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Unformatted text preview: s asbestos and some pesticides are bad, but how about
the medicine that you take for your flu or the artificial sweetener that you consume in
your diet drinks?
• Avoid generalizations about chemicals – we can only say that some are good and some
bad, regardless of whether they are natural or synthetic. And even if they are poisonous,
we can still use them without dire consequences if the dose is below the toxic threshold. Inquisitive Chemist 1.2: Dose makes the poison.
Botox® is a chemical derived from the poison produced by Clostridium, bacteria so deadly that infected
people usually die immediately (Botulism) because it destroys the communication between nerves and
skeletal muscles. However, as you know, Botox has been approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for “temporary relief” of wrinkles and has been used successfully for many
years, especially by movie stars. To get more information from Allergan Inc., the company that makes
the drug, go to www.botox.com. Chemists have been especially concerned about the negative perception of chemicals by the
public, and have taken many initiatives to try to change public’s view.
• American Chemistry Council (ACC), a consortium of chemical companies, had entailed in
2006 on a mass public campaign entitled “Essential2®” to educate the public that we
should not fear chemicals because they are essential to safety, health, innovation,
environment, economy, etc.; they are “essential2living”. More can be explored at ACC’s
website. 6 Copyright © 2007 by Concise Books Publishing LLC. Visit us at www.concisechem.com to download other free chapters from "The Concise Guide to Chemistry." CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY Inquisitive Chemist 1.3: Information on chemicals.
American Chemistry Council (ACC): www.americanchemistry.com
The trade association representing US chemical companies, including significant business groups.
American Chemical Society (ACS): www.acs.org
Primary professional organization for chemists and related occupations in US.
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC): http://www.iupac.org/
Scientific, international, non-governmental and objective body that serves to advance the worldwide
aspects of the chemical sciences.
Royal Society of Chemistry: www.rsc.org
The largest organization in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): www.fda.gov
Agency responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of all drugs, biologics, vaccines, medical
devices, food and cosmetics.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. It enforces environmental laws,
provides chemical information to the public and provides guidance to policy makers.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): www.cpsc.gov
Agency that works to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths from consumer products. 1.2.3 Chemicals Can be Represented by Chemical Models C...
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