A little chemistry in our lives.

Chemistry is present in an important way in the daily life of all of us. In many objects, processes, industries and even in human behaviors chemistry occupies an important place. It is important to make a reflection from this area about where we can find connections with chemistry.

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The development of chemistry and the processes associated with it has allowed us to improve the quality of life of people today and to achieve important advances in the economy and society. Chemistry is present in personal care products, in foods that we consume canned, in the circuits that make up a computer, on the television screen, in the painting of buildings, in cold and heat machinery, etc.

The possibilities of everyday processes and activities are infinite where we can develop with the effect of chemistry. Even in actions within our day to day we can be generating or producing chemical reactions almost without realizing it. Some acts involving chemistry can be frying an egg, lighting a match, starting a car, operating the light switch or simply dipping a cookie.

Chemistry is an active and constantly growing science, whose importance is vital in our world. It is present in practically all the activities of our daily life. For example, when we eat, food gives us energy that is produced by different chemical reactions within our cells. We use this energy to run, play, study and work, among other activities. At this moment you can read without problems thanks to the fact that your body is releasing energy from chemical reactions that, without realizing it, are being generated in your body.

Also, the same foods that we consume (meat, milk, fruits, and others) are the product of complex chemical reactions. In nature, these reactions are carried out daily in organisms. An example is a photosynthesis. Through it, plants synthesize saccharides (family of compounds that include sugar) that are stored in specialized organs, like the fruits we eat (now you know why apples and pears are sweet). And so we can continue to list many other reactions in which chemistry is present in our lives.

Biological substances appear in some foods such as meats and vegetables, in drinks such as milk or beer. This study is very similar to that of biochemistry from the point of view of the main ingredients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, etc. It also includes the study of water, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, flavors, and color.

Many are the chemicals that intervene in the manufacture of clothes. Among them, pesticides with which they fumigate crops, detergents, and soaps used to wash clothes, housecleaning and bathing, also dyes and other substances necessary to color the fabric.

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An area where chemistry plays a fundamental role and helps save lives in the field of health. Thanks to this science it is possible that drugs, vaccines, and solutions of great impact are available to improve the quality of life of patients, especially in cases of long-term or chronic diseases. Even chemistry has made it easier to find drugs that can cure diseases that were unthinkable a few years ago.

Surely as a good professional you are already very aware of all these moments and products in which chemistry is working, but perhaps we are not always sufficiently aware of the negative impact that this evolution and progress thanks to chemistry can have on our environment if we do not manage adequately or if the appropriate measures are not taken.

Chemistry professionals agree that it would not be possible to live without chemistry today. However, this science that facilitates and improves life also has a counterpart. For example, it would not be possible to consume perishable foods in the medium term if preservatives are not used in their packaging and storage. In this way, the quality of life is also accompanied by certain resignations that are inevitable and that we must assume.

This brings us to a double reflection in which chemistry professionals should work:

• On the one hand, in the search for new alternative sources of energy and raw materials that will make industrial research and development more viable in the long term. In this field, research is still being carried out to generate new, more sustainable modes of production.

• On the other hand, to raise awareness in the industry in general and society about the consequences that certain processes can have in the immediate environment. In this way, the development of less invasive and less impactful production forms in the environment becomes a necessity.

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Our usual clothes are made of four types of basic materials: cotton, wool, silk and synthetic fibers. At present, even the manufacture of clothes made of natural fibers involves processes that can harm the environment: dyes, coatings, bleaching, mercerization, etc. In order to give greater visibility or appearance to the clothes, the fibers are treated with all kinds of chemical processes, many of which use toxic substances for the environment.

Education and chemistry have a lot in common because to know about chemistry you have to study and learn from it, that is why there are chemistry education centers. The education of chemistry has occupied a great position that schools and institutes carry out so that students or students know the importance that chemistry has for us since it is practically in everything that surrounds us.

However, not everything is positive. There are documented cases of the use of chemical elements to carry out attacks and terrorist attacks, the most notorious being the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 and the attacks on the Tokyo subway in 1995, both with sarin gas, a pesticide developed for crops.

We want to continue making life easier and improving the processes and health of the population, but education, training, research, environmental awareness, among other aspects play a very important role in this work. It is our responsibility as chemists to continue working towards this goal.

CURIOUS FACT.
Within the cells of the onion, there are some compounds that contain sulfur. When we cut it, the cells are broken and transformed into more volatile sulfur molecules, which are released into the air. These sulfur compounds react with the moisture in your eyes generating sulfuric acid, which produces a burning sensation. The nerve endings in the eyes are very sensitive and detect this irritation. Then the brain reacts by telling the tear ducts of your eyes to produce more water, that is, tears, to dilute the acid and thus protect the eyes.