Transcript CHEMOPHOBIA - Health and Science Pipeline Initiative

Natural or Man-made
Chemicals?
Adapted from a presentation by
Penny Le Couteur,
The Fraser Institute, Vancouver,
Canada
“All substances are poisonous,
there is none which is not a poison;
the right dose differentiates a poison
from a remedy.”
Paracelsus
circa 1538
The great myth
“Natural is good;
man-made is bad”
It may be natural but you’ll be just as
dead!
The seven most deadly chemical
compounds
LD50 /mg/kg
Botulinum toxin A
Tetanus toxin A
Diphtheria toxin
Dioxin *
Muscarine
Bufotoxin
3 x 10-8
5 x 10-6
3 x 10-4
3 x 10-2
2 x 10-1
4 x 10-1
Sarin *
4 x 10-1
LD50 = The lethal dose of a compound for 50% of animals exposed
* Synthetic
The best chemists can do
Cl
O
Cl
Cl
O
Cl
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
(Dioxin)
Viktor Yushchenko
President of the Ukraine
July 2004
December 2004
Muscarine - from mushrooms
CH 3
H3C
O
CH 2
N
CH 3
HO
CH 3
Cl
Bufotoxin – from the common toad
O
O
CH 3
O
CH 3
O
C
CH 3
OH
O
O
C
O
(CH2)6
C
COOH
NH
CH
CH 2
NH
CH 2
CH 2
NH
C
NH 2
The next ten …. (most deadly)
LD50/ mg/kg
Strychine
5 x 10-1
Soman *
6 x 10-1
Tabun *
6 x 10-1
Tubocurarine chloride
7 x 10-1
Rotenone
3
Isoflurophate *
4
Parathion *
4
Aflatoxin B1
10
Sodium cyanide *
15
Solanine
42
* Synthetic
Vitamin C
CH2OH
HO
CH
HO
O
O
OH
Ascorbic acid
Other variations of “natural is
good; man-made is bad”
• Synthetic chemicals were not around as man
evolved so we haven’t had time to become
resistant to them as we have to naturally
occurring compounds.
• Synthetic chemicals bioaccumulate in our
bodies.
Chemicals in food:
Advertisements from “organic food”
stores
“We read the labels so you don’t have to. We
want you to concentrate on how good the food
tastes and not worry about words that you can’t
pronounce”
Chemicals in food:
Advertisements from “organic
food” stores
“We keep the chemicals out of your food”
Chemicals in food:
Advertisements from “organic
food” stores
“We think your food tastes better
without the flavour of preservatives”
Chemicals used to preserve food
Chemical
Use
Ascorbic acid
Antioxidant/antimicrobial
BHA
Calcium propionate
Antioxidant
Mold inhibitor
EDTA
Sodium benzoate
Antioxidant
Microbial inhibitor
BHT
Sodium nitrite
Antioxidant
Microbial inhibitor in meat
Sorbic acid
Mold inhibitor in cheese
BHA= butylated hydroxyanisole BHT = butylated hydroxytoluene
EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
Sodium nitrite
Risk: Cancer from nitrosamines
Benefit: Prevents botulism in meats
NO2- + HCl  HNO2 + ClHNO2 + (CH3)2NH  (CH3)2NNO + H2O
Natural toxins in food
Chemical
Food source
Hazard
Allyl isothiocyanate
Brown mustard,
horseradish, garlic
Tumours
Benzo(α)pyrene
BBQ/smoked meats
Stomach cancers
Cyanides
Bitter almonds,
General toxicity
cashews, lima beans
Nitrosoamines
Cooked bacon
Cancer
Estragole
Basil, fennel,
tarragon
Tumours
Glycyrrhizic acid
Liquorice
Hypertension/heart
Hydrazines
Raw mushrooms
Cancer
Natural toxins in food –part 2
Chemical
Food source
Hazard
Myristicin
Nutmeg, parsley, dill,
carrots, celery, pepper
Hallucinations/liver
damage/death
Oxalic acid
Rhubarb, spinach
Kidney damage/death
Saxitoxin
Shellfish
Paralysis/death
Symphatine
Comfrey plant
Tumours
Tannins & tannic Black tea, coffee, cocoa
acid
Cancers/ throat & mouth
Tetrodotoxin
Paralysis/death
Puffer fish
Don’t worry, it’s organic
•Organic farming is a multi-dollar industry that
relies on the public’s perception that organic
food is more healthy.
•There is little evidence to suggest that organic
fruit and vegetables are any healthier than
conventional produce.
•Some forms of organic farming may introduce
natural toxins into consumers’ food.
Chemistry World, June 2004
Science writer
John Emsley quotes
• We come into this world with a wonderful built-in
detoxifying system that protects us against
thousands of natural toxins every day.
• Cancer (from synthetic chemicals) is a risk, but
the risk may be so low as to be worth ignoring.
Cosmetics
•Cinnamon
•Citrus
•Angelica
•Almond extract
•Clove
•Bergamot
•Cornstarch
•Fennel
•Geranium
•Lavender
•Lemon balm
•Lime
•Papaya
•Peppermint
•Rose
•Thyme
•Witch hazel
•Wintergreen
Should DDT be banned
everywhere?
Cl
CH
CCl3
Cl