Tag Archives: ACS

chemistry-news

Movember Alchemist

The Alchemist muses on methane this week as well as criminal sweat. Bionic implants also roll into view as do new thermal storage materials. We learn of a self-healing piezoelectric and conductive composite that could be used as a skin for prosthetic limbs and other applications. Finally, researchers at Scripps in Florida are set for two ACS awards.

The Alchemist Newsletter.

Slinn Pickings

Going green could squeeze scarce metal resources

Shift to green energy sources could mean crunch in supply of scarce metals - A large-scale shift from coal-fired electric power plants and gasoline-fueled cars to wind turbines and electric vehicles could increase demand for two already-scarce metals -- available almost exclusively in China -- by 600-2,600 percent over the next 25 years, a new study has concluded. Published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, it points out that production of the two metals has been increasing by only a few percentage points per year.

The metals in question are: dysprosium and neodymium. As mentioned in the news item to which this update points. Thanks to Brian Goulet for mentioning this oversight on Twitter.

Slinn Pickings

Paper money worldwide contains bisphenol A

  • Paper money worldwide contains bisphenol A - The cash register receipts that people place near paper money in billfolds, purses, and pockets has led to a worldwide contamination of paper money with bisphenol A (BPA) — a potentially toxic substance found in some plastics, thermal paper and other products. The amounts of BPA on dollars, Euros, rubles, yuans, and other currencies, are higher than in house dust, but human intake from currency is at least 10 times less than those from house dust. That’s the conclusion of a new study in the ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.