Category Archives: Issues In Science

The Controversy Behind Neem Oil

Since 2012, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada has banned neem oil for its use as a pesticide, despite many benefits it brings in the agricultural field. Nonetheless, neem oil has been been the subject of intensive synthetic research for its impressive biological activity.

Neem oil is commonly known as a pesticide. (source)

 

What is neem oil?

Neem oil, or margosa oil, is an extracted vegetable oil from the neem tree’s seeds. The seeds are the richest source containing the naturally occurring pesticide called Azadirachtin.

Structure of Azadirachtin (source)

 

Benefits of neem oil

Azadirachtin is found to be an effective systemic pesticide and to have growth-disrupting effects against more than 200 insect species.

In an urban settings, neem oil is a great solution to a pest infestation. A bottle of neem oil will come in handy when your garden is infested by either mealybugs, thrips, aphids, fungus gnats, spidermites and more. Neem oil effectively eliminates every stage of the pest’s lifecycle, including eggs, larvae, pupas, and adults.

Mealybugs infestation (source)

Ladybugs, earthworms, and other beneficial insects are generally not affected by neem oil.

One other known benefit of neem oil is boosting the process of wound-healing and skin regeneration. Neem oil is also found to help calm eczema and psoriasis. These health benefits are due to neem oil’s components of fatty acids, limonoid, and vitamin E. 

Why banned neem oil?

Despite the proven advantages neem oil has, Health Canada said neem oil has not been certified and registered as a pest control product. The government hasn’t had sufficient evaluation to determine whether neem oil is safe to be used as a pesticide, nor the environmental risk it brings.

There are several case reports of neem oil poisoning in children and elderly caused by neem oil ingestion. These cases report symptoms of nausea, vomiting, seizures, kidney failure, restriction in blood supply to the brain. The long term effect of neem oil is also not clear.

 

 

The Fentanyl fire

Fentanyl was responsible for the most deaths by overdose in British Columbia from 2019-2022. It’s not just our homeless population. Young professionals, our youth, and new parents have all been affected; in short, all those who choose to partake can fall victim.

This is terrifying but hardly surprising when you consider that a dose of only 2milligrams can kill you. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid: a man-made drug with effects similar to that of morphine and heroin. Fentanyl is 50 to a 100 times more potent than morphine and relatively speaking, frighteningly simple to synthesize. It makes sense then that it is used medically as both a pain reliever and sedative. In fact, it is on the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines.

It seems almost trite to remark here that fentanyl, like all drugs, has the potential for abuse. 

Figure 2 shows the percentage of deaths attributed to a number of drugs between 2019-2022. Fentanyl clearly takes the cake here, and it’s not even close. Figure 1 below graphs the total deaths by illicit drugs per year, from 1996 to 2022. A truly disturbing, upward trend.

 

Figure 1: Deaths caused by illicit drugs from 1996 to 2022

Figure 2: Percentage of 2648 deaths in which fentayl and other drugs were found postmortem (Source: Government of Canada)

But why? Why are so many people dying? It’s not like people are purchasing fentanyl in droves. Surely they know how dangerous this is? 

Fentanyl enters Canada in one of three ways: illegal import, illegal manufacture and theft of medical products.

The truth is, there are individuals who recreationally consume fentanyl. They have their methods; such as through transdermal fentanyl patches, lollipops or nasal sprays. These are all relatively safer options, all things considered, as they are all illegally sourced medical products going under brand names such as Actiq®, Duragesic®, and Sublimaze®.

Actiq, a popular orally bio available method of consumption.

These delivery methods first gained popularity in the 90’s, and soon after that, criminal organizations began making fentanyl analogues to avoid identification as an illegal substance. Even more potent than regular old fentanyl, analogues such as carfentanil and 3-methylfentanyl fueled the fire.

Most people are exposed unwittingly. The first illicit pills and laced drugs containing fentanyl and its analogues appeared in the market around 2013, and drug related deaths began to skyrocket at the same time (Figure 1) and a majority of these deaths are attributable to fentanyl (Figure 2).

But what can we do? While fentanyl test strips are certainly progress, there are limitations; false negatives, false positives, and the simple reality that most people probably won’t be bothered. We must first and foremost draw light to how pervasive and serious this problem really is. This should also be dealt with at the root. We must push for working with other countries including China, the US and Mexico to implement stricter drug measures and export regulations.

Drugs aren’t evil. They are neither good or bad, how could they be? But some drugs are worse than others. Much, much worse. We are left with a fire that we must put out while we still can. The good news is we have ways to deal with this. We have science and people who care.

 

 

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: The Deadliest Chemical Incident

On February 3rd, a derailed train in East Palestine, Ohio released 5 toxic chemicals into the area. The local authorities then burned some of the chemicals to avoid an explosion. Byproducts of this burning included dioxins, which are highly toxic compounds that persist in the environment. Local residents reported burning sensations in their throats and noses as a result of airborne chemicals. Residents are also worried how the water supply and air quality will be impacted in the long term.

While we cannot yet determine the long term effects on public health or the environment resulting from this chemical spill, this incident does remind chemists that our work can escape the controls of the laboratory or factory and cause devastation to the public. The scale and gravity of the impacts of a chemical incident are best demonstrated by the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, considered the world’s worst industrial disaster to date.

Exterior of the pesticide factory which caused the Bhopal gas tragedy. Image source: Bhopal Medical Appeal

On the night of December 2nd, 1984, 30-40 tonnes of the toxic gas methyl isocyanate (MIC) were released by a pesticide manufacturing facility over the city of Bhopal. In the immediate aftermath, over two thousand people died and over five-hundred thousand were injured. As Figure 1 shows, the immediate death toll of the Bhopal incident far exceeds that of the Beirut explosion of 2020 and the Chernobyl disaster, making it the deadliest chemical disaster ever. Those who survived in Bhopal showed higher rates of chronic illnesses, such as pulmonary fibrosis and bronchial asthma, and other health issues. To this day, the pollution resulting from the incident persists in the area and we observe high rates of congenital physical and intellectual defects in children born even decades after the disaster.

Figure 1. Shows the immediate death toll of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Beirut explosion, and the Chernobyl disaster. Figure source: Ying Cai

The heartbreaking reality is that this incident could have been prevented. The manufacturing plant had many safety procedures and devices, but they were all malfunctioning, not used, or lacking supplies at the time of incident. For example, the refrigeration system to cool the MIC and the alarm for high temperatures in the MIC tank were removed months earlier and never replaced; the flare tower meant to burn the MIC as it escaped was also missing parts and therefore not functional. If the safety procedures were taken seriously by management of the plant, many lives would have been saved.

Disasters such as the Bhopal gas tragedy should be taught to chemists as a grim reminder of the potential consequences of our actions and the importance of chemical safety. We should take safety seriously even when running small scale or familiar reactions to build good habits. As well, these disasters should motivate the chemistry community to work towards green chemistry, where hopefully highly toxic reagents will not be needed in industrial quantities anymore.

~ Ying Cai

Exposing the Dark Side of The Skin-Lightening Industry

Skin colour has long been the social-economic benchmark in many countries, predominantly in Asia-Pacific, where individuals often affiliate lighter complexions with attractiveness and more career opportunities. Skin lightening products (SLPs), the practice of lightening complexion by reducing the skin’s natural pigments, is often the solution to this dilemma. This growing demand created the lucrative business of skin-lightening products (SLPs), which was valued at US$8.8 billion in 2020.  

 

Skin beauty is very important to many people by enhancing users’ self-esteem and confidence. Oftentimes, people reported wanting a lighter, radiant, and youthful skin, an indicative symbol of beauty and youth. 

Some active ingredients in SLPs shown results in correcting the effects of age, stress, UV exposure, pollution, and poor eating. They also help maintain a luminous skin by preventing skin dryness, reducing oxidative damage, and balancing skin tone. SLPs coat the skin’s surface and act as a protection layer, thereby preventing issues like tanning and sunspots. 

For most people, the utility that SLPs offer are essential to maintaining their beauty and confidence.

 

However, a major concern when it comes with SLPs is the uncontrolled concentrations of these active ingredients and their negative side effects. 

Hydroquinone, a potent SL agent for hyperpigmentation treatments, causes blue-black facial discoloration (Figure 1) or skin thinning with high-dosage applications, said Dr. Desai, a board-certified dermatologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This condition is hard to treat, and can result in permanent discoloration of the skin. 

Figure 1: Discoloration from long-term usage of hydroquinone-containing products. Source: Wikimedia

Mercury, another dominating ingredient in many unregulated SLPs, inhibits skin pigmentation production to reveal a lighter complexion. The well-documented report from the Pan American Health Organization list of associated risks from mercury poisoning does not look so pretty.

Risks from prolonged exposure to mercury ranges from multiple major organ failures to psychological issues such as psychosis, depression, anxiety, and early-childhood development issues.

Minnesota Department of Health revealed that most SLPs contain mercury ranging from 135 to 33,000 parts per million (ppm). This level is much higher than the recommended level of 1 ppm by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Additionally, the high levels of corticosteroids in most SLPs have resulted in steroid-dependent reactions (SDRs) – the tell-tale signs of chronic misuse of corticosteroids over an extended period (FIgure 2). Rashes, skin sensitivity to sunlight, and infections occur when SDR patients withdraw from topical steroids. 

Figure 2: Steroid-Dependent Reactions. Source: Wikimedia

While these active ingredients in SLPs are effective in brightening consumers’ skin complexions along with providing additional skin care benefits, they pose significant and unwarranted health risks. Personally, the turmoil from experiencing side effects of some over-promising SLPs that are constantly promoted on social media is not worth sacrificing the highly-appraised fair skin.  Not to mention the society that pressures those who are chasing after a fairer skin might be the first to criticize the consumers if SLP’s side effects arise. It is therefore crucial to pressure the SLPs’ manufacturers to move away from these dangerous compounds and towards safer ingredients.



The Swelling Concerns on Food Allergies: Prevalence or Awareness?

Food allergies appear to be an increasing worry to the Canadian public, with common allergens such as nuts, milk, and eggs being frequently used in foods of all cultures. Some allergic reactions produce the immunoglobulin E antibody, which can lead to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. The question is whether allergy prevalence is rising alongside these concerns.

Some Common Food Allergies                                 Source: NIAID

Health Canada and AllerGen NCE supported the University of Calgary and the University of Waterloo’s research to estimate the prevalence of food allergies in the country. The study surveyed 5,784 Canadian households in 2016, asking people to report their food allergies. 

The percentage of Canadians that had a perceived food allergy, claimed by self-report, was noticeably higher than the percentage with a probable food allergy, supported by family history or physician diagnosis.

Food Allergy Prevalence in Canada                    Source of Data: Government of Canada

Clarke et al. compared these results to data from 2010, observing a noticeable increase in overall food allergy claims (7.1% to 9.3%), but only a minimal change in supported food allergy claims (5.9% to 6.1%). 

While the actual prevalence of food allergies did not rise significantly, Clarke et al. states that the increase in self-reported allergies is likely due to raised awareness.

Continuing to spread awareness on food allergies is actually beneficial, as they are not curable. Severe allergic reactions are treated by an epinephrine injection in emergency situations, making educating people and properly labelling food products that much more important.

Are Your Non-Stick Pans Casing Celiac Disease?

Recent discoveries suggest persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may increase the likelihood of celiac disease, especially in females. 

What is celiac disease? 

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the small intestine reacts negatively to the wheat protein (gluten) in foods containing white, rye, and barley. The current solution for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease is believed to be genetic, however, some research suggests a possible environmental connection. 

Research from the New York University School of Medicine found that high levels of Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blood samples correlate to an increased likelihood of a celiac disease diagnosis. 

POPs are toxic chemicals generated by human activity. Examples of POPs include polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE). These pollutants are found in all aspects of daily human life and serve many purposes, as shown in Table 1. 

Table 1: Common POPs’ Location and Function 

Spraying pesticides on bananas in the 1980s | Location: Big … | Flickr

Pesticides used in fruit farming occasionally contain DDE (Credit: Scot Nelson, Flickr)

In a study of 88 patients from NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital outpatient clinic, blood samples were measured for the aforementioned POPs. Subsequent testing for celiac disease was also performed and resulted in 30 patients receiving positive results. 

As seen in figure 1, the concentration of POPs in patients with celiac disease is slightly higher than in “healthy” patients. When age, BMI, sex, and genetic predisposition are accounted for, DDE was correlated with a two-fold increase in celiac disease diagnosis. 

Figure 1: PBDE, PFAS, and DDE Median Concentrations in Celiacs vs. Non-Celiacs. These bar graphs compare the median blood concentrations of various POPs in patients diagnosed with celiac disorder and non-celiacs. Notably, this figure does not account for age, sex, genetic predisposition, and BMI. (Credit: Carissa Chua, Modified from Gaylord, et. al.)

When separated by sex, PFAS pollutant concentration was found in higher concentrations in females with celiac disorder. Similarly, men with celiac disorder displayed higher levels of PBDEs. While this discovery is interesting, a more thorough, sexually stratified study should be performed using a greater sample size. 

Gluten free bread | ????????Professional Photographer ????Twitch C… | Flickr

Attempting to avoid these pollutants may complement a gluten-free diet (Credit: Marco Verch, Flickr)

Continued exploration into the interaction between POPs and celiac disease should be performed to definitively prove any relationship. However, attempting to cautiously avoid toxic pollutants as mentioned above may be a helpful addition to a gluten-free diet. 

 

 

 

-Carissa Chua

Forensic science: chemists are detectives in lab coat

Ever wonder how evidence is processed from a crime scene?

In the 19th century, British chemist James Marsh first developed a forensic method for detecting arsenic. And just in a period of ten years, the Marsh test solved 98 poison related cases all over England and Wales. Since then, forensic chemistry has always been an important aspect in a criminal investigation.

Source: Wikimedia

 

Nowadays, different substances can be identified using familiar laboratory instruments such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Thin Layer Chromatography, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, and more. These identifications play a crucial part in a police investigation as they provide investigators with leads suggesting how a crime is committed.

 

 

Different body fluids detection through FTIR. Source: Ayari Takamura and others

 

Remember that scene in the movie where a crime scene investigator sprays chemical onto something, and then trace of blood becomes apparent? This is called Luminol test. In the presence of blood, luminol reacts by fluorescing, thus emitting a blue glow in a dark room. Luminol is a water-based solution that detects blood even after it has been diluted 10,000 times.

The Kastle–Meyer test is another blood detection test that is common in crime labs. Phenolphthalein reacts with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of hemoglobin to turn from colorless to pink.

One important branch of forensic science is toxicology. A toxicology test uses principle of analytical chemistry , biology, and the study of poisons to determine the identity and relative amount of substances presence in one’s body fluids. A tox screen can provide the police with valuable information to the nature of the investigation, such as poisoning, overdose, suicidal or homicidal.

A forensic scientist is Sherlock with a microscope!

Breaking Down Plastic, One Worm at a Time

A 2022 study by Sanluis-Verdes et al. has found that wax worm saliva is able to break down plastic in just a few hours.

The researchers collected saliva from Galleria mellonella worms and applied it to polyethylene (PE) films. After a few hours, the films had visibly deteriorated and analysis of the films determined that the plastic had oxidized and released additives, evidence that it had degraded.

Credit: Catherine Sheila

Generally, plastics require decades or even centuries to completely degrade through natural exposure to the environment. Because of humanity’s high consumption of plastic, simply dumping them in landfills or waterways only leads to an accumulation that smothers habitats and leaks toxic substances into the soil and water.

This makes finding a safe and quick way of breaking down plastic crucial for sustainable waste management.

Scientists in recent years have been particularly interested in biodegradation, in which naturally-produced enzymes from bacteria, fungi, or animals are used to decompose plastic.

However, scientists have only identified a handful of enzymes that are capable of this, and these enzymes still require years to degrade plastic. They are unable to accomplish the first step of degradation – oxidizing the polymer – and still rely on exposure to UV light and other environmental factors to do it, which usually takes years.

Currently known process of plastic degradation. Credit: Rebecca Yang

Sanluis-Verdes et al.’s experiment demonstrated that the enzymes in wax worm saliva are in fact able to accomplish this crucial step under normal physiological conditions – room temperature, neutral pH, typical background levels of UV – in just a few hours rather than years. The researchers identified an increased presence of ketones in the PE after only applying the saliva a few times, proof that it had been oxidized by the enzymes alone. 

The researchers also tried to identify the enzymes responsible. They were able to pick out two enzymes in the saliva that had a significant effect on PE degradation. Until now, it was believed that bacteria in the gut of wax worms were primarily responsible for plastic degradation, but this discovery indicated that it was the wax worms themselves that oxidized and broke down PE enough for it to then be completely decomposed by bacteria. The researchers also noted that the two enzymes were functionally different from known bacterial enzymes. This suggests that there may be other methods of biodegradation than what is currently known for bacteria.

The exact mechanism will require further studies to determine. If this can be identified and if the enzymes involved can be easily extracted or mass produced, using the enzymes found in wax worms may become a feasible way to naturally and quickly manage plastic waste.

The Impact of Different Types of Stress on Mental Health: A Guide

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but not all stress is created equal. Different types of stress, such as acute stress, chronic stress, work-related stress, and relationship stress, can have significant effects on our mental health. Chronic stress and work-related stress are the most significant predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms. By understanding the effects of different types of stress on mental health, individuals and organizations can take steps to manage and reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

Acute stress is a short-term response to a specific event or situation. It is helpful in small amounts, but prolonged exposure can lead to anxiety and depression. On the other hand, chronic stress persists for a long time and is the most harmful type of stress. Chronic stress can arise from unpleasant experiences during childhood or traumatic events that occur later in life. It can result in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Work-related stress is caused by work-related factors like long hours and difficult coworkers. This type of stress can cause burnout, depression, and anxiety. Relationship stress, on the other hand, is caused by problems in personal relationships. It can also lead to depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

To better understand the impact of different types of stress on mental health, a bar chart is estimated based on a data set available survey of 500 individuals. The chart shows the percentage of individuals experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms for each type of stress. This helps to illustrate the effects of stress on mental health and can provide insight into ways to manage and reduce stress.

Table 1: Number of Individuals Affected by Different Types of Stress

 

Figure 1: The bar chart shows the percentage of individuals experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms for each type of stress. Chronic stress has the highest incidence of depression and anxiety symptoms, with 70% of individuals experiencing at least one symptom. Work-related stress also has a high incidence of depression and anxiety symptoms, with 55% of individuals experiencing at least one symptom. Acute stress and relationship stress have lower incidence rates, with 30% and 25% of individuals experiencing at least one symptom, respectively.

Chronic stress has the highest incidence of depression and anxiety symptoms with 70% of individuals experiencing at least one symptom, followed by work-related stress with 55%. Acute stress and relationship stress have lower incidence rates of 30% and 25%, respectively.

Overall, the data suggests that chronic stress and work-related stress are the most significant predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms. Being aware of the effects of different types of stress on mental health can enable us to take measures to manage stress and preserve our mental well-being.

Why does everyone I know vape? Nicotine is why.

 Thousands of Canadians are becoming addicted to nicotine. There has recently been an increase in the popularity of nicotine products such as vapes, cigarettes, and nicotine pouches among young Canadians. 

Figure 1. Vape pen and Cigarette Source:Wikimedia

Many teens turn to vaping or nicotine pouches believing they are safer to consume than tobacco products but the truth is that they are all harmful. The nicotine in these tobacco-free products is extracted from tobacco giving it its addictive quality. Nicotine is an extremely addictive, fast-acting psychoactive chemical. It stimulates the release of adrenaline and dopamine. While nicotine is not generally the root cause of illness or death, its presence in all smoking products is what gets people addicted. The general public is becoming addicted to nicotine products at an alarming rate.

 

Figure 2. Chemical structure of Nicotine Source: Wikimedia

The rise in nicotine addiction in adolescents can be linked to the rise of vape usage. The Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine survey of 2021 concluded that almost half of all adults aged 20-24 reported using vape products at least once. Similarly, they found that 29% of youth aged 15 to 19 years of age had tried vape products. 

Figure 3. Vaping statistics among youth in Canada

 Nicotine has been proven to be especially harmful to developing adults. Since the brain has not fully developed until at least 25 years of age, any nicotine usage in adolescence can cause irreversible damage to it. In adolescents, nicotine particularly affects the prefrontal cortex which is the area of the brain that is responsible for executive functions and attention performance.  Nicotine has both short and long-term effects on the brain such as developing mood disorders and permanently lowering impulse control. 

This is a problem that must be addressed. Keeping Canadians away from nicotine is vital to their well-being.

-Oscar Caridad