ACCN Fragrance Feud - Chemical Institute of Canada - 03... · IndustrIal Briefs SunOpta BioProcess Inc., based in Brampton, ... technologies and they have once again sought to discredit

A Publication of the Chemical Institute of Canada and Constituent Societies / Une publication de l’Institut de chimie du Canada et ses sociétés constituantes

l’actualité chimique canadiennecanadian chemical newsACCN

� Chemical Institute of Canada

Fragrance FeudAre perfumes becoming taboo? Plus:

Pull Out Poster on the Frontiers of Alternative Energy

Aussi :

Une affiche détachable sur les frontières de l’énergie

de substitution

MArCh|MArS • 2010 • Vol. 62, No./no 3

ContentsFeatures

Energy on the FringeAlternative Power Ideas Outside of the Usual — Pull Out Poster!

MArCh|MArS • 2010 • Vol. 62, No./no3

5

7

27

30

17

17

9

15

Departments 20

22

Showdown on ScentsIndustry and activists on the proliferation of perfume-free public placesPour obtenir la version française de cet article, écrivez-nous à [email protected]

European rules Europe’s overhauled chemical regulations aren’t all bad for bottom linesBy Kenneth Bergroth and Theresa Repaso-Subang

From the editor De la rédactrice en chef

Guest Column Chroniqueuse invitéeBy Chantal Guay

Chemical News Actualité chimique

Society News Nouvelles des sociétés

ChemfusionBy Joe schwarcz

16

Much has changed since the dawn of water wheels and windmills in human kind’s quest to harness energy. Never before has the demand for alternative power been as fervent as it is in today’s energy-voracious world. In this issue we have created

a bilingual pull-out poster that highlights some cutting-edge ideas — some of them are inge-nious, others are rather unique, a few are flat-out far-fetched — for tapping into new sources of power. In our Q and A we look at the issue of scent-free public places from both sides of the line in the sand: that of the air-quality advocates and that of the fragrance manufac-turers. We then check in on where Canadian companies are in the process for complying with the European Union’s revamped chemical regulations. In our Guest Column, Chantal Guay from Engineers Canada reflects on the latest developments in how — in particular how quickly — the government assesses the credentials of foreign-trained engineers.

I hope you enjoy the read!

Write to the editor at [email protected]

ACCN

ExEcutivE DirEctor/DirEctEur généralRoland Andersson, Mcic

EDitor/réDactricE En chEf Jodi Di Menna, Mcic

graphic DEsignEr/infographistEKrista Leroux

coMMunications ManagEr/ DirEctricE DEs coMMunicationsLucie Frigon

MarkEting ManagEr/ DirEctricE Du MarkEtingBernadette Dacey

staff WritEr/réDactricEAnne Campbell, Mcic

aWarDs anD local sEctions ManagEr/ DirEctricE DEs prix Et DEs sEctions localEsGale Thirlwall

EDitorial BoarD/consEil DE réDactionJoe Schwarcz, Mcic, chair/présidentCathleen Crudden, McicMilena Sejnoha, McicBernard West, Mcic

EDitorial officE/ BurEau DE la réDaction130, rue slater street, suite/bureau 550ottawa, on k1p 6E2t. 613-232-6252 • f./téléc. [email protected] • www.accn.ca

aDvErtising/puBlicité[email protected]

suBscription ratEs/tarifs D’aBonnEMEntnon cic members/non-membres de l’icc : in/au canada can$60; outside/à l’extérieur du canada us$60. single copy/un exemplaire can$10 or us$10.

ACCN (L’Actualité chimique canadienne/Canadian Chemical News) is published 10 times a year by the chemical institute of canada / est publié 10 fois par année par l’institut de chimie du canada. www.cheminst.ca.

recommended by the chemical institute of canada (cic), the canadian society for chemistry (csc), the canadian society for chemical Engineering (cschE), and the canadian society for chemical technology (csct). views expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the institute or of the societies that recommend the magazine.

recommandé par l’institut de chimie du canada, la société canadienne de chimie, la société canadienne de génie chimique et la société canadienne de technologie chimique. les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’institut ou des sociétés qui soutiennent le magazine.

changE of aDDrEss/ changEMEnt D’[email protected]

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indexed in the canadian Business index and available online in the canadian Business and current affairs database. / répertorié dans le canadian Business index et accessible en ligne dans la banque de données canadian Business and current affairs.

issn 0823-5228

ACCN

www.accn.ca

FroM thE EDItor DE lA réDACtrICE EN ChEF

Chemical Institute of Canada

marCh 2010 CANADIAN ChEMICAl NEwS 7

Expediting a Brain Gain

Last November, the federal government implemented the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Credentials. This was to improve the processes in which

foreign-trained professionals such as engineers, architects, accoun-tants and pharmacists have their credentials assessed in Canada before they enter our workforce. Foreign credential recognition is a complex subject, requiring true leadership and partnership.

I believe that the government got it right. The first stage of the two-stage Framework will be implemented for eight occupations, including engineering, by December 2010. Once implemented, it means that foreign-trained workers — who are often faced with long wait times, sometimes several years, for their credentials to be assessed — will be advised if their credentials will be recognized within one year of submit-ting an application.

The engineering profession is ahead of the curve in terms of foreign credential recognition. Currently, it typically takes fewer than six months for international engineering graduates to have their creden-tials assessed. And close to one in five licensed engineers in Canada (out of an approximate total of 160,000) are international engineering graduates, which is important as they can help fill skills gaps that may be present within our profession.

Our work is conducted to manage expectations as most of the misunderstandings surrounding foreign credential recognition can be diminished by offering information on engineering licensure in Canada to potential immigrants before they move to this country. A lot of professions, including engineering, are run differently from country to country. The profession is regulated in Canada and you cannot call yourself an engineer unless you are licensed. Many coun-tries offer undergraduate degrees described as engineering degrees that only make up a portion of the technical requirements of an accredited Canadian engineering degree. Therefore, for public safety, it is essential that only those who meet the profession’s education and experience qualifications be granted licensure.

As such, we have been working over the past six years to ensure that those who are qualified get their qualifications accepted as quickly as

GUESt ColUMN ChroNIqUEUSE INVItéE

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Write to us at [email protected]

possible. As early as 2002, the engineering profession recognized the great potential that international engineering graduates bring to society and to our profession. Engineers Canada, along with our constituent members, the 12 provincial and territorial engineering regulatory bodies, has been working on the Engineers Canada-led From Consideration to Integration program.

We looked at ways to make sure that we are integrating international engineering graduates without compromising public safety. With the intention of developing new processes and improving current processes by which international engineering graduates are able to obtain an engi-neering licence without lowering professional standards, we have been developing tools in support of our constituent members’ activities to better assess foreign qualifications for licensure.

These include language benchmarking tools, simplifying the assessment process using alternative methods of licensure such as a competency-based assessment method, and an international institu-tions and degrees database to increase awareness and understanding of academic qualifications.

Other professions have been working on the issue of foreign credential recognition, with the government now using the models established by the professions in developing the Pan-Canadian Framework.

Our organization looks at this issue as an area for continuous improve-ment. Our objective is to make the credential assessment process as efficient as possible, and the Framework will help push us to continue to be better at what we are doing.

Including the engineering profession in the first group of professions to be implemented within the Framework demonstrates the validity of the work conducted over the past six years by the engineering profession.

Chantal Guay is the chief executive officer of Engineers Canada, the

national organization of the 12 provincial and territorial associations

that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada and license the

country's professional engineers.

By Chantal Guay

ACCN

8 l’ACtUAlIté ChIMIqUE CANADIENNE mars 2010


IndustrIal Briefs SunOpta BioProcess Inc., based in Brampton, Ont. will construct a biofuel pilot plant in southern Ontario with the aid of $5.5 million in federal funding. The facility will demonstrate a process that will produce food-grade xylitol (an artificial sweetener) as well as fuel-grade cellulosic ethanol. The process, which uses woodchips as a feedstock, decreases the consumption of process water by up to 75 per cent of what would be used to produce corn ethanol. The demon-stration plant will have the capacity to produce up to 620 tonnes of xylitol and two million litres of cellulosic ethanol per year.

Environmental Products Inc. of Vancouver weighed in on an American war of words in the biodegradable plastics industry in February. The company manufactures additives to make finished plastic products oxo-biodegradable. Defenders of the bioplastics industry, namely the Bioplastics Council of the Washington-based Society for the Plastics Industry, assert in a recently-released position paper that the claims of proponents of oxo-biodegradable technology are “scientifically unsubstantiated.” To which Environmental Products Inc. responded in a letter-to-the-editor of an American publication “the Bioplastics Council and its European counterpart are inherently biased against competing technologies and they have once again sought to discredit oxo-biodegrad-able plastics technology through their ongoing campaign of misinformation and rumor mongering.” The squabble hinges on the fact that the additives cause plastics to fragment into small pieces rather than biodegrade. Part of Environmental Products Inc.’s counter-argument is that compostability and biodegradability aren’t the same thing. Other organizations have raised concerns that the additives used to make plastics oxo-biodegradable could interfere with the recycling process.

The Master Painters Institute in Vancouver, introduced the “X-Green” (Extreme Green) environmental performance standard in January. The insti-tute already administers Green Performance paint standards which is the green paint and coatings certification required by the Canadian and American governments. The new X-Green standard is intended to simplify the process of specifying environmentally-safe interior high-quality architectural coatings by establishing green paint categories. Requirements for the certification are related to improved indoor air quality, environmental safety and the durability required to promote sustainable building practices.

The Canadian government is collaborating with RSDecon, a business of American company, Bracco Diagnostics Inc., to research possible industrial applications for Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL), which was developed by the Canadian armed forces in the 1980s. The original intent of the lotion was to decontaminate skin after exposure to chemical warfare agents and T-2 toxin. The Canadian Department of National Defence and Defence Research and Development Canada, who were involved with the original development of RSDL, will work with the company to evaluate the chemical’s ability to neutralize or remove specific toxic industrial chemicals and will verify its safety and effectiveness as a decontaminant for a variety of industrial chemi-cals and solvents.

The Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association changed their name to the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada in January. ACCN

ChEMICAl NEwS ACtUAlIté ChIMIqUE

Fountain of Youth Discovered at the Drug Store Researchers at McMaster University have developed a cocktail of ingredients that forestalls major aspects of the aging process.

“As we all eventually learn, aging diminishes our mind, fades our perception of the world and compromises our phys-ical capacity,” says David Rollo, associate professor of biology at McMaster. “Declining physical activity — think of grandpar-ents versus toddlers — is one of the most reliable expressions of ageing and is also a good indicator of obesity and general mortality risk.”

The study found that a complex dietary supplement powerfully offsets this key symptom of ageing in old mice by increasing the activity of the cellular furnaces that supply energy — or mitochon-dria — and by reducing emissions from these furnaces — or free radicals — that are thought to be the basic cause of aging itself.

Most of the primary causes of human mortality and decline are strongly correlated with age and free-radical processes, including heart disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, many cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Successful intervention into the aging process could consequently prevent or forestall all of these.

Using bagel bits soaked in the supplement to ensure consis-tent and accurate dosing, the formula maintained youthful levels of locomotor activity into old-age whereas old mice that were not given the supplement showed a 50 per cent loss in daily movement, a similar dramatic loss in the activity of the cellular furnaces that make our energy, and declines in brain signaling chemicals relevant to locomotion. This builds on the team’s find-ings that the supplement extends longevity, prevents cognitive declines, and protects mice from radiation.

Ingredients consist of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in aging.

For Rollo, the results go beyond simply prolonging the lifespan.

“For aging humans maintaining zestful living into later years may provide greater social and economic benefits than simply extending years of likely decrepitude,” he says. “This study obtained a truly remarkable extension of physical function in old mice, far greater than the respectable extension of longevity that we previously documented. This holds great promise for extending the quality of life or ‘health span’ of humans.”

Development of new and hopefully more effective supple-ments is ongoing.

McMaster University


2010 SCI Canada Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner

Day and TimeThursday, March 25, 2010Networking Reception at 18:00 Dinner and Presentations at 19:00

LocationHyatt Regency Toronto, 370 King Street West, Toronto,

Awards and WinnersCanada Medal: David Dolphin, O.C.International Award: Gerry SullivanKalev Pugi Medal: Elizabeth EdwardsPurvis Memorial Award: Joe SchwarczJulia Levy Award: Paul Santerre

Visit www.cheminst.ca/sci_awards to attend the event and for more information.

Canada

Continuing Education for Chemical Professionals

Laboratory Safety course

The Chemical Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society for Chemical technology are

presenting a two-day course designed

to enhance the knowledge and working

experience of chemical technologists and

chemists. All course participants receive

the CIC’s Laboratory Health and Safety

Guidelines, 4th edition. This course is

intended for those whose responsibilities

include improving the operational safety

of chemical laboratories, managing

laboratories, chemical plants or research

facilities, conducting safety audits of

laboratories and chemical plants. During

the course, participants are provided with

an integrated overview of current best

practices in laboratory safety.

2010 ScheduleMay 31– June 1, 2010Toronto, ONOctober 4 –5, 2010Calgary, AB

registration fees$550 CIC members$750 non-members$150 student members

For more information about the course and locations, and to access the registration form, visit: www.cheminst.ca/profdev



Metro toronto Convention Centre toroNto, oN • MAY 29–JUNE 2, 2010

Canadian Society for Chemistry

Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) presents the Spring 2010 CIC Career Fair at the93rd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition

www.csc2010.ca

quantum Mechanics a Cinch for AlgaeA team of University of Toronto chemists have made a major contribution to the emerging field of quantum biology, observing quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis in marine algae.

“There’s been a lot of excitement and spec-ulation that nature may be using quantum mechanical practices,” says chemistry professor Greg Scholes, lead author of a new study published in February in Nature. “Our latest experiments show that normally func-tioning biological systems have the capacity to use quantum mechanics in order to opti-mize a process as essential to their survival as photosynthesis.”

Special proteins called light-harvesting complexes are used in photosynthesis to capture sunlight and funnel its energy to nature’s solar cells — other proteins known as reaction centres. Scholes and his colleagues isolated light-harvesting complexes from two different species of marine algae and studied their function under natural temperature conditions using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy.

“We stimulated the proteins with femto-second laser pulses to mimic the absorption of sunlight,” explains Scholes. “This enabled

us to monitor the subsequent processes, including the movement of energy between special molecules bound in the protein, against a stop-clock. We were astonished to find clear evidence of long-lived quantum mechanical states involved in moving the energy. Our result suggests that the energy of absorbed light resides in two places at once — a quantum superposition state, or coherence — and such a state lies at the heart of quantum mechanical theory.”

“This and other recent discoveries have captured the attention of researchers for several reasons,” says Scholes. “First, it means that quantum mechanical probability laws can prevail over the classical laws of kinetics in this complex biological system, even at normal temperatures. The energy can thereby flow efficiently by counter intuitively traversing several alternative paths through the antenna proteins simultaneously. It also raises some other potentially fascinating questions, such as, have these organisms developed quantum-mechanical strategies for light-harvesting to gain an evolutionary advantage? It suggests that algae knew about quantum mechanics nearly two billion years before humans,” says Scholes.

University of Toronto

Magnetic AppealUsing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as a catalyst for carbon-carbon bond forming reac-tions is desirable for industrial chemists not only because it’s effective and efficient, but also because it’s environmentally friendly. In January, McGill University’s Chao-Jun Li and his colleagues were able to demonstrate that the nanoparticles could be used directly as magnetically-recoverable catalysts for organic reactions. The particles can be recovered, washed and reused up to twelve times, offering the possibility for industry to reduce the use of expensive and toxic heavy metals. Though immobilized or supported iron oxide nanopar-ticles have been used as catalysts before, applying them without modification is rare. The team demonstrated the process by synthe-sizing proparglyamines, which are important medicinal chemistry intermediates. The ease of separating the iron oxide nanoparticles for the reaction mixture is key. Li describes it as “use a magnet and pull them out.” More precisely, iron oxide sticks to the magnetic stirring bar and is easily pulled out. As well as being reusable, the process helps to avoid complicated and expensive methods of separating catalysts like filtration and centrifuging. It is expected that the widespread industrial application of these types of catalysts is imminent.

Spring 2010 CIC Career Fair


The Chemical Institute of Canada Medal is presented as a mark of distinction and recognition to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the science of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada . Sponsored by the Chemical Institute of Canada. Award: A silver medal and travel expenses.

The Environment Division research and Development Award is presented to a scientist or engineer residing in Canada who has made distinguished contributions to research and/or development in the fields of environmental chemistry or environmental chemical engineering. Sponsored by the CIC Environment Division.Award: A framed scroll, cash prize and travel expenses.

The Montréal Medal is presented as a mark of distinction and honour to a resident in Canada who has shown significant leadership in or has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. In determining the eligibility for nominations for the award, administrative contributions

within the Chemical Institute of Canada and other professional organizations that contribute to the advancement of the professions of chemistry and chemical engineering shall be given due consideration. Contributions to the sciences of chemistry and chemical engineering are not to be considered. Sponsored by the Montréal CIC Local Section. Award: A medal and travel expenses.

The Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award is presented to an individual who, while residing in Canada, has made a distinguished contribution to macromolecular science or engineering. Sponsored by NOVA Chemicals Ltd. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize, and travel expenses.

The CIC Award for Chemical Education is presented as a mark of recognition to a person who has made an outstanding contribution in Canada to education at the post-secondary level in the field of chemistry or chemical engineering . Sponsored by the CIC Chemical Education Fund.Award: A framed scroll and a cash prize.

2011AwArDSChemical Institute of Canada Nominations are now open for the

Do you know an outstanding person who deserves to be recognized? Act now!

DeadlinesThe deadline for all CIC awards is July 2, 2010 for the 2011 selection.

Nomination ProcedureSubmit your nominations to: Awards Manager Chemical Institute of Canada 130 Slater Street, Suite 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 T. 613-232-6252, ext. 223 F. 613-232-5862 [email protected] Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for these awards are available at www.cheminst.ca/awards.

Chemical Insititue of Canada


InTernATIonAl WIre

In Illinois, scientists trained oil droplets to navigate through complex postage stamp-sized

mazes — not unlike a lab rat — by creating a pH gradient between the start and finish. The work

has important implications for a wide range of applications including helping cancer drugs hit the

right target and guiding the movement of nanomachines. The mazes were infused with an alkaline

solution and a strongly acidic gel was placed at the exit. Weakly-acidic oil droplets were placed at the

entrance to the maze. The convective flows developed in the oil droplets as a result of the different

pH levels propelled the droplets along the gradient towards the exit. new anti-cancer drugs could

potentially be designed after the same model, in which they move along acid-based gradients from

healthy cells to more-acidic cancer cells.

In Munich, a team of researchers has formulated a simple model that can predict the patterns

formed by self-organizing molecules. Using statistical physics combined with detailed simulations

from images obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), the group was able to predict a

variety of patterns that matched with experimental observations of molecules that are capable

of arranging themselves in specific patterns on surfaces. Functionalized surfaces, such as those

required in molecular electronics, sensor applications, catalysis and photovoltaic components, rely

on self-organizing molecules but predicting and controlling the process has, until now, been an

impossible feat.

In Japan, researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a self-repairing hydrogel that

could be a step towards new alternatives to plastics. The recipe calls for a few grams of clay,

100 grams of water, a dash of the thickening agent sodium polyacrylate and an organic “molecular

glue.” The clay is spread into thin sheets by the thickening agent, allowing the glue to get a better

hold. The result is a transparent and elastic hydrogel with mechanical strength enough to create

a self-standing bridge 3.5 centimetres wide. The key is the supramolecular forces acting between

the clay nanosheets, combined with the strength of the glue. Since, unlike other hydrogels, this

one does not rely on covalent bonds for its strength, it can easily self-repair by reforming any failed

supramolecular forces. Polymer scientists are impressed with the simplicity of the material and its

exceptional physical properties.

In England, scientists at the University of oxford have found a way to convert captured carbon

dioxide into methanol for use as fuel, rather than squandering it in underground storage. The tech-

nique uses the lewis acid tris(pentafluorophenyl) borane and the lewis base tetramethylpiperidine

that have been modified to be too large to get close enough to form an adduct (lewis bases, which

carry a lone pair of electrons, can bond with lewis acids to form molecules called adducts). Because

the molecules can’t react, they become “frustrated,” creating a reactive situation. enter hydrogen

gas into the fray and the agitated molecules tear apart the hydrogen atoms and bond with them.

The acid and hydrogen ion form a boron-hydrogen bond which then breaks apart stable carbon

dioxide which further reacts with hydrogen to form methanol and water. The process can be done

at the relatively low temperature of 160 degrees Celsius and standard pressure. Since the process is

carbon-dioxide specific (the lewis pair don’t react with carbon monoxide) it could prove valuable in

industrial applications. ACCN


From their perspective

“Internationally, Canada is said to have all the key ingredi-ents to make it a global leader in the chemicals industry. However, the country seems to be missing the mark in converting that raw talent into widespread success and international recognition. Very rarely do we hear about Canada’s chemical industry, and when it does manage to make it into the news it is seldom big news … It seems the problem is innovation, or rather the lack of it. The transi-tion from the vibrant research base to profitable industry projects seems to be a sticking point for the country. Many blame it on the government, whom they accuse of, among other things, not having a clear vision or policies that attract new business.”

Bibiana Campos Seijo, editor of Chemistry World, the maga-zine of the Royal Society of Chemistry based in London, England, in an editorial written for the February 2010 “Canada” issue. The Conference Board of Canada recently ranked Canada a dishear tening four teenth out of seventeen peer coun-tries for the nation’s innovation performance; in other words, how well Canada successfully commercializes its scientific and technological discoveries into products and services.

What do you think of Seijo's comments?

Write to us at [email protected] ACCN



2011AwArDSNominations are now open for the

Do you know an outstanding person who deserves to be recognized? Act now!

The rio tinto Alcan Award is presented to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution in the fields of inorganic chemistry or electrochemistry while working in Canada. Sponsored by Rio Tinto Alcan. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The Alfred Bader Award is presented as a mark of distinction and recognition for excellence in research in organic chemistry by a chemist who is currently working in Canada. Sponsored by Alfred Bader, HFCIC.Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The Strem Chemicals Award for Pure or Applied Inorganic Chemistry is presented to a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant who has made an outstanding contribution to inorganic chemistry while working in Canada, and who is within ten years of his or her first professional appointment as an independent researcher in an academic, government , or industrial sector. Sponsored by Strem Chemicals Inc. Award: A framed scroll and travel expenses for a lecture tour.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Award is presented to a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant whose PhD thesis in the field of organic or bioorganic chemistry was formally accepted by a Canadian university in the 12-month period preceding the nomination deadline of July 2 and whose doctoral research is judged to be of outstanding quality. Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The Clara Benson Award is presented in recognition of a distinguished contribution to chemistry by a woman while working in Canada. Sponsored by the Canadian Council of University Chemistry Chairs (CCUCC).

Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The Maxxam Award is presented to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution in the field of analytical chemistry while working in Canada . Sponsored by Maxxam Analytics Inc. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The r. U. lemieux Award is presented to an organic chemist who has made a distinguished contribution to any area of organic chemistry and who is currently working in Canada. Sponsored by the Organic Chemistry Division. Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The Merck Frosst Centre for therapeutic research Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada, who shall not have reached the age of 40 years by April 1 of the year of nomination and who has made a distinguished contribution in the fields of organic chemistry or biochemistry while working in Canada. Sponsored by Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize and travel expenses.

The Bernard Belleau Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of medicinal chemistry through research involving biochemical or organic chemical mechanisms. Sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb Canada Co.Award: A framed scroll and a cash prize.

The John C. Polanyi Award is presented to a scientist for excellence in research in physical, theoretical or computational chemistry or chemical physics carried out in Canada. Sponsored by the Physical, Theoretical and Computational Division.Award: A framed scroll.

The Fred Beamish Award is presented to an individual who demonstrates innovation in research in the field of analytical chemistry, where the research is anticipated to have significant potential for practical applications. The award is open to new faculty members at a Canadian university. They must be recent graduates with six years of appointment. Sponsored by Eli Lilly Canada Inc.Award: A framed scroll, a cash prize, and travel expenses.

The Keith laidler Award is presented to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution in the field of physical chem-istry while working in Canada . The award recognizes early achievement in the awardee ’s independent research career. Sponsored by the Physical, Theoretical and Computational Division.Award: A framed scroll. The w. A. E. McBryde Medal is presented to a young scientist working in Canada who has made a significant achievement in pure or applied analytical chemistry. Sponsored by MDS Analytical Technologies.Award: A medal and a cash prize.

DeadlineThe deadline for all CSC awards is July 2, 2010 for the 2011 selection.

Nomination Procedure Submit your nominations to: Awards Manager Canadian Society for Chemistry 130 Slater Street, Suite 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 T. 613-232-6252, ext. 223F. 613-232-5862 [email protected]

Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for these awards are available at www.chemistry.ca/awards.


Électricité déguisée en lierreL’art et la technologie s’unissent pour créer un faux lierre com

posé de cellules solaires et éoliennes qui s’accroche aux parois des im

meubles. Conçu par une entreprise de N

ew York afin de capturer les rayons solaires

à un angle oblique (et pas uniquement à 90 degrés com

me l’exigent la plupart des panneaux solaires installés

sur un toit), le lierre fonctionne plus longtemps chaque jour. Les « feuilles » sont fabriquées à 100 %

de polyé-thylène recyclable contenant de m

inces cellules photovoltaïques. Dans sa form

e éolienne, des générateurs de

La nécessité est la mère de l’invention, et les inventions les plus spectaculaires ont débuté par une idée

pigée aux confins de la science et de l’ingénierie. Dans notre em

pressement à découvrir des com

bustibles non fossiles, nous ne som

mes lim

ités que par notre imagination : voici quelques concepts hors norm

es qui cherchent à repousser cette lim

ite.

Se chauffer au vin

En Ontario, certains foyers reçoivent de l’énergie des raisins et d’autres m

atières organiques. StormFisher Biogas, une entreprise de Toronto,

et Inniskillin Wines, un vignoble de N

iagara, collaborent à un processus de digestion anaérobie afin de décomposer les sous-produits du

raisin, notamm

ent la pellicule et les pépins, produisant ainsi du méthane qui fournit de l’électricité aux m

aisons de la région de Niagara.

Autant en em

porte le ventSi seulem

ent il y avait un moyen de capturer l’énergie du vent et de la rendre constante. L’énergie éolienne en

altitude est propre et apparemm

ent sans limite, et voilà que les Italiens ont conçu un parc éolien à base de cerfs-

volants en vue de la canaliser. Des cerfs-volants ultra légers s’élèvent de 800 à 1 000 m

ètres au-dessus du sol, faisant tourner une structure circulaire et activant des alternateurs géants. D

es évaluations indiquent qu’avec un diam

ètre de 1 600 mètres, il est possible de générer un gigaw

att d’énergie.

Électricité déguisée en lierreL’art et la technologie s’unissent pour créer un faux lierre com

posé de cellules solaires et éoliennes qui s’accroche aux parois des im

meubles. Conçu par une entreprise de N

ew York afin de capturer les rayons solaires

à un angle oblique (et pas uniquement à 90 degrés com

me l’exigent la plupart des panneaux solaires installés

sur un toit), le lierre fonctionne plus longtemps chaque jour. Les « feuilles » sont fabriquées à 100 %

de polyé-thylène recyclable contenant de m

inces cellules photovoltaïques. Dans sa form

e éolienne, des générateurs de

Les énergies m

arginales

ChEMICAl ENGINEErING: enerGy

ChEMICAl ENGINEErING: enerGy

Nec

essi

ty b

reed

s in

vent

ion,

and

som

e of

the

grea

test

inve

ntio

ns b

egin

wit

h an

idea

from

the

frin

ges

of

scie

nce

and

engi

neer

ing.

In th

e ru

sh to

har

ness

non

-fos

sil-f

uel f

orm

s of

ene

rgy,

soc

iety

is li

mit

ed o

nly

by th

e im

agin

atio

n of

its

inno

vato

rs: h

ere

are

som

e off

-the

-wal

l con

cept

s th

at p

ush

that

lim

it.

Wat

ts fr

om W

ine

In O

ntar

io, h

omes

hav

e be

gun

to b

e po

wer

ed b

y gr

apes

and

oth

er o

rgan

ic m

atte

r. To

ront

o-ba

sed

com

pany

Sto

rmFi

sher

Bio

gas

and

Nia

gara

win

ery

Inni

skill

in W

ines

hav

e te

amed

up

usin

g an

ana

erob

ic d

iges

tion

proc

ess

to d

ecom

pose

gra

pe b

ypro

duct

s

com

pris

ed o

f gra

pe s

kin

and

seed

s, p

rodu

cing

met

hane

gas

whi

ch w

ill p

rovi

de e

lect

rici

ty to

pow

er h

omes

in th

e N

iaga

ra re

gion

.

Flyi

ng H

igh

If on

ly th

ere

wer

e so

me

way

to h

arne

ss w

ind

ener

gy a

nd m

ake

it co

nsis

tent

. Hig

h-al

titud

e w

ind

ener

gy is

cle

an a

nd,

seem

ingl

y, e

ndle

ssly

ava

ilabl

e. N

ow It

alia

n re

sear

cher

s hav

e de

sign

ed a

kite

-far

m to

cha

nnel

it. U

ltra-

light

kite

s fly

at 8

00 to

1,0

00 m

etre

s abo

ve th

e gr

ound

, spi

nnin

g a

caro

usel

and

act

ivat

ing

larg

e-sc

ale

alte

rnat

ors.

Eva

luat

ions

su

gges

t tha

t, w

ith a

dia

met

er o

f 1,6

00 m

etre

s, o

ne G

igaw

att o

f ene

rgy

can

be g

ener

ated

.

Ivy

Pow

erA

rt m

eets

tech

nolo

gy w

hen

sola

r and

win

d ce

lls d

isgu

ised

as i

vy fl

ank

the

side

s of b

uild

ings

. Des

igne

d by

a N

ew Y

ork

com

pany

to c

aptu

re th

e su

n’s r

ays a

t obl

ique

ang

les —

not

just

at 9

0 de

gree

s as m

ost

roof

-top

sola

r pan

els r

equi

re —

the

ivy

wor

ks fo

r muc

h lo

nger

per

iods

of t

ime

durin

g th

e da

y. T

he

“lea

ves”

are

mad

e of

100

per

cen

t rec

ycla

ble

poly

ethy

lene

with

thin

pho

tovo

ltaic

sola

r cel

ls. I

n th

e w

ind

vers

ion,

pie

zo g

ener

ator

s are

laye

red

amon

g th

e le

aves

to c

aptu

re th

e en

ergy

in th

e m

ovin

g ai

r. Th

e hi

gh-t

ech

vine

s als

o se

rved

as a

n ex

hibi

t at N

ew Y

ork

City

’s M

useu

m o

f Mod

ern

Art

in th

e sp

ring

of 2

008.

Ener

gy

on

the F

ring

e

Oce

an P

lum

bers

The

aero

spac

e en

gine

erin

g co

mpa

ny L

ockh

eed

Mar

tin re

cent

ly b

uilt

a fib

regl

ass

pipe

whi

ch th

ey p

lan

on “i

nsta

lling

” in

the

ocea

n. K

now

n as

Oce

an T

herm

al E

nerg

y Co

nver

sion

(OTE

C), t

heir

pla

n is

to ta

ke a

dvan

tage

of t

he te

mpe

ratu

re

diffe

renc

e be

twee

n th

e se

a su

rfac

e an

d th

e flo

or. T

he w

arm

sur

face

wat

er w

ill b

ring

a li

quid

with

a lo

w b

oilin

g po

int

(like

am

mon

ia) t

o bo

il, w

hich

will

cre

ate

a ga

s w

ith e

noug

h pr

essu

re to

dri

ve a

pow

er-g

ener

atin

g tu

rbin

e. M

akin

g th

e pr

oces

s co

mpl

etel

y re

new

able

, the

fibr

egla

ss p

ipe

will

pum

p co

ld w

ater

from

dee

p in

the

ocea

n w

hich

will

be

used

to

cool

the

gas.

The

gas

will

then

con

dens

e ba

ck to

liqu

id to

be

used

aga

in, j

ust a

s th

e co

ld w

ater

is re

turn

ed to

the

ocea

n.

The

plan

is to

hav

e flo

atin

g O

TEC

plan

ts th

at w

ill u

se s

ubm

arin

e ca

bles

to s

end

the

elec

tric

ity

to a

n on

-sho

re g

rid.

Text

by

Ann

e Ca

mpb

ell

Ivy

Pow

erA

rt m

eets

tech

nolo

gy w

hen

sola

r and

win

d ce

lls d

isgu

ised

as i

vy fl

ank

the

side

s of b

uild

ings

. Des

igne

d by

a N

ew Y

ork

com

pany

to c

aptu

re th

e su

n’s r

ays a

t obl

ique

ang

les —

not

just

at 9

0 de

gree

s as m

ost

roof

-top

sola

r pan

els r

equi

re —

the

ivy

wor

ks fo

r muc

h lo

nger

per

iods

of t

ime

durin

g th

e da

y. T

he

“lea

ves”

are

mad

e of

100

per

cen

t rec

ycla

ble

poly

ethy

lene

with

thin

pho

tovo

ltaic

sola

r cel

ls. I

n th

e w

ind

vers

ion,

pie

zo g

ener

ator

s are

laye

red

amon

g th

e le

aves

to c

aptu

re th

e en

ergy

in th

e m

ovin

g ai

r. Th

e hi

gh-t

ech

vine

s als

o se

rved

as a

n ex

hibi

t at N

ew Y

ork

City

’s M

useu

m o

f Mod

ern

Art

in th

e sp

ring

of 2

008.

Hea

t Und

er O

ur F

eet

Geo

ther

mal

ene

rgy

som

etim

es se

ems t

oo g

ood

to b

e tr

ue. T

he G

eoth

erm

al E

nerg

y A

ssoc

iatio

n of

Was

hing

ton ,

D

.C. e

stim

ated

that

ther

e is

eno

ugh

geot

herm

al e

nerg

y in

the

Uni

ted

Stat

es to

pow

er th

e en

tire

coun

try

2,00

0 tim

es o

ver.

The

trou

ble

is th

at it

’s tr

appe

d be

neat

h se

vera

l kilo

met

res o

f roc

k. A

new

dev

elop

men

t cal

led

En-

hanc

ed G

eoth

erm

al S

yste

ms (

EGS)

pro

duce

s pow

er b

y m

akin

g th

e m

ost o

f nat

ural

ly-h

eate

d ro

cks n

ear t

he

surf

ace.

Wat

er is

stor

ed in

und

ergr

ound

rese

rvoi

rs a

nd in

ject

ed in

to th

e fr

actu

red

rock

s. It

hea

ts u

p as

it c

ircu-

late

s and

is th

en p

umpe

d ba

ck to

the

surf

ace

and

pass

ed th

roug

h a

heat

exc

hang

er to

gen

erat

e el

ectr

icity

. At

th

e G

eyse

rs in

Cal

iforn

ia (p

ictu

red

at ri

ght)

, the

cap

acity

of t

he u

nder

grou

nd re

serv

oirs

has

bee

n ex

pand

ed b

y in

ject

ing

mill

ions

of g

allo

ns o

f rec

laim

ed w

aste

wat

er, m

akin

g it

one

of th

e la

rges

t geo

ther

mal

fiel

ds in

the

wor

ld.

All

the

Sun’

s En

ergy

on

Eart

hA

ccor

ding

to th

e Sp

ace

Sola

r Alli

ance

for F

utur

e En

ergy

, the

futu

re in

volv

es a

sate

llite

with

ki

lom

etre

-wid

e so

lar p

anel

s in

geos

ynch

roni

zed

orbi

t tha

t will

har

ness

the

sun’

s ene

rgy

and

emit

it ba

ck to

Ear

th. O

n Ea

rth,

the

ener

gy w

ill b

e re

ceiv

ed a

nd c

onve

rted

into

a u

sabl

e fo

rm —

5 to

10

meg

awat

ts o

f ele

ctric

ity th

at w

ill p

ower

a sm

all t

own.

The

U.S

. Nat

iona

l Se

curit

y Sp

ace

Offi

ce h

as fu

nded

this

$10

-bill

ion-

dolla

r pro

ject

and

it is

exp

ecte

d th

at th

is

sola

r-po

wer

sate

llite

will

be

in o

rbit

by 2

017.

Com

mut

er C

urre

ntPo

wer

-gen

erat

ing

tiles

hav

e be

en in

stal

led

in tw

o of

Toky

o’s b

usie

st su

bway

stat

ions

. The

tile

s are

con

stru

cted

of

she

ets

of ru

bber

that

abs

orb

vibr

atio

ns c

reat

ed fr

om p

asse

nger

s’ fo

otst

eps.

The

se v

ibra

tions

are

sto

red

as

ener

gy in

cap

acito

rs. A

n av

erag

e pe

rson

will

take

two

step

s acr

oss a

tile

in o

ne se

cond

and

will

gen

erat

e 0.

1 w

att

of e

nerg

y. M

ultip

ly th

at b

y th

e 40

0,00

0 pe

ople

who

pas

s th

roug

h th

e la

rge

Toky

o st

atio

n ev

ery

day

and

you

get

enou

gh e

nerg

y to

ligh

t up

the

elec

tron

ic s

ignb

oard

s, li

ghtin

g an

d tic

ket g

ates

. Mea

nwhi

le, i

n su

bway

sta

tions

in

Lon

don,

Eng

land

, an

arch

itect

ure

firm

has

des

igne

d hy

drau

lic g

ener

ator

s to

be

hidd

en u

nder

neat

h th

e flo

or

boar

ds to

gen

erat

e en

ergy

from

the

mot

ion

of f

oots

teps

. The

firm

is a

ntic

ipat

ing

that

eac

h fo

otst

ep c

ould

pr

oduc

e th

ree

to fi

ve w

atts

of e

nerg

y, w

hich

cou

ld h

elp

pow

er th

e st

atio

n lig

hts.

ACCN

Plombiers de l’océan

L’entreprise de génie aérospatial Lockheed Martin a récem

ment construit un tuyau de fibre de verre qu’elle prévoit « installer » dans l’océan.

Baptisé Conversion de l’énergie thermique de l’océan (O

TEC), le procédé prévoit prendre avantage de la différence de température entre la

surface et le plancher océanique. La chaleur de la surface peut faire bouillir un liquide à point d’ébullition bas (comm

e l’amm

oniac),ce qui crée un gaz ayant suffi

samm

ent de pression pour actionner une turbine et produire de l’électricité. Le tuyau de fibre de verre pompera de

l’eau froide du fond de l’océan, qui refroidira le gaz et rendra ce procédé entièrement renouvelable. L’eau froide provoquera la condensation

du gaz qui redeviendra liquide et pourra être utilisé de nouveau , alors que l’eau froide sera retournée à l’océan. L’objectif consiste à installer des usines O

TEC munies de câbles sous-m

arins qui transporteront l’électricité vers le réseau sur la terre ferme.

Texte d’Anne Cam

pbell

piézoélectricité sont posés en couches parmi les feuilles afin de capturer l’énergie de l’air circulé. Les vignes

haute technologie ont été exposées au Musée d’art m

oderne de la ville de New

York au printemps 2008.

La chaleur sous nos piedsL’énergie géotherm

ique semble parfois trop parfaite pour être vraie. La G

eothermal Energy A

ssociation de Washington (D

C) estim

e qu’il existe suffisam

ment d’énergie géotherm

ique pour alimenter 2 000 fois la totalité des États-U

nis. La difficulté

est que cette énergie est emprisonnée sous plusieurs kilom

ètres de roc. Un développem

ent récent appelé « systèmes

géothermiques am

éliorés » produit de l’électricité en profitant de la chaleur naturelle des roches près de la surface terrestre . D

e l’eau emm

agasinée dans des réservoirs souterrains est injectée dans les roches fracturées et se réchauffe pendant qu’elle circule. U

ne pompe la ram

ène à la surface et la fait traverser un échangeur thermique qui génère de l’électricité.

Au site The G

eysers en Californie (photo ci-dessus), la capacité des réservoirs souterrains a été augmentée par l’injection

de millions de gallons d’eau usée récupérée, faisant de The G

eysers la centrale géothermique la plus puissante au m

onde.

Toute l’énergie du soleil sur terreSelon la Space Solar A

lliance for Future Energy, l’avenir verra la création d’un satellite muni de

panneaux solaires larges d’un kilomètre chacun, placé en orbite géosynchrone, qui capturera

l’énergie du soleil et la transmettra à la terre. Sur terre, cette énergie sera réceptionnée et

convertie en une forme utilisable – de 5 à 10 m

égawatts d’électricité, suffi

sants pour alimenter

une petite ville. Ce projet de 10 milliards de dollars a été financé par le U

.S. National Security

Space Offi

ce et on s’attend à ce que ce satellite solaire soit en position d’ici 2017.

Électricité générée par les utilisateurs du métro

Des tuiles génératrices d’énergie ont été installées dans deux des stations de m

étro les plus fréquentées de Tokyo. Ces tuiles sont fabriquées de feuilles de caoutchouc qui absorbent les vibrations créées par les pas des passagers et les em

magasinent

dans des condensateurs d’énergie. En moyenne chaque personne fait deux pas par seconde sur une tuile, générant ainsi

0,1 watt d’énergie. En m

ultipliant ce facteur par les 400 000 personnes qui traversent l’imm

ense station de métro de Tokyo

chaque jour on obtient suffisam

ment d’énergie pour alim

enter les affiches électroniques, l’éclairage et les guichets. Par ailleurs,

dans les stations de métro de Londres, en A

ngleterre, un cabinet d’architectes a conçu des génératrices hydrauliques qui seront cachées sous les planchers et produiront de l’énergie à partir du m

ouvement des pas des voyageurs. L’entreprise estim

e que chaque pas pourrait produit de 3 à 5 w

atts d’énergie, ce qui pourrait alimenter l’éclairage de la station.

ACCN


piézoélectricité sont posés en couches parmi les feuilles afin de capturer l’énergie de l’air circulé. Les vignes

haute technologie ont été exposées au Musée d’art m

oderne de la ville de New

York au printemps 2008.


ChEMIStrY: CosmetiCs

ACCN: Do you think perfumes are becoming taboo?

B.M.: Taboo might be a strong word but I think that it is increasingly evident that many places are restricting fragrances. I think we’re far beyond total acceptance, on the road to taboo.

ACCN: Is this a good thing?

B.M.: I think that it is a good thing because some people are having health effects from these exposures.

ACCN: Are fragrances dangerous?

B.M.: They are dangerous to some people. Not to everybody. Risk depends on a variety of factors like having a genetic predisposition to sensitivity and elevated exposures to other pollutants. But to those people who are sensitive to fragrances, it can be life-threatening.

ACCN: how would you rank the health impacts of fragrances in public places next to other risks, like second-hand smoke, for example?

B.M.: I think you need to put it in this perspective: It’s more impor-tant perhaps than second-hand smoke to that individual who is highly sensitive to some of the chemicals in the fragrances. From a popu-lation health point of view, I would say second-hand smoke is far more important.

Q & a with Barbara macKinnon and mike pattonAQ

&FrAgrAncE FEUd

what’s behind the big stink over perfumes in public places?

ACCN: Do you think perfumes are becoming taboo?

M.P.: No. The research has shown that it’s very rarely personal care products scents that have been causing problems, but more likely to be just general air quality concerns and so [the push for scent-free spaces] has fallen out of favour more recently.

ACCN: Do you think that it has disappeared entirely?

M.P.: No, there are still some people who continue to have concerns.

ACCN: Are fragrances dangerous?

M.P.: If there is any ingredient in any one of our products that could potentially cause a health risk, Health Canada would not permit it to be sold in Canada. Studies have shown that it’s very often just naturally occurring air quality that is the problem. Some people for example will get a legitimate allergic reaction to a bouquet of flowers.

ACCN: Advocates for scent-free public spaces suggest that for some people fragrances are more dangerous than second-hand smoke. how would you respond to that?

M.P.: I haven’t seen any data that shows that fragrances are in any way inherently dangerous and if there was, Health Canada would deal with the individual substance.

In February, a high-school girl in Conception Bay, Nfld. was rushed to hospital when a severe allergic reaction to a classmate’s perfume made it difficult for her to breathe. Advocacy groups have been pushing for scent-free public spaces for years, arguing that the chemicals used to create fragrances — including benzenes, aldehydes and phthalates — can cause serious, even life-threatening, symptoms in some people. The

heavily-regulated cosmetics industry says they’d never be allowed to put anything in perfumes that could make them dangerous. ACCN spoke with Barbara MacKinnon, vice chair of the Canadian Lung Association’s environmental issues working group and Mike Patton, spokesperson for the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association to get both sides of the story.

Mike Patton of the Canadian Cosmetic, toiletry and Fragrance Association

Barbara MacKinnon of the Canadian lung Association


ACCN: Do you see a downside to having scent-free public places?

B.M.: I can’t think of any. I can’t see any reason why it would have a negative impact at all except on the fragrance manufacturing companies.

ACCN: what would you say to the people formulating and manufacturing fragrances?

B.M.: I would advise them to keep a close eye on what’s happening with the Chemical Management Plan [which is] screening a wide diversity of chemicals for their risk level for the Canadian population. Some of those chemicals may be in fragrances so they should make sure that they comply with the increasing recommendations of that process. The second thing is that they have to label their products appropriately so that consumers are well-advised of what is in them. We’re on a continuum now of increasing vigilance, increasing evidence and increasing restriction for scents. So if I was a manufacturing company and fragrance was one of my products, I would consider moving my market share over to something else.

ACCN: Is there a way to formulate fragrances where they wouldn’t be harmful?

B.M.: I don’t think so because, I’ll come back to my earlier state-ment, for a few people, these fragrances are harmful. [Sensitivity to specific chemicals varies] from person to person. So even if you took out the chemicals that were known through scientific study to be harmful at a population level, you wouldn’t be able to extract all of the ones that have harm only for a few people. For those few, you wouldn’t be able to protect them. When you do population studies, it’s very hard to pull out evidence from a few people who are sensi-tive. And then you get into a discussion, well, where does ethics and morality lie in terms of these chemicals? Do we want to protect every last person, do we only need to protect 10 per cent, do we need to protect 100 per cent? I don’t think that’s the question that we’re talking about here because I can’t answer that. But you can’t make [fragrances] safe for all people.

ACCN: Fragrance manufacturers might say that there’s no scientific evidence to support limiting fragrances outright. how would you respond?

B.M.: For one thing, the industrial side of this argument always says this and they tend to stress the importance of limited hard core scientific evidence and to discount some scientific studies that show hazard in slightly different formats of these chemicals and so on. So they draw the line in their commentary in a different place than the Lung Association and other organizations because we use precaution more often than the industry will. I’ve dealt for many years with good and not-so-good industrial representatives who have quite frankly a job to do to protect their market share. Organizations like ours have a job to do to protect the health of Canadians.

ACCN: Is there any downside to scent-free public places? Do we need fragrance?

M.P.: It would be very difficult to enforce, for one. Secondly, how do you eliminate all smells? Is it reasonable to say that you should no longer be allowed to use a certain kind of shampoo because it contains fragrance? Bearing in mind that scent-free products tend to be the same products with a masking agent that renders the [natural] smell undetectable.

ACCN: what would you say to organizations like the lung Association, for example, who are advocating for fragrance-free public places?

M.P.: I would like to know what the basis of their concern is. Our review of the literature shows that there’s no scientific basis for the request. And fragrances as a group do not pose a concern for human health. When we’re talking about fragrances, we’re talking about liter-ally thousands of natural and synthetic compounds. It’s like saying ‘I’m allergic to food,’ you could be allergic to peanuts, but there will be a lot of things you’re not allergic to. If they have concerns about specific substances, we would be more than willing, based on science, to deal with that and, in fact, would take that to Health Canada, as the appro-priate regulators, to be looked at. What substance is the nature of their concern? Because the idea of fragrance, like the idea of food, is that it’s an all-encompassing term. So what specific chemical substance is causing people to be ill?

ACCN: Even the lung Association would say that this is a problem only for a very few people.

M.P.: Where a substance is identified as being a common irritant, the industry is very quick to stop using it. The question is, is this some-thing that happens in very rare cases and at what levels?

ACCN: Does the fragrance industry have an obligation to protect the very few?

M.P.: We all have an obligation to protect the very few. The organiza-tion that has the responsibility to ensure that everybody is living up to that responsibility is Health Canada and they’re very diligent about ensuring that our products are safely used as intended.

ACCN: have fragrance manufacturers responded to these mounting concerns? have they changed anything?

M.P.: They continue to work with Health Canada and other regula-tors to try and ensure that the products are as safe as possible. As substances that could pose a risk to human health are identified, whether it’s a sensitivity issue or a long-term exposure issue, as new science emerges, the industry is very sensitive to making sure that the products are as safe as possible.

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Write to us at [email protected]

ACCN


Sometimes the revamping of Europe’s chemical regulations seems like a too-long soccer game. On one side is “Brussels,” the code word for the bureaucracy of the European Union, which has

developed standards in manufacturing that in many cases supersede those of the EU’s constituent nations. On the other side are the local and national practices, many of them old and well established.

In 2007 the “Brussels” side scored the equivalent of a goal, in pushing through the harmonization of standards for the reporting of the envi-ronmental and human risks of chemicals used in the EU chemicals regulation known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). Three years later, this change continues to have ripple effects that are being felt across the Atlantic in Canada, by any company that exports or otherwise sells products in the EU.

This is particularly true since, under REACH, members of the chemical sector are faced with a challenging, time-sensitive process that can add significantly to their costs and timelines if not carefully managed. On the other hand, with many large chemical companies now knee-deep in the process, the regulatory overhaul is proving to have some favourable side-effects for industry.

REACH is intended to provide enhanced protection to human health and the environment by making industry responsible for assessing and managing the risks posed by chemicals, and providing safety informa-tion to users along the supply chain. This means that all manufacturers and importers of chemicals in Europe must identify and manage risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market.

Members of the chemical sector are faced with a challenging, time-sensitive

process that can add significantly to their costs and timelines if not

carefully managed.

Doing the Legworkby stephen Goudey

It is important for chemical producers and importers to develop relationships with testing service providers to ensure compliance with OECD Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and acceptance by regulators.

The wide range of biological, physical and chemical tests required may be beyond the abilities of any one facility, so laboratories have to form alliances in order to offer clients a full scope of testing services. The onus and liability are also on the producer/importer to ensure data quality and compliance — third party audits of testing facilities are strongly recommended.

While the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has stated its intention to minimize the amount of animal testing, companies may have to commission research with long testing periods, possibly involving multi generations of animals to comply with the data reporting require-ments under REACH.

This means that one of the challenges facing companies seeking to comply with REACH will be finding laboratories with the capacity to do the required testing within the allotted timeframe. Accordingly, it is a good idea to book testing as soon as the information gaps for a given material are known.

ECHA recognizes the challenges posed by the testing timelines, and will accept some registration dossiers without the need for all testing to be completed.

One of the biggest challenges has to do with classifi-cation of engineered nanomaterials, where there is little to no environmental and human health-effects data and there are no established protocols for testing.

Stephen Goudey is president of HydroQual Laboratories Ltd. in Calgary, Alta.

INDUStrY: reGulations

Kenneth Bergroth and theresa repaso-subang

European Rules

Nearly three years into the European Union’s overhauled chemical regulations, some businesses are learning that

the consequences for their bottom lines aren’t all bad.


For substances manufactured or imported in quantities of one tonne or more per year per legal entity, manufacturers and importers need to demonstrate that they have appropriately identified and managed those risks by means of a registration dossier, which must be submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). In parallel, the EU can take addi-tional measures on highly dangerous substances, where there is a need for complementing action at the EU level.

This means that all suppliers to EU countries, including companies exporting to the EU, will have to provide documentation and support the European registrant on the effects of their products, in each use for which they are intended.

The REACH regulation, which came into force on June 1, 2007, involved a pre-registration deadline of December 1, 2008, which allowed companies some additional time to prepare the final registration dossier to be submitted before the deadline by which their product would need to be registered. Companies that missed that pre-registration deadline are now forced to submit a full dossier before they can continue their business in Europe.

In spite of the headaches for chemical producers, propitious possibili-ties in research and business have started to emerge. The roots of REACH go back to one of the principles of the EU — that standards should be harmonized across all constituent members rather than being set by each country, and that the standards chosen should be at least as stringent as the most stringent found in the Union.

In the case of chemicals, the “Eurocrats” in Brussels decided that the implementation of REACH was also an opportunity to incorporate some of the current understanding about toxicity and the need to protect the environment and human populations.

It is also a chance to develop an understanding of the effects of some chemicals whose effects were partly or completely unknown before. While the human toxicity of common chemicals is widely understood, the other environmental effects may be more of a mystery. For some of the more exotic or recently-developed products, little if any data exists, and so in requiring this type of testing, REACH is pushing the frontiers of human knowledge.

Information provided through REACH can be useful globally and in this way, is able to lift the entire world to a new level

Learning to ShareAs a general rule, every pre-registered phase-in substance has its own Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF). So, early in the REACH implementation process, companies that normally compete with each other joined forces to carry out research on the effects that their common substances have on the environment and on human health. In this way, groups of companies that have determined that they produce the same substance share the cost of research related to the effects of that particular substance. In most cases, the member-ship fees they pay to the SIEF are based on the tonnage per year they produce or import into the EU. Companies in the SIEF nominate one of their member companies as Lead Registrant, which will take responsibility for making sure that the research is done correctly, and which will submit the completed joint registration dossier. The Lead Registrant collects an administrative fee from the other SIEF members.

The SIEF is intended to facilitate data sharing for the purposes of registration, and for member companies to agree on the joint submission of data related to the Chemical Safety Assessment and the Chemical Safety Report as well as the classification and labelling of the substances concerned.

Within some SIEFs, member companies have formed several groups or consortia, sometimes because of the alli-ances and relationships among chemical producers.

For some substances there may be a SIEF group coop-erating, but no Lead Registrant has stepped forward to take the wheel and start the registration work, with the challenging testing process. This can provide a big manu-facturer an opportunity to make sure that the registration process is initiated. The companies sharing the work for a common registration may contribute with data they own and benefit from their past investments in testing the human health and environmental effects of a particular substance they manufacture.

Working within a SIEF requires a spirit of cooperation and trust. It starts with determining whether or not all companies involved are actually producing the same substance, or if there is a need to establish another SIEF to deal with what may actually be two or more different products.

When a common product is recognized, SIEF members will pool the data that they already have on the product, determine where the information gaps are, and then develop a plan for closing those gaps.

Companies based outside of the EU cannot be SIEF members, as they cannot register a substance under REACH. However, they can work through the entity that imports their product into the EU or through a designated “Only Representative” that manages their obligations under REACH.

KB and TRS

The roots of REACH go back to one of the principles of the EU — that

standards should be harmonized across all constituent members rather

than being set by each country, and that the standards chosen should

be at least as stringent as the most stringent found in the Union.


�

Undergraduate Student Poster Competitionopen to: All current undergraduate students, or students who graduated within the last four months, in all branches of chemistry and related chemical sciences.

Posters may be based on any research performed as an undergraduate student.

Categories and Prizes:1st place: $150 and 2nd place: $50 in each of the following categories:• Biological and medicinal chemistry • Chemical education • Environment • Inorganic chemistry • Organic chemistry • Physical, theoretical and computational chemistry • Surface science

Submit abstract: Deadline: Thursday, March 25, 2010.

Graduate Student Poster Competitionopen to: All current graduate students in all branches of chemistry and related chemical sciences.

Posters may be based on any research performed as a graduate student.

Categories and Prizes:1st place: $200 and 2nd place: $100 in each of the following categories:• Biological and medicinal chemistry • Chemical education • Environment • Inorganic chemistry • Organic chemistry • Physical, theoretical and computational chemistry • Surface science

Submit abstract:Deadline: Thursday, March 25, 2010.

93rd Canadian Chemistry Conference and ExhibitionMay 29-June 2, 2010 Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

For more information: www.csc2010.ca/program/student_competitions.html


Keeping PaceThe chemical industry is working under an aggressive timeline to comply with REACH, with the next big deadline looming just a few months from now.

June 1, 2007: REACH entered into force.

June 1, 2008: Pre-registration for existing substances started. These substances will be phased in. Registration for new substances also began on this day.

November 30, 2008: This was the deadline for pre-regis-tration of existing substances.

December 1, 2008: This was the deadline for registration of existing substances that hadn’t been pre-registered.

January 1, 2009: The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published their first recommendation of priority substances to be considered for authorisation.

YOU ARE HERE!

November 30, 2010: This is the deadline to submit a registration dossier to ECHA for existing substances imported in quantities of 1,000 tons or more per year as well as for existing substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction and imported in quantities reaching 1 ton or more per year and for existing substances classified as very toxic to aquatic organisms which may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment and imported in quantities reaching 100 tons or more per year.

May 31, 2013: This is the deadline to submit a registra-tion dossier to ECHA for existing substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 100 tons or more per year.

May 31, 2018: This is the deadline to submit a registration dossier to ECHA for existing substances imported in quantities of 1 ton or more per year.

in managing the human and environmental side effects of our chemical-dependent lifestyle.

REACH pushes the envelope and develops new standards in other ways as well — such as in the measures taken to limit the amount of testing being done on animals. The REACH legislation stipulates that no toxicity testing on vertebrates should be duplicated, acknowledgement of growing public concern over unnecessary hardship for other living beings.

REACH also reaches into new territory through the development of a process in which normally-competing companies work together to pool their research. This means that they must overcome their natural suspi-cion of sharing data with any outside entity, let alone a direct competitor.

It also means dealing with any threats to the public interest that might arise if the competing companies were to suddenly become too-close friends, which could result in collusion on pricing or the creation of artificial shortages.

REACH allows for the formation of consortia, as formally established groups of companies that have pre-registered the same chemical substance. These consortia work tightly together towards the final registration and are also part of the whole group of pre-registrants, the so-called Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF, see sidebar). In this way, competing companies now work together with a joint registration as their goal.

For companies seeking a potentially lucrative new niche, REACH could prove to be a boon. Complying with REACH is not a short-term endeavour. Just as the situation on a soccer field is always changing, new products and new uses of existing products are always developing. This means that for companies exporting to the EU, becoming skilful at meeting REACH requirements is likely to become much like a soccer team’s ability to move the ball down the field to the goal — an area of major competitive advantage.

Kenneth Bergroth heads the REACH

compliance initiative of the global environmental consulting firm

Golder Associates, and is based in the company’s Helsinki office (where

ECHA is also based). Contact: +358 50 559 5596; kenneth_bergroth@

golder.fi. Theresa Repaso-Subang is a board-certified toxicologist in the

Mississauga, Ont. office of Golder Associates Ltd.

Contact: 1-905-567-4444; [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts on this article?

Write to us at [email protected]

Information provided through REACH can be useful globally and in this

way, is able to lift the entire world to a new level in managing the human

and environmental side effects of our chemical-dependent lifestyle.

ACCN


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�


SoCIEtY NEwS NoUVEllES DES SoCIétéS

The Boards

This year the CIC honours 21 members who have been part of the Institute for five decades. These members joined the CIC in 1960, the year that Willard F. Libby won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing carbon-14 dating and when the profession of chemical engineering was coming into its own. Here, six of our 50-year members reflect on the most memorable milestones in their careers.

Bill Cullen teaches at UBC in the early 1960s.

William Cullen, FCIC, CSC, VancouverI landed in Vancouver f rom England September 6, 1958. I was assigned an office in the Chemistry Department at The University of British Columbia, right next door to the one I currently occupy, where I keep tanks of snails. I had just finished a PhD degree in Cambridge on the synthesis of trifluoromethyl derivatives of arsenic. I have had a lifelong fascination with the chemistry and sociochemistry of the element. I define sociochemistry as the interface between society and chemistry and suggest that arsenic and its compounds are unequalled in this regard.

I am a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Most of my 400-plus papers and reports have been concerned with arsenic in one way or another and cover, for example: the synthesis of simple arsenicals, the specia-tion of arsenic compounds in plants and animals, the toxicity and carcinogenicity of methylarsenic(III) compounds, the use of quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction to estimate the mobility of arsenic species in

environmental compartments, and, most recently, the toxicity of certain Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines. This variety of topics and the associated sociochemistry keeps my interest in chemistry very much alive.

The seemingly short journey from one office at UBC to the one next door is proving to be both long and productive. I thank the many co-workers and colleagues who are making the trip so stimulating and interesting.

George Kotovych operates the 220 Mhz NMr spectrom-eter at the University of California Berkeley in 1969.

George Kotovych, MCIC, CSC, EdmontonIt has been a pleasure to be a member of the CIC for the last 50 years. To achieve this mile-stone, we were encouraged to join while still undergraduates at the University of Manitoba. I maintained the membership while working as a PhD student with Ted Schaefer, and then as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California in Berkeley, California with Melvin Calvin and Mel Klein. I was extremely fortu-nate to be hired as a biophysical chemist and NMR spectroscopist by the Chemistry department at the University of Alberta, beginning January, 1970. This department is a wonderful place to work, to carry out research and to teach. My greatest joy is interacting with the students. Even after retiring in June, 2006, I still am able to teach a section of Introductory General Chemistry with a current enrollment of 405 students.

Fifty Years and Counting

A great scientific experience for me was listening to Melvin Calvin talk about the moon rocks and dust that he placed on the seminar table in Berkeley after bringing them from Houston. This seminar took place immediately after the first lunar landing. Two other exciting events for me were the first installation in Canada of a Bruker 400 MHz NMR spectrometer in our department, and my receiving the Certificate of Excellence for teaching in the 2007–2008 terms from the Chemistry Students’ Association. Biggest disappointment? Not bringing my camera to the Berkeley seminar.

Norman Epstein lectures in Shanghai on the subject of spouted beds during the summer of 1987.

Norman Epstein, HFCIC, CSChE, VancouverI joined The University of British Columbia’s chemical engineering department in 1951 after I completed my research at New York University. Though I participated in CIC conferences and even wrote a book review for this magazine (then called Chemistry in Canada) during the 1950s, I did not join the Institute until 1960. I was offended by the fact that chemical engineering at that time was classified by the CIC as a Subject Division of chemistry, on par with things like analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and organic chemistry, rather than as a separate discipline entirely. It was only when Glynn Michael, MCIC, in a visit to UBC late in 1959, announced that henceforth chemical engi-neering would be classified as a full-fledged Division of the CIC, with some degree of autonomy, that I finally became a member. “Society” status was not achieved until 1966, but “Division” sufficed for me in the interim.


Deryck ross on the day of his retirement from the Department of National Defence in 1995.

Deryck Ross, MCIC, CSC, OttawaBorn in July 1942, I graduated from Bishops University with an honours chemistry and physics degree in May 1963. Three years later, I graduated from The University of Western Ontario with a Master’s in physical organic chemistry. Much of my career was spent at the Directorate of Scientific Information Service (DSIS) as an information scientist with secret security clearance.

One of my duties in DSIS, was to arrange distribution lists for classified documents in subjects that I was responsible for. One of these subject areas, for a number of years, was aerospace engineering. One day, I received a confidential NATO document on turbofan engines. I looked at the suggested distribution list, and added a few more before sending it to our distribution department. One of the companies on the list was Rolls-Royce, in Montréal.

After about a month, I received a call from the Military Police. Apparently, there had been a security breach at Rolls-Royce. The scientist had left, and the person who opened the classified document didn’t have a secu-rity clearance. The Military Police were asking me, since I had authorized the release of the document, what the damage was to Canada’s security. I thought for a while, scratched my head, then I decided what to do.

We had a small library of excellent reference books in DSIS, among which were the Janes series. I consulted the latest edition of All the World’s Aircraft, and guess what I found?

The Soviets had had this particular tech-nology on turbofan engines for 10 years. I so informed the Military Police, and that was the end of it.

Cyril harke in his army uniform at the cenotaph in Vancouver on remembrance Day, 1996.

Cyril J. Harke, MCIC, CSC, VancouverI grew up in a small rural community in Alberta. Completion of high-school was diffi-cult as educators put restrictions or limitations on subjects taught in a one-room school. The obvious solution was to attend high school in a nearby town. Funds were needed so I got work in a local railroad section gang. However, this came to an abrupt end when I was noti-fied to report for training in the Canadian Army to serve in the Second World War.

After four years of overseas service, I was informed that there would be a delay in getting home due to a shortage of passenger ships. I attended Khaki University in London for two semesters. This was a temporary university set up to offer Canadian servicemen an opportu-nity to continue their education while waiting to go home.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta, followed by a Master's from the University of Saskatchewan, I joined Hooker Chemicals for a lengthy career in production, research and development.

Brian Lynch, FCIC, CSC, Antigonish, N.S.I was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1930 and took Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of Melbourne. I came to Canada and St. Francis Xavier University in 1957 after a postdoctoral fellow-ship in the U.S.A., then returned to Australia to work with the Commonwealth Scientific

Also celebrating their 50-year membership in 2010 are:R. F. W. Bader, FCIC, CSC, Hamilton, Ont.James Clelland, MCIC, CSC, North Pender Island, B.C.Ray Cullen, FCIC, CSChE, VancouverE.S. Hall, MCIC, CSC, Burlington, Ont.Raymond Lanthier, MCIC, CSC, Burlington, Ont.William MacMillan, MCIC, CSChE, OttawaAlan E. Mather, FCIC, CSChE, EdmontonJohn McWha, MCIC, CSCT, West Hill, Ont.D. Mitchell, MCIC, CSC, CalgaryMurray Morello, MCIC, CSCT, TorontoJohn Nichol, MCIC, CSChE, Willowdale, Ont.J. B. Stothers, FCIC, CSC, London, Ont.Alan Thomson, MCIC, CSC, OttawaRobert White, MCIC, CSC, Deerfield Beach, Florida

and Industrial Research Organisation. I then took a position in the Chemistry Department of Memorial University of Newfoundland for the years 1959–1962.

I was invited to rejoin St. Francis Xavier University in August 1962, and taught and researched in chemistry until 1995. I served several terms as chair of the department of Chemistry, and was appointed senior research professor of chemistry, finally retiring in June 2009.

I supervised the research of many undergraduates, master’s candidates and postdoctoral associates in the general fields of heterocyclic chemistry, and organic infrared and NMR spectroscopy, publishing approxi-mately 70 papers in 22 different journals. I presented many papers from 1960 through 2007 at CIC/CSC national meetings.

I served CIC/CSC as a member of the Board of Directors from 1977–1980, and in the period 2003–2005, urged the process of digital archiving of the Canadian Journal of Chemistry by proposing partial funding by the Council of Canadian University Chemistry Chairs and CSC.

If there is a lesson here, it is that any of my successes in research depended on my student and postgraduate/postdoctorate assis-tants, who continued to collaborate with me over the years in their own careers.

ACCN


SoCIEtY NEwS NoUVEllES DES SoCIétéS

LeavInG a LeGaCyfrom one GeneratIon to the next

Do you want to ensure that the next generation will contribute chemistry solutions to tomorrow’s global challenges ? Do you want to be part of their discovery of the wonders of chemistry?

Through the CSC Legacy Fund, you can now leave a gift, either outright or deferred (in a will), to support projects and initiatives that help the Canadian Society for Chemistry pursue its mandate of education -related projects.

Find out how you can make a gift by visiting www.chemistry.ca/legacy.

The CSC Legacy Fund is a charitable fund initiated by the CSC and created in collaboration with the CIC Chemical Education Fund (CEF). It is held and administered by the CEF.

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recognition

Donald F. Weaver, FCIC, was awarded the Prix Galien, Canada in November. The prize, given in recognition of Weaver’s work in designing novel drug therapies to treat chronic neuro-logical disorders such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, is the most prestigious pharmaceutical award in Canada. Weaver is a professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax. ACCN


“Since calomel’s become their boast,How many patients have they lost?How many thousands do they make ill,Of poison with their calomel?”

So ran a little verse written in 1825 by an unknown poet who was obviously disenchanted with medical practice of

the day. “Calomel” was the curious name given to mercurous chloride, Hg2Cl2, the most common medicine of the era. Why curious? Because the name derives from the Greek “calos” meaning “good,” and “melas” for “black.” Well, calomel was neither black nor good. The “black” is thought to refer to the precipitation of finely dispersed black metallic mercury when calomel reacts with ammonia. And the “good” was what calomel was supposed to do for a sick person.

The writer of that little poem, who could have benefited from a rhyming dictionary, had the right message. Calomel didn’t cure people, it made them ill. How is it then that calomel, along with other metal salts, was commonly used by physicians for some five hundred years as standard therapy for almost every disease?

First, many diseases are self limiting and resolve by themselves. But when calomel was given, it got the credit. Second, the belief that it would help was often enough to make a patient feel better. The “placebo” effect is very powerful indeed. Third, patients were often so sickened by calomel that they professed to feeling better just to avoid further therapy. Fourth, people who succumbed to calomel poisoning were not around to register complaints about the

treatment. And finally, in rare cases, mercury compounds may actually have cured a disease. Mercury can poison all kinds of organisms, including bacteria. Syphilis was a bacterial scourge throughout history, and if a physician happened to get the dose just right, mercury compounds sometimes killed the bacteria without killing the patient.

The use of mercury to treat disease can be traced back to Paracelsus, the sixteenth century physician, alchemist and philoso-pher. At the time, medicine was based on the ancient Greek idea that health was a reflection of the balance between the four humours, namely black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. Paracelsus decreed that this was bunk, and expressed his disgust of the uncritical reliance on ancient authorities by publicly burning their works. He insisted that the physician should explore the world and learn from nature. For every disease nature provided a cure, Paracelsus suggested, and the physician’s role was to find it. And in mercury compounds, he thought he had found a cure for many conditions. To his credit, though, Paracelsus recognized that mercury could also be a poison, and insisted that dosage was critical. Indeed, his dictum that “only the dose makes the poison,” is still the cornerstone of toxicology. But he never realized how little mercury it actually took to cause a great deal of harm.

Where did Paracelsus and his followers get calomel? They had to prepare it from cinnabar, naturally occurring mercuric sulphide. Heating this red ore in air drives off the sulphur as sulphur dioxide and leaves behind shiny mercury metal. Treatment with sulphuric acid, prepared since ancient times by heating natu-rally occurring iron or copper sulphate, forms mercuric sulphate, which in turn, when heated with ordinary salt produces mercuric chloride, a white powder with formula HgCl2.

To Paracelsus, the production of a white crystalline substance after all that messy and smelly manipulation must have seemed astonishing. Could this be one of the elusive substances that nature provided for mankind’s benefit? There was only one way to find out; try it. Without doubt, mercuric chloride had an immediate effect. The patient gave up the contents of his bowels quickly, a sign that disease was being driven out of the body! And so began the age of “heroic medicine,” charac-terized by doctors attempting to bludgeon the disease out of the patient.

Mercurials and antimony compounds evacu-ated the digestive tract in both directions, and were often coupled with blood letting to rid the body of disease. Often, they rid the body of life. Particularly when the highly toxic mercuric chloride was used. Since dead patients were not good for business, or for reputation, a safer purgative was desirable. Heating mercuric chloride with some more mercury produced mercurous chloride, or “calomel.” It was still a cathartic, but being far less soluble than mercuric chloride, it was less toxic.

That’s not to say it was safe. When given over a period of time, as was common practice, calomel would cause excessive salivation, gum inflammation and various neurological symp-toms. Patients developed tremors, balance problems and personality changes. But doctors lacking truly effective medications continued to torment the ill with calomel. George Washington was administered it on his death bed, probably hastening his demise.

Although with the advent of antibiotics, the use of calomel faded, it did not disappear. It was still prescribed for constipation, and curi-ously, as a remedy for teething pain, until the 1940s. Calomel was rubbed on the gums of infants to reduce teething pain, often causing a form of mercury poisoning called “pink disease” due to a characteristic reddening of the skin. Hundreds of children died before the connection to mercury was realized.

Today, mercury compounds are banned from drugs and cosmetics except for trace amounts of thimerosal, a preservative used in some vaccines and cosmetics. As we already saw with the difference between mercurous and mercuric chloride, there are different degrees of toxicity when it comes to different mercury compounds. Thimerosal has under-gone extensive testing and has a good safety profile, despite what is alleged by many anti-vaccinationists. Unfortunately, some mercury compounds still crop up illegally in the market place. Calomel-containing creams are promoted as skin whiteners and cause diverse problems with regular use. Here’s my verse on that: “Forget the enticing looks, calomel belongs in the history books!”

Joe Schwar cz is the director of McGill

University’s Office for Science and Society.

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Write to us at

[email protected]

Joe schwarcz

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