benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene – collectively termed BTEX – remained dissolved in the Gulf of Mexico, and did not vaporize into the air where they could be inhaled by cleanup workers. Tempering that apparent good news for the health of cleanup workers, however, are concerns that other substance released by the crude oil, substances that do not dissolve as well in water, did become airborne during the 2010 disaster. If so, they could pose a health threat to cleanup workers, the article notes.

What to do with bisphenol A: Ban it, restrict it, leave it alone?
Chemical & Engineering News

Despite years of scientific studies, reports, lawsuits, congressional inquiries, claims and counterclaims, the question of whether bisphenol A (BPA) poses health threats to people lacks a definitive answer. C&EN Senior Correspondent Stephen K. Ritter explains that BPA has been used in an array of consumer goods since the 1950s. Today it is a mainstay ingredient in hard plastics in some reusable drink containers, DVDs, eyeglass lenses, cell phones, auto parts, sports safety equipment, protective coatings inside food and drink cans, dental sealants, and cash register receipts. Not surprisingly, BPA shows up in the urine of almost everyone, Ritter writes, noting that scientists have known since the 1930s that BPA has estrogenic effects, mimicking the action of the female sex hormones. Hundreds of laboratory studies with test animals and cell cultures have linked those effects to a range of human health problems. Yet the debate about what to do with BPA – ban it, restrict it, leave it alone – continues because government regulators question whether the methods used in those studies accurately portray BPA’s potential health effects in humans.

Fading ability to taste iron raises health concerns for people over age 50
Environmental Science & Technology

Andrea Dietrich, Susan Mirlohi, and Susan Duncan report that people lose the ability to detect the taste of iron in drinking water with advancing age, raising concern that older people may be at risk for an unhealthy over-exposure to iron. The perception of a metallic flavor in water can help people limit exposure to metals such as iron, which occurs naturally in water or from corrosion of iron water-supply pipes. Studies suggest that older people who consume too much – especially in dietary supplements and iron-rich foods – may be at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related conditions. Dietrich’s group set out to fill in gaps in knowledge about how aging affects perception of a metallic flavor in water. Their results with 69 volunteers aged 19 to 84 years identified a distinctive age-related decline in ability to taste iron. People over age 50 tended to miss the metallic taste of iron in water, even at levels above the thresholds set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Association.

First opal-like crystals discovered in meteorite
Journal of the American Chemical Society

Scientists have found opal-like crystals in the Tagish Lake meteorite, which fell to Earth in Canada in 2000. This is the first extraterrestrial discovery of these unusual crystals, which may have formed in the primordial cloud of dust that produced the sun and planets of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Katsuo Tsukamoto and colleagues say that colloidal crystals such as opals, which form as an orderly array of particles, are of great interest for their potential use in new electronics and optical devices. Surprisingly, the crystals in the meteorite are composed of magnetite, which scientists thought could not assemble into such a crystal because magnetic attractions might pack the atoms together too tightly. “We believe that, if synthesized, magnetite colloidal crystals have promising potential as a novel functional material,” the article notes.

Denver to Barcelona: Global cities and greenhouse gas emissions
Environmental Science & Technology

Christopher Kennedy and colleagues note in the new study that some cities are developing strategies to reduce releases of GHG, which include carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that can contribute to global warming through the greenhouse effect. Denver released the largest amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) and Barcelona the smallest amount in their study documenting how differences in climate, population density and other factors affect GHG emissions in global cities. Denver had the highest overall GHG emissions, with levels two to five times higher than other cities. Its high levels were due partly to its high use of electricity, heating and industrial fuels, and ground transportation, they note. Los Angeles was second on the list, followed by Toronto and Cape Town (tied for third), Bangkok, New York City, London, Prague, Geneva, and Barcelona.

“Super sand” for better purification of drinking water
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

Mainak Majumder and colleagues have developed a way to transform ordinary sand – a mainstay filter material used to purify drinking water throughout the world – into a “super sand” with five times the filtering capacity of regular sand. The new material could be a low-cost boon for developing countries, where more than a billion people lack clean drinking water. The researchers used a simple method to coat sand grains with graphite oxide (GO), creating a super sand that successfully removed mercury and a dye molecule from water. In the mercury test, ordinary sand was saturated within 10 minutes of filtration, while the super sand absorbed the heavy metal for more than 50 minutes, the scientists discovered. Its filtration “performance is comparable to some commercially available activated carbon,” the scientists said. “We are currently investigating strategies that will enable us to assemble functionalized GO particles on the sand grains to further enhance contaminant removal efficiencies,” they write.

Recycling: A new source of indispensible “rare earth” materials mined mainly in China
Environmental Science & Technology

Xiaoyue Du and Thomas E. Graedel note that the dozen-plus rare earth elements (REEs) have unique physical and chemical properties making them essential for defense applications, computers, cell phones, electric vehicles, batteries, appliances, fertilizers, liquid crystal displays, and other products. But there is growing concern about the supply, since only one country, China, is the major source. To determine how much recycling potential of the REEs from in-use products could add to the supply, they did the first analysis of the amount of REEs available in products in major user countries: the United States, Japan, and China. The analysis concluded that nearly 99,000 tons of REEs were included in products in 2007. This invisible stock, equivalent to more than 10 years of production, “suggests that REE recycling may have the potential to offset a significant part of REE virgin extraction in the future…and minimize the environmental challenges present in REE mining and processing,” the report notes.

Pinpointing the origin of corpses, fingering fake cheese, and more – with “isoscapes”
Chemical & Engineering News

An emerging field of science termed “isoscapes” is making it possible to pinpoint the geographical origins of illegal drugs, trafficked endangered animals, dismembered human body parts at crime scenes, and even pricey scotch whiskey and cheese. Sarah Everts, C&EN European correspondent, explains how isoscapes has even led to development of one of the newest and most unusual maps of the world. It is a map showing the isotope contours of the world, which scientists and others are using in tracking the geographical origins of objects, and even in research on global climate change. Identification by isoscapes is based on the discovery that the tissue in a person’s body and composition of drugs, whiskey, and other objects contains a distinctive isotope ratio “fingerprint.” That fingerprint stems from the isotope ratios of food, water, and air where the person, whiskey and other objects originated, which vary with geography that can be plotted on a map. The article explains how the isotope-based map can help convict murderers and authenticate the origins of fancy foods.

Safety testing on Gulf seafood
Chemical & Engineering News

Government assurances that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill are the result of a monitoring and testing program that continues more than a year after the April 20, 2010 disaster. C&EN Senior Correspondent Ann Thayer points out that U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials say ongoing tests consistently show amounts of potentially toxic substances in seafood 100 to 1,000 times smaller than those posing health concerns. Thayer describes how FDA worked on an urgent basis with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and state agencies to set up the monitoring program, which used approaches that ranged from sniff tests to sophisticated laboratory analysis. The results underpinned decisions by Federal and state authorities on closing and reopening Gulf fisheries. Officials allowed a gradual reopening of Gulf waters, with the final sector declared safe in April 2011. Safety monitoring continues and despite the reassuring results, safety concerns linger among some scientists and consumers, the article indicates.

Plastics in oceans decompose, release hazardous chemicals, surprising new study says
239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society

In the first study to look at what happens over the years to the billions of pounds of plastic waste floating in the world’s oceans, scientists are reporting that plastics – reputed to be virtually indestructible – decompose with surprising speed and release potentially toxic substances into the water. “Plastics in daily use are generally assumed to be quite stable,” said study lead researcher Katsuhiko Saido, Ph.D. “We found that plastic in the ocean actually decomposes as it is exposed to the rain and sun and other environmental conditions, giving rise to yet another source of global contamination that will continue into the future.” He said that polystyrene begins to decompose within one year, releasing components that are detectable in the parts-per-million range. Those chemicals also decompose in the open water and inside marine life. However, the volume of plastics in the ocean is increasing, so that decomposition products remain a potential problem.

Toward the design of greener consumer products
Journal of Physical Chemistry A

Scientists are reporting development of a new method for screening molecules and predicting how certain materials, ranging from chemicals used in carpeting to electronics, will contribute to global warming. In the study, Timothy Lee, Partha Bera, and Joseph Francisco note that carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas, which traps heat near Earth’s surface like the panes of glass in a greenhouse. However, other gases have the same effect, and in fact are even more efficient greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Scientists know that the molecules in gases differ in their ability to contribute to global warming, but they know little about the molecular basis. The scientists analyzed more than a dozen molecules involved in global warming to find out which chemical and physical properties are most important in determining their inherent radiative efficiency, and thus possess the largest potential to contribute to global warming. They found that molecules containing several fluorine atoms tend to be strong greenhouse gases, compared to molecules containing chlorine and/or hydrogen, and that molecules containing several fluorine atoms bonded to the same carbon increase their radiative efficiency in a non-linear fashion.

“Green” roofs may help put lid on global warming
Environmental Science & Technology

“Green” roofs, those increasingly popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global warming, scientists in Michigan are reporting. Kristin Getter and colleagues found that replacing traditional roofing materials in an urban area the size of Detroit, with a population of about one million, with green would be equivalent to eliminating a year’s worth of carbon dioxide emitted by 10,000 mid-sized SUVs and trucks. “Green” roofs reduce heating and air conditioning costs, retain and detain stormwater, and absorb carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, but nobody had measured the impact until now. The scientists measured carbon levels in plant and soil samples collected from 13 green roofs in Michigan and Maryland over a two-year period. They found that green roofing an urban area of about one million people would capture more than 55,000 tons of carbon.

Potentially toxic flame retardants detected in baby products
Environmental Science & Technology

Heather M. Stapleton and colleagues are reporting detection of potentially toxic flame retardants in car seats, bassinet mattresses, nursing pillows, high chairs, strollers, and other products that contain polyurethane foam and are designed for newborns, infants and toddlers. They describe hints that one flame retardant, penta-brominated diphenyl ethers (pentaBDE), banned years ago in some areas, actually remains in use. Flame retardants are added during manufacture to reduce the risk of polyurethane foam catching fire and to slow down burning if it does. Seeking to meet government flammability standards, manufacturers then turned to other flame retardants, which in many cases, have less health data available. Stapleton’s group detected potentially toxic flame retardants in 80 percent of the polyurethane foam samples collected from 101 common baby products. Among them were compounds associated with pentaBDE, suggesting that the substance – banned in 172 countries and 12 U.S. states – still remains in use, as well as two potential carcinogens, TCEP and TDCPP.

Japan disaster’s impact reaches far beyond slow-down in auto exports
Chemical & Engineering News

C&EN staffers – Jean-François Tremblay and Jyllian Kemsley – present a comprehensive status report and update on how Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant damage affected its chemical industry and scientific research infrastructure at universities and other sites. Damage from the March disaster at Japanese chemical plants that produce raw materials for the electronics components, although modest in itself, has had some of the most severe impacts in history on the global electronics industry. An additional story by C&EN’s Glenn Hess focuses on how lessons learned in Japan are helping governments in the U.S. and other countries review and strengthen their own nuclear safety policies. Japanese chemical industry did not, on the whole, suffer heavy damage, but energy shortages resulting from the shut-down of nuclear power plants may hamper production of many chemicals in the months ahead, raising global concerns on when the electronic materials supply chain will be fully rehabilitated.

Mercury levels in Arctic seals may be linked to global warming
Environmental Science & Technology

Gary Stern and colleagues are reporting for the first time that high mercury levels in certain Arctic seals appear to be linked to vanishing sea ice caused by global warming. Canadian Arctic ringed seals, like many Arctic marine animals, have relatively high levels of mercury. The scientists analyzed the mercury content in muscle samples collected from ringed seals between 1973 and 2007. They then compared the levels to the length of the so-called “summer ice-free season,” a warm period marked by vanishing sea ice in the seals’ habitat. They found that the seals accumulated more mercury during both short (2 months) and long (5 months) ice-free seasons and postulate that this is related to the seals’ food supplies. Higher seal mercury concentrations may follow relatively short ice-free seasons due to consumption of older, more highly contaminated Arctic cod while relatively long ice-free seasons may promote higher pelagic productivity and thus increased survival and abundance of Arctic cod with the overall result of more fish consumption and greater exposure to mercury.

Working on the railroad? Using concrete could help environment
Environmental Science & Technology

Railroads around the world face that decision as they replace millions of deteriorating cross ties, also known as railway sleepers, those rectangular objects used as a base for railroad tracks. Robert Crawford reports that there have been long-standing concerns about environmental consequences of manufacturing railway sleepers because it involves harvesting large amounts of timber. Reinforced concrete sleepers are an alternative that offer greater strength, durability and long-term cost savings, he said. Crawford studied the greenhouse gas emissions of wooden and reinforced concrete sleepers based on one kilometer (0.62 miles) length of track over a 100-year life cycle. He found that emissions from reinforced concrete sleepers can be from two to six times lower than those from timber. “The results suggest strongly that reinforced concrete sleepers result in lower life cycle greenhouse emissions than timber sleepers,” the report states.

Capturing CO₂ in a bowl
Inorganic Chemistry

J.A. Tossel reports the accidental discovery of a bowl-shaped molecule that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air, suggesting exciting new possibilities for dealing with global warming, including genetically engineering microbes to manufacture those CO₂ “catchers.” He notes that another scientist discovered the molecule while doing research unrelated to global climate change. Tossell recognized that these qualities might make it useful as an industrial absorbent for removing carbon dioxide. Tossell’s new computer modeling studies found that the molecule might be well-suited for removing carbon dioxide directly from ambient air, in addition to its previously described potential use as an absorbent for CO₂ from electric power plant and other smokestacks. “It is also conceivable that living organisms may be developed which are capable of emplacing structurally ion receptors within their cell membranes,” the report notes.

New insights into health and environmental effects of carbon nanoparticles
Environmental Science & Technology

David Rand and Robert Hurt and colleagues published a new study that raises the possibility flies and other insects that encounter nanomaterial “hot spots,” or spills, near manufacturing facilities in the future could pick up and transport nanoparticles on their bodies, transferring the particles to other flies or habitats in the environment. The research focused on determining how different kinds of exposure to nanoparticles affected larval and adult fruit flies. There were no apparent ill effects on fruit fly larvae that ate food containing high concentrations of nanoparticles. However, adult flies died or were incapacitated when their bodies were exposed to large amounts of certain nanoparticles. During the experiments, the researchers noted that contaminated flies transferred nanoparticles to other flies, and realized that such transfer could also occur between flies and humans in the future. Since larvae can tolerate very high doses of nanoparticles in the diet, but adult flies show very different sensitivities, the environmental impact depends on the ecological context of nanoparticle release.

Secrets of plant warfare underpin quest for safer, more secure global food supply
Chemical & Engineering News

Like espionage agents probing an enemy’s fortifications, scientists are snooping out the innermost secrets of the amazing defense mechanisms that plants use to protect themselves from diseases to enhance the safety and security of the global food supply. C&EN Associate Editor Sarah Everts notes that plants use a battery of cunning mechanisms to protect themselves from disease. When microbes breach those immune defenses, epidemics like the Irish potato famine or wheat stem rust can mean starvation and displacement for millions of people. Over the last 20 years, for instance, scientists have made inroads into the complex chemical architecture of those defenses. The insights include the identification of a gene for the first receptor protein involved in plant immunity as well as the discovery of plant structures that recognize invading microorganisms. Those and other insights could underpin development of more effective and more sustainable ways of fighting crop pests.

Cocaine production increases destruction of Colombia’s rainforests
Environmental Science & Technology

Cultivating coca bushes, the source of cocaine, is speeding up destruction of rainforests in Colombia and threatening the region’s “hotspots” of plant and animal diversity. Liliana M. Dávalos and colleagues underscore the need for establishing larger protected areas to help preserve biodiversity. Their analysis of data from 2002-2007 on the effects of coca cultivation on deforestation of rainforests in Colombia identified several factors that boosted the likelihood that rainforest would be destroyed. In southern Colombia forest close to newly developed coca farms, for instance, was likely to be cut, as was land in areas where much of the farmland was devoted to coca. This is the first time the indirect impact on deforestation from cultivation destined for the global cocaine market has been quantified across South America’s biodiversity hotspots. Establishing larger protected areas in the region could help control deforestation and preserve biodiversity, the report suggests.

Greener process for key ingredient for everything from paint to diapers
ACS Catalysis

Weijie Ji, Chak-Tong Au, and colleagues are reporting discovery of an environmentally friendly way to make a key industrial material – used in products ranging from paints to diapers – from a renewable raw material without touching the traditional pricey and increasingly scarce petroleum-based starting material. Acrylic acid is typically made from propylene obtained from petroleum, and is essential for making paints, adhesives, textiles, leather treatments, and hundreds of other products. With prices rising, manufacturers have been seeking alternative ways of making acrylic acid without buying propylene, including making it from lactic acid. But current processes for using lactic acid are inefficient, less selective, and require higher temperatures and the accompanying high inputs of energy. The scientists’ potential solution is a new catalyst that can convert lactic acid into acrylic acid more efficiently. Lactic acid is a classic renewable starting material, produced by bacteria growing in vats of biomass such as glucose and starch from plants. In laboratory studies, the scientists showed that the new catalyst can convert lactic acid to acrylic acid more selectively at lower temperatures.

Night games in sports stadiums and street lighting can cause spike in daytime ozone air pollution
Chemical & Engineering News

Researchers have discovered – in a classic case of scientific serendipity – that the bright light from sports stadiums and urban street lights may boost daytime levels of ozone, a key air pollutant in many heavily populated areas. C&EN Associate Editor Jyllian Kemsley describes a so-called “field campaign” that took place in southern California and Mexico last year. It was a far-ranging effort by land, sea, and air to gain a deeper scientific understanding of all the factors involved in air quality and climate change. One of the experiments involved use of the detectors to measure the intensity of sunlight from an airplane. As the plane flew over a brightly lit sports stadium, one of the crew suggested, perhaps only half seriously, turning the device on, even though it was the dead of night. Much to the scientists’ surprise, they found there was enough light to drive certain chemical reactions in the atmosphere that would boost daytime levels of ozone, one of the most prevalent and difficult-to-control air pollutants in urban areas.

Banana peels get a second life as water purifier
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

Gustavo Castro and colleagues report that minced banana peel performs better than an array of other materials in purifying drinking water contaminated with potentially toxic metals. They note that mining processes, runoff from farms, and industrial wastes can all put heavy metals, such as lead and copper, into waterways, which can have adverse health and environmental effects. Current methods of removing heavy metals from water are expensive, and some substances used in the process are toxic themselves. The researchers found that minced banana peel could quickly remove lead and copper from river water as well as, or better than, many other materials. A purification apparatus made of banana peels can be used up to 11 times without losing its metal-binding properties, they note. The team adds that banana peels are very attractive as water purifiers because of their low cost and because they don’t have to be chemically modified in order to work.

Tungsten may not be the best shot for making “green” bullets
Chemical Research in Toxicology

With efforts underway to ban lead-based ammunition as a potential health and environmental hazard, scientists are reporting new evidence that a prime alternative material for bullets – tungsten – may not be a good substitute. The report by Jose Centeno and colleagues found that tungsten accumulates in major structures of the immune system in animals. Tungsten alloys have been introduced as a replacement for lead in bullets and other munitions due to concerns that lead from spent ammunition could harm wildlife when it dissolves into water in the soil, streams, and lakes. Scientists thought that tungsten was relatively non-toxic, and a “green” replacement for lead, but recent studies suggest otherwise. Centeno’s group added small amounts of a tungsten compound to the drinking water of laboratory mice, used as surrogates for people in such research, and examined the organs and tissues to see exactly where tungsten ended up. The highest concentrations of tungsten were in the spleen, one of the main components of the immune system, and the bones, the center or “marrow” of which is the initial source of all the cells of the immune system, but further research will be needed to determine what effects, if any, tungsten may have on functioning of the immune system.

Discovery of the secrets that enable plants near Chernobyl to shrug off radiation
Environmental Science & Technology

Martin Hajduch and colleagues note that plants had an unexpected ability to adapt to an environment contaminated with radiation following the April 26, 1986 accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Their previous research, for example, showed that soybean plants in the area have adapted to the contaminated soil with certain changes in their proteome. A proteome is the full complement of proteins produced by the genes in a plant or animal. The scientists grew flax seeds in radiation-contaminated soil in the Chernobyl region and compared their growth to those of seeds grown in non-radioactive soil. Radiation exposure had relatively little effect on the protein levels in the plants, with only about five percent of the proteins altered, they note. Among them were certain proteins involved in cell signaling, or chemical communication, which might help the plants shrug off radioactivity, the scientists suggest.

“Toxic toy crisis” requires fresh solutions
Environmental Science & Technology

Manufacturer recalls of toys, promotional drinking glasses, and other children’s products constitute an ongoing “toxic toys crisis” that requires banning potentially harmful ingredients in these products and other changes in policy and practices. Since 2007, the government has recalled more than 17 million toys due to high levels of lead. Monica Becker, Sally Edwards and Rachel Massey say in their report that these and other incidents have raised concern about the problem of toxic substances in toys and other children’s products, many of which are made overseas. The substances include ingredients either suspected or recognized as potentially damaging to children’s health. The authors recommend several actions for the government, including banning or restricting the use of all substances with well-documented toxicity in toys and other children’s products. They also offer recommendations for how the toy industry can be proactive, including establishing an industry-wide list of toxic substances to avoid.

“Thirdhand smoke” may be bigger health hazard than previously believed
Environmental Science & Technology

Yael Dubowski and colleagues note that thirdhand smoke – the invisible remains of cigarette smoke that deposits on carpeting, clothing, furniture and other surfaces – is a newly recognized contributor to the health risks of tobacco and indoor air pollution. Studies show that nicotine in thirdhand smoke can react with the ozone in indoor air and surfaces like clothing and furniture, to form other pollutants. Exposure to them can occur to babies crawling on the carpet, people napping on the sofa, or people eating food tainted by thirdhand smoke. In an effort to learn more about thirdhand smoke, the scientists studied interactions between nicotine and indoor air on a variety of different materials, including cellulose (a component of wood furniture), cotton, and paper to simulate typical indoor surfaces. They found that nicotine interacts with ozone, in indoor air, to form potentially toxic pollutants on these surfaces. “Given the toxicity of some of the identified products and that small particles may contribute to adverse health effects, the present study indicates that exposure to [thirdhand smoke] may pose additional health risks,” the article notes.

First report on fate of underwater dispersants in Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Environmental Science & Technology

Elizabeth Kujawinski and colleagues reported that key chemical components of the 770,000 gallons of oil dispersants applied below the ocean surface in the Deepwater Horizon spill did mix with oil and gas spewing out of the damaged wellhead and remained in the deep ocean for two months or more without degrading. The scientists collected and analyzed seawater samples from the Gulf of Mexico for the presence of a key dispersant ingredient, called DOSS (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate), during the active oil flow and again after the flow had ceased. They found DOSS became concentrated in the deepwater plumes of suspended oil and gas at depths of up to three-quarters of a mile and did not mix with the surface applications of dispersant. They also detected the dispersant ingredient at distances of nearly 200 miles from the well two months after deepwater dispersant applications ceased, indicating it was not rapidly biodegraded. Their data are not sufficient to resolve whether the dispersant was effective in dispersing the oil coming out of the wellhead. However, the scientists argue that the persistence of the dispersant over long distances and time periods justifies further study of the effects of chemical dispersant and oil mixture exposure.

Fish smile but some consumers frown at new genre of phosphate-free detergents
Chemical & Engineering News

C&EN Assistant Managing Editor Michael McCoy described how new laws in 16 states require manufacturers to eliminate phosphates from automatic dishwasher detergents sold in the United States. Once hailed as a wonder for making dishes squeaky clean, sodium tripolyphosphate later became a villain in the fight against water pollution. Just like the phosphate fertilizer applied to crops, it kick-starts growth of algae, which die, decay, and deplete oxygen from the water, causing fish kills and other problems. McCoy explains that the well-intentioned phosphate-removal laws, however, have caused an unintended problem for some consumers, leaving dishes and glassware with spots and unsightly films. Detergent manufacturers are now turning to chemists and the chemical industry in a search for phosphate-free formulas that don’t leave dishes dirty. Some manufacturers have already found promising alternatives, while others are testing new detergent ingredients, including polymers and enzymes, that can clean like phosphates without contributing to water pollution.

“Red mud” disaster’s main threat to crops is not toxic metals
Environmental Science & Technology

As farmers in Hungary ponder spring planting on hundreds of acres of farmland affected by last October’s red mud disaster, scientists are reporting that high alkalinity is the main threat to a bountiful harvest, not toxic metals. Erik Smolders and colleagues note that a dam burst at a factory processing aluminum ore, flooding the surrounding land with more than 700,000 cubic yards of a byproduct termed red mud, which contains toxic metals like arsenic, chromium, cadmium and nickel. The mud also contains radioactive elements and is highly alkaline, caustic enough to burn skin and eyes. The scientists’ tests showed that plants in contaminated soil grew about 25 percent slower than crops grown in uncontaminated soil. The main culprit, however, appeared to be not toxic metals or radioactivity, but red mud’s intense alkalinity and salt content. Adding gypsum to the red mud can reduce alkalinity and will accelerate the removal of the salts, the scientists add, recommending long-term monitoring of metals in the crops to remove any concerns with food chain contamination.

New guidelines may make it easier to share information on “going green”
Chemical & Engineering News

C&EN Senior Correspondent Stephen Ritter notes that chemical companies are eager to produce greener products, but there are no standardized criteria for determining whether starting materials and chemical processes are environmentally friendly. Many green standards already exist, but they are usually issued by companies themselves, industry trade groups, or environment-focused nongovernmental organizations. The standards, however, tend to focus on only one or two product attributes, such as content of volatile organic compounds or percent of recycled content, the article notes. The American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) is spearheading an effort to create the “Greener Chemical Products & Processes Standard” by the end of 2011. The comprehensive standard will provide comparative data to allow anyone to evaluate the relative environmental performance of chemical products and their manufacturing technologies. The next step could be an information label, similar to nutrition information labels now used on foods, that manufacturers can apply to product packaging to describe the product’s eco-friendly attributes making it easier to choose “greener” products.

Mercury levels are increasing in popular species of game fish in Lake Erie
Environmental Science & Technology

Satyendra Bhavsar and colleagues are reporting that mercury levels in popular species of game fish in Lake Erie have increased. The researchers found that mercury levels in the fish steadily declined from the mid-1970s to 2007 in the upper Great Lakes (Superior and Huron). In recent years (between 1990 and 2007), however, the mercury concentrations leveled-off in Lake Ontario walleye but appear to be increasing in Lake Erie walleye. The mercury increases in Lake Erie walleye are likely caused by a combination of factors, including modifications in Lake Erie’s foodweb due to invasions of dreissenid mussels and round goby, the scientists suggest. The Great Lakes, the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world, are of significant economic importance to the United States and Canada due to the area’s $7 billion fishing industry. High levels of mercury in fish can potentially cause adverse health effects in people. Although government regulations and improved emissions control technologies have greatly reduced mercury emissions in the environment, their impact on mercury levels in Great Lakes fish is unclear.

Clean-up tools may help protect wetlands from Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Chemical & Engineering News

C&EN Assistant Editor Michael Torrice notes that scientists and engineers are using three basic tools to try to clean up the Gulf of Mexico spill, in which millions of gallons of oil escaped into the ocean from an oil rig following a pipe rupture. Those tools include mopping-up the oil with absorbent pads called “skimmers,” burning the oil in a controlled fashion, and breaking-up the oil into smaller particles using chemicals called dispersants. Despite these efforts, massive amounts of oil remain. But scientists are also investigating new clean-up methods. One involves applying dispersants under water to prevent the oil from rising to the surface and forming emulsions, reddish-brown clumps of an oil and water mixture that are extremely difficult to clean up. When oil hits the shore, scientists might rely on a more standard method and spray the wetlands with fertilizers that can boost the growth of naturally-occurring, oil-chomping bacteria that are found in the area. Whether or not this multipronged clean-up approach will save the wetlands remains to be seen.

Oil dispersants used in Gulf of Mexico unlikely to be endocrine disrupters and have relatively low toxicity to cells
Environmental Science & Technology

Richard Judson and colleagues report that eight of the most commonly used oil dispersants used to fight oil spills, such as the massive episode in the Gulf of Mexico, appear unlikely to act as endocrine disrupters – hormone-like substances that can interfere with reproduction, development, and other biological processes. More than 1.5 million gallons of dispersants have been used so far in the Deepwater Horizon spill. The tested dispersants also had a relatively low potential for cytotoxicity (cell death), with JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD showing the least potential. Scientists are concerned that some dispersants contain ingredients that turn into endocrine disrupters in the environment, and could harm marine mammals, fish, and humans. This is only results from the first round of EPA dispersant testing, but with an urgent need for such information in the Deepwater Horizon spill, the scientists applied a rapid screening method using mammalian cells to determine the eight dispersants’ potential to act as endocrine disrupters and relative toxicity to living cells. These are only results from the first round of EPA dispersant testing, however, they note that “there are other routes by which chemicals can cause endocrine disruption, as well as other types of toxicity that have not been tested for here.”

Homes of the poor and the affluent both have high levels of endocrine disruptors
Environmental Science & Technology

Ruthann Rudel and colleagues report that homes in low-income and affluent communities in California both had similarly high levels of endocrine disruptors, and the levels were higher in indoor air than outdoor air, according to a new study believed to be the first that paired indoor and outdoor air samples for such a wide range (104) of these substances. They note concern about the reproductive and other health effects of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), which are found in many products used in the home. Examples include phthalates, which are found in older paints, electrical equipment, and building materials. EDCs also are among the ingredients in some pesticides, fragrances, and other materials. The scientists analyzed indoor and outdoor air samples as well as house dust from 40 homes in Richmond, Calif., an urban, industrial, low-income area, and 10 homes in Bolinas, Calif., an affluent, coastal community for the presence of 104 compounds, including 70 suspected EDCs. Levels were generally higher indoors than outdoors – 32 of the compounds occurred in higher concentrations indoors and only 2 were higher outdoors.

Travelling by car increases global temperatures more than travelling by plane, but only in the long term
Environmental Science & Technology

Driving a car increases global temperatures in the long run more than making the same long-distance journey by air according to a new study. However, in the short run travelling by air has a larger adverse climate impact because airplanes strongly affect short-lived warming processes at high altitudes. In the study, Jens Borken-Kleefeld and colleagues used, for the first time, a suite of climate chemistry models to consider the climate effects of all long- and short-lived gases, aerosols and cloud effects, not just carbon dioxide, resulting from transport worldwide. They concluded that in the long run the global temperature increase from a car trip will be on average higher than from a plane journey of the same distance. However, in the first years after the journey, air travel increases global temperatures four times more than car travel. Passenger trains and buses cause four to five times less impact than automobile travel for every mile a passenger travels. The findings prove robust despite the scientific uncertainties in understanding the earth’s climate system.

Recycling “tiny trash” – cigarette butts
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

Jun Zhao and colleagues describe the discovery of a way to reuse cigarette butts to prevent steel corrosion that costs oil producers millions of dollars annually. They cite one estimate that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts find their way into the environment each year. They contain toxins that can kill fish and harm the environment in other ways. The scientists showed that extracts of cigarette butts in water, applied to a type of steel (N80) widely used in the oil industry, protected the steel from rusting even under the harsh conditions, preventing costly damage and interruptions in oil production. They identified nine chemicals in the extracts, including nicotine, which appear to be responsible for this anti-corrosion effect.

First identification of endocrine disruptors in algae blooms
Environmental Science & Technology

Theodore Henry and colleagues are reporting for the first time that previously unrecognized substances released by algae blooms have the potential to act as endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the normal activity of reproductive hormones. The algae produce microcystins that can harm fish, plants, and human health. Although scientists have focused mainly on microcystins’ biological effects, new evidence suggests that other potentially harmful substances also may be present. In an effort to find out, Emily Rogers supervised by Theodore Henry, and co-authors Michael Twiner, Julia Gouffon, Jackson McPherson, Gregory Boyer, Gary Sayler, and Steven Wilhelm turned to zebrafish, often used as a stand-in for people and other animals in laboratory experiments. They found that something released by algae, other than microcystins, had an endocrine disrupting effect on the fish. The report recommends that environmental protection agencies may need to update monitoring programs for algae blooms to include potential endocrine-disrupting substances.

Developing world will produce double the e-waste of developed countries by 2030
Environmental Science & Technology

Eric Williams and colleagues predict that developing countries will be producing at least twice as much electronic waste (e-waste) as developed countries within the next 20 years. It foresees in 2030 developing countries discarding 400 million – 700 million obsolete personal computers per year compared to 200 million – 300 million in developed countries. That trend has led to global concern about environmentally safe ways of disposing of e-waste, which contains potentially toxic substances. “Our central assertion is that the new structure of global e-waste generation discovered here, combined with economic and social considerations, call for a serious reconsideration of e-waste policy,” the report notes.

Inhaling ‘Red Mud Disaster’ dust may not be as harmful to health as feared
Environmental Science & Technology

Mihály Pósfai and colleagues in Hungary are reporting that the potential health effects of October 2010′s Red Mud Disaster, one of the worst environmental accidents in Europe, may be less dangerous than previously feared. A burst dam at a factory that processes aluminum ore last October inundated areas near Ajka in northern Hungary with more than 700,000 cubic yards of caustic red mud. Since the mud contained potentially toxic substances, concern arose about the health effects of inhaling dust formed when the mud dried and was swept into the air by wind. They studied the chemical and physical properties of the red mud particles and dust and concluded that particles of red mud dust were too large to be inhaled deeply into lungs, where they could cause the most damage. Although the resuspension potential of red mud dust is large, inhalation likely would cause irritation and coughing, but would not increase the risk of other more serious health problems, the report suggested.

Enlisting a drug discovery technique in the battle against global warming
Energy & Fuels

Michael Drummond and colleagues Angela Wilson and Tom Cundari are reporting that a technique used in the search for new drugs could also be used in the quest to discover new, environmentally friendly materials for fighting global warming that would capture the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from industrial smokestacks and other fixed sources before it enters the biosphere. The scientists became interested in evaluating the possibility of using proteins in carbon capture technology, knowing that proteins can catalyze reactions with carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, in an environmentally friendly way. The German chemist and Nobel Laureate Paul Ehrlich, who originated the concept a century ago, defined a pharmacophore as the molecular framework that carries the key features responsible for a drug’s activity. In the study, they used the pharmacophore concept to probe how the 3-dimensional structure of proteins affects their ability to bind and capture carbon dioxide.

Chemicals that eased one environmental problem may worsen another
Journal of Physical Chemistry A

Jeffrey Gaffney, Carrie J. Christiansen, Shakeel S. Dalal, Alexander M. Mebel and Joseph S. Francisco point out that hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) emerged as CFC replacements in the 1990s because they do not damage the ozone layer. However, studies later suggested the need for a replacement for the replacements, showing that HCFCs act like super greenhouse gases, 4,500 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The new study adds to those concerns, raising the possibility that HCFCs may break down in the atmosphere to form oxalic acid, one of the culprits in acid rain. They used a computer model to show how HCFCs could form oxalic acid via a series of chemical reactions high in the atmosphere. The model, they suggest, could have broader uses in helping to determine whether replacements for the replacements are as eco-friendly as they appear before manufacturers spend billions of dollars in marketing them.

Evidence of Increasing Antibiotic Resistance
Environmental Science & Technology

David Graham and colleagues are reporting evidence that soil microbes have become progressively more resistant to antibiotics over the last 60 years. The study involved an analysis of 18 different antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to four different classes of antibiotics in soil samples collected in the Netherlands from 1940 to 2008. Using data from sites around the Netherlands, the scientists found increasing levels in 78 percent of the ARG tested, clearly indicating increased potential for resistance over time. They express concern that increased antibiotic resistance in soils could have broad consequences to public health through potential exposure through water and food supplies. Their results “imply there may be a progressively increasing chance of encountering organisms in nature that are resistant to antimicrobial therapy.”

Healing haze: Substances in smoke left over from forest fires speed plant growth
Chemical & Engineering News

C&EN Senior Editor Bethany Halford notes that scientists in Australia in 2004 identified the first smoke-derived chemicals responsible for promoting the germination of seeds. Named “karrikins,” after the Aboriginal word for smoke, these substances trigger seed sprouting and foster seedling growth. Studies now show that karrikins speed the growth of corn, tomatoes, lettuce, and other food crops and help crops tolerate a wider range of temperatures. The article points out that scientists in Australia already are using karrikins on a limited basis to restore vegetation to land stripped bare during mining of aluminum ore. Wider use depends on development of ways of producing large amounts of karrikins at low cost, the article notes.

Resilient gypsy moth continues to shrug off best pesticides
Chemical & Engineering News

C&EN Senior Correspondent Stephen K. Ritter notes that the gypsy moth, a highly destructive insect, has been plaguing the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada for more than a century. The leaf-munching insects have defoliated millions of acres of trees, leaving trees vulnerable to destruction by disease or other pests. Pest-management workers have counterattacked with a series of powerful pesticides and other weapons over the years, including most recently a sex hormone that disrupts mating and a virus-based pesticide that kills gypsy moth larvae. Despite these efforts, gypsy moths keep on fluttering and spreading across the nation. A final victory may not be in the cards, but scientists and government agencies are continuing to try new and innovative ways to limit the spread of these tough bugs, the article notes.

Tobacco and its evil cousin, nicotine? They’re good — as a pesticide!
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

Cedric Briens and colleagues have discovered that nicotine in tobacco could be used as a natural pesticide. Concerns about the health risks of tobacco have reduced demand and hurt tobacco farmers in some parts of the world, leading scientists to seek new uses for tobacco. A “green” pesticide industry based on tobacco could provide additional income for farmers, and as well as a new eco-friendly pest-control agent. Briens tested tobacco bio-oil against a wide variety of insect pests, including 11 different fungi, four bacteria, and the Colorado potato beetle, a major agricultural pest that is increasingly resistant to current insecticides. The oil killed all of the beetles and blocked the growth of two types of bacteria and one fungus.

Clean and Green: Supermarket shelves awash in eco-friendly laundry detergents
Chemical & Engineering News

Laundry manufacturers and chemical suppliers are working hand-in-hand to develop new cleaning, aimed at making cleaning more efficient and environmentally friendly. C&EN Assistant Managing Editor Michael McCoy points out in the cover story that this trend in innovative fabric cleaning products is occurring despite a rocky economy in 2009, which led to sales declines for premium laundry products such as Tide. Overall, however, the liquid detergent market managed to rack up $3.1 billion in U.S. sales in 2009, according to the article. Products include new detergents and other laundry aids that contain natural, sustainable ingredients that are less likely to harm the environment than conventional cleaners as well as specialty cleaners that help reduce energy or water consumption.

NoMix toilets get thumbs-up in seven European countries
Environmental Science & Technology

People in seven European countries have positive attitudes toward a new eco-friendly toilet that could substantially reduce pollution problems and conserve water and nutrients, scientists in Switzerland are reporting. Judit Lienert and Tove Larsen note that the so-called NoMix toilet collects urine separately instead of mixing it together with feces as in conventional toilets. Urine contains 80 percent of the nitrogen and 50 percent of the phosphorus arriving at wastewater treatment plants. This reduces the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients that trigger algae blooms and in pharmaceutical residues, which can enter waterways and pose a threat to fish. Separating urine also allows its use as an agricultural fertilizer.

Diet of contaminated insects harms endangered meat-eating plants
Environmental Science & Technology

Iain Green and Christopher Moody report evidence that consumption of insects contaminated with cadmium may be a factor in the mysterious global decline of meat-eating, or carnivorous, plants. Many species of carnivorous plants — which have the amazing ability to lure, trap and digest insects — have become endangered through habitat loss, illegal poaching, and pollution. They fed contaminated house fly maggots to a group of endangered white-topped pitcher plants (Sarracenia leucophylla) and found that cadmium accumulated in the plants’ stems in a way that can be toxic and disrupt growth. The findings emphasize the importance of limiting carnivorous plants’ exposure to cadmium, they suggest.

Proteins in unroasted coffee beans may become next-generation insecticides
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Peas, beans and some other plant seeds contain proteins, called globulins, which ward off insects. Coffee beans contain large amounts of globulins, and Paulo Mazzafera and colleagues wondered whether those coffee proteins might also have an insecticidal effect. Their tests against cowpea weevil larva, insects used as models for studying the insecticidal activity of proteins, showed that tiny amounts of the coffee proteins quickly killed up to half of the insects. In the future, scientists could insert genes for these insect-killing proteins into important food crops, such as grains, so that plants produce their own insecticides.

Household detergents, shampoos may form harmful substance in waste water
Environmental Science & Technology

Scientists are reporting evidence that certain ingredients in shampoo, detergents and other household cleaning agents may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant, NDMA, in water supplies that receive water from sewage treatment plants. William Mitch and colleagues note that scientists have known that NDMA and other nitrosamines can form in small amounts during the disinfection of wastewater and water with chloramine. The report notes that sewage treatment plants may remove some of quaternary amines that form NDMA. However, quaternary amines are used in such large quantities that some still may persist and have a potentially harmful effect in the effluents from sewage treatment plants.