Why chemicals are bad

And their variety is constantly increasing as new synthetic chemicals are produced. But there is a lot of confusion around about what chemicals are out there and whether they are safe or dangerous.

Many synthetic chemicals are completely safe around humans, while some natural chemicals can be deadly, and are found in common foods such as apples, almonds and potatoes. And any talk about living chemical-free is complete nonsense. We are made of chemicals, and we consume a huge variety of them every day. And a similar number of new chemicals have accidentally been released. Chemicals can ignite. Chemicals can explode. They can corrode pipes, poison fish and damage trees and other plants.

Chemicals can also harm the health of human beings. Codes of Practice. Online Complaint Form. Getting Started. Business and Education Supports. Workplace Transport Safety Load Securing. Accidents and Behaviour Bullying at Work. Workplace Stress. Dangerous Chemicals Any chemical, in either gas, liquid or solid form, that has the potential to cause harm is referred to as a hazardous or dangerous chemical.

Chemical Exposure Chemicals can enter the body via: Inhalation: breathing in the chemical. Absorption: through skin contact or a splash in the eye.

Ingestion: via contaminated food or hands, or Injection: when a sharp object such as a hook or needle punctures the skin. Third, some synthetic chemicals are better for the environment, for example natural sources of vanilla the vanilla bean are being depleted. Remember, most chemicals are pretty amazing, they are all around us and they are us.

Take a minute to look around you. The objects you are able to see are due to chemicals absorbing light, the things you smell are chemicals binding to your olfactory receptors, and chemical signals in your body are responsible for your ability to sense these things.

Chemicals deserve respect and appreciation because whether or not you want to admit it your friends are chemicals! Images: The Earth seen from Apollo 17 modified from Wikipedia Commons; others: screenshots from sites linked in the text. The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Dorea Reeser is a Ph. Her research focuses on studying chemical reactions at water surfaces, and how the chemical and physical properties at the air-water interface influence these reactions and the release of important trace gases into the troposphere.

She combines her creative and scientific sides with her passion for presenting science, whether it's at a scientific conference, in the classroom, at an outreach event, at a social outing, on paper or in a video. Follow Dorea Reeser on Twitter.