Impacts of Applications of Chemistry on Society and the Environment
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Impacts of Applications of Chemistry on Society and the Environment
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Open Ended Investigation
Madeline De-Sanctis
INTRODUCTION
From the earliest times, Chemistry has played a pivotal role in the advancement and enrichment of civilization, although sometimes it has also caused harmful and occasional long-reaching catastrophic effects on the environment. The importance of this sphere of science can be demonstrated by the fact that entire periods in history were named the Iron Age and the Bronze Age, according to the level of chemical endeavor of that time. The content in this report will comment on the various implications of science on society and the environment, such as the use of CFCs, the use of soaps and detergents, shrinking world resources, eutrophication, heavy metal pollution and poisoning, and the role of chemists. The information in this report was obtained from a wide variety of resources, as in the bibliography, which have each been assessed for their reliability and validity.
1. CHEMISTS
In todays environment scientists can choose to specialise in numerous fields of chemistry. There are various reasons for this, including the advancement of scientific knowledge of the earth that allows scientists to research things that have never been researched in previous times. There are three broad areas in which chemists work: teaching, industry and research. Within these areas are various divisions of chemistry, each which have separate facets of their own. The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) states that there are thirteen divisions of membership, some of which include analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry and electrochemistry.
Collaboration is very important in the field of chemistry. The fact that chemistry has many branches means that chemists will have expertise in different areas. A chemist cannot perform in isolation, simply because
Impacts of Applications of Chemistry on Society and the Environment
-------------------------------------------------
Open Ended Investigation
Madeline De-Sanctis
INTRODUCTION
From the earliest times, Chemistry has played a pivotal role in the advancement and enrichment of civilization, although sometimes it has also caused harmful and occasional long-reaching catastrophic effects on the environment. The importance of this sphere of science can be demonstrated by the fact that entire periods in history were named the Iron Age and the Bronze Age, according to the level of chemical endeavor of that time. The content in this report will comment on the various implications of science on society and the environment, such as the use of CFCs, the use of soaps and detergents, shrinking world resources, eutrophication, heavy metal pollution and poisoning, and the role of chemists. The information in this report was obtained from a wide variety of resources, as in the bibliography, which have each been assessed for their reliability and validity.
1. CHEMISTS
In todays environment scientists can choose to specialise in numerous fields of chemistry. There are various reasons for this, including the advancement of scientific knowledge of the earth that allows scientists to research things that have never been researched in previous times. There are three broad areas in which chemists work: teaching, industry and research. Within these areas are various divisions of chemistry, each which have separate facets of their own. The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) states that there are thirteen divisions of membership, some of which include analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry and electrochemistry.
Collaboration is very important in the field of chemistry. The fact that chemistry has many branches means that chemists will have expertise in different areas. A chemist cannot perform in isolation, simply because
Bibliography: Brotherton, J., Mudie, Kate., et al. (2000) Heinemann Biology, Reed International Books Australia, Victoria. Irwin, D., Farrelly, R., et al (2006) Chemistry Contexts 2 HSC Edition, Pearson Education Australia, Melbourne. Malone, J. (2008) Ethyl Vanillin. [Internet]. Available from: http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/ethyl_vanillin.html 4 May 2011. Peterson, W. (2010) Forensic Science: Characterisation/Analysis of Physical Evidence. [Internet]. Available from: http://www.wavesignal.com/Forensics/ 6 May 2011. Rhodia. (2009) Vanillin GPS Safety Summary. [Internet]. Available from: http://www.cefic.org/Documents/IndustrySupport/RHODIA%20GPS%20Safety%20Summary.pdf 4 May 2011. Robertson, C. (2009). HSC Online: Chemistry. [Internet]. Available from: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/contact/index.htm 27 April 2011. Roebuck, C (2004). Excel HSC Chemistry. Pascal Press, Glebe, Sydney. Schiller, M. (2011). EasyChem. [Internet]. Available from: http://www.easychem.com.au/home 20 April 2011. Tacon, J., Warren, C., et al (2010) Excel Success One Chemistry, Pascal Press, Glebe, Sydney. Thickett, G. (2006) Chemistry 2: HSC Course. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Queensland. Wales, J. (2011) Vanillin. [Internet]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanillin 4 May 2011 -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Irwin, D., Farrelly, R., et al (2006) Chemistry Contexts 2 HSC Edition, (Pearson Education Australia, Melbourne), page 415 [ 2 ]