Friday, October 18, 2024

Toxic chemicals used in food preparation leach into human bodies, study finds

Toxic chemicals used in food preparation leach into human bodies, study finds





More than 3,600 chemicals that leach into food during the manufacturing, processing, packaging and storage of the world’s food supply end up in the human body — and some are connected to serious health harms, a new study found.

“This is a staggering number and shows that food contact materials are a significant source of chemicals in humans,” said Martin Wagner, a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, in an email. “The study is the first to systematically link the chemicals we use in materials to package and process foods to human exposure,” said Wagner, who was not involved in the research.

Seventy-nine of the food-processing chemicals found in the body are known to cause cancer, genetic mutations, endocrine and reproductive issues, and other health concerns, according to the study published Monday in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. Many more chemicals may be harmful in ways that science does not yet know, said senior study author Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, a nonprofit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, that focuses on science communication and research.

“We’re measuring not only the chemicals that were known to be used in the food manufacturing process, but all the gunk as well — the byproducts and impurities that we call non-intentionally added substances,” Muncke said. “Those substances are always present in plastic, in can and package coatings, in printing inks and so on. They may not have a technical function in the food processing, but they are there regardless and migrating into people, and we measure them.”




The American Chemistry Council, an industry association, told CNN that its members are dedicated to food safety. “It is essential, however, when assessing potential risks to consider a broader context, including existing regulatory frameworks, scientific evidence, and the actual levels and degree of exposure that may exist, a council spokesperson said via email. “Any proposed actions lacking this context, particularly when causality has not been definitively established, is inconsistent with risk-based U.S. chemical regulation laws.”

However, while food contact materials may comply with current government regulations, the study highlights that these chemicals may not be fully safe, Muncke said. “We don’t know exactly what the amount is that’s been used in food packaging or other food contact materials versus the amount that’s being used for cosmetics, personal care products, textiles and so on and so forth, right? I would like to have that information,” she said. “I think it would be fantastic to make it a regulatory requirement for companies to declare how much and what type of chemicals they are putting into my food or plastic water bottle.” 

Well-studied toxic chemicals found in food

One chemical the study detected in both food and the human body is bisphenol A, or BPA, that had been used to create baby bottles, sippy cups and infant formula containers until frightened parents boycotted those products more than a decade ago.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor that has been linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children. In adults, the chemical has been linked to the development of diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer and a 49% higher risk of early death within 10 years.

Bisphenol A can leach into food from the linings of canned foods, polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers and water bottles, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“The study also shows that food contact materials can contain mutagenic chemicals that harm our DNA, such as heavy metals,” Wagner said. “There is strong evidence that humans are exposed to PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, from food packaging that are very persistent, bioaccumulate and cause organ toxicity.”

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The hormone-disrupting chemicals are so worrisome that in July 2022 the Academies set “nanogram” levels of concern and called for testing of high-risk individuals, including infants and older adults. (A nanogram is equivalent to 1 billionth of a gram.)

Another chemical group in food packaging that has migrated into people is phthalates, the research revealed. Found in shampoo, makeup, perfume and children’s toys as well as food containers, phthalates have been linked with genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys and lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in adult males. Previous studies have also linked phthalates to childhood obesity, asthma, cardiovascular issues, cancer and premature death in people ages 55 to 64.

Only a few food chemicals are tracked in humans

In the new study, researchers compared 14,000 chemicals known to come in contact with food during the packaging process with worldwide databases that monitor human exposure to potential chemical toxins. All the research data has been uploaded to an open database for scientific use. “We’ve got, say, 60 years of research into the migration of chemicals into food from food processing and packaging equipment. It’s been studied very extensively,” Muncke said.

“And at the same time, there’s increasingly good, powerful studies coming out on Bisphenol A, on phthalates, on PFAS, brominated flame retardants and so forth that are associated with diseases in people.”

What was lacking in the literature was a comparison between what was found in people and the chemicals known to migrate during food processing into food. To connect the dots, Muncke and her colleagues looked at national and regional biomonitoring databases that track chemicals in human blood, urine, breast milk, tissue samples and other biomarkers.

For the study, researchers used data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, which gathers yearly health and nutrition data on Americans. Other databases included the Canadian Health Measures Survey, Human Biomonitoring for Europe, the Korean National Environmental Health Survey and Biomonitoring California, a state database.

Of the 14,000 chemicals known to migrate into food during processing and packaging, only a few hundred are measured in people by these programs, according to the study. For example, only 172 chemicals detected in food contact materials are monitored in the United States by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey — 144 of these chemicals have been detected in some populations, Muncke said.

“Given that there are (tens) of thousands of food contact chemicals, biomonitoring programs do not have the capacity to test for all chemicals we are potentially exposed to,” Wagner said. “This creates biases towards very well studied substances and leaves a big gap in our knowledge on all the other chemicals we potentially have in our bodies.” Of course, having a chemical in the body does not necessarily mean the chemical is harmful, said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a consumer organization that monitors exposure to PFAS and other dangerous chemicals.

“Yet you’re not supposed to be born with any chemical inside of you,” Benesh said. “The bigger question is do we really need these chemicals to process our food? When there are chemicals in our bodies that we know have the potential to cause us harm, we should be eliminating every route of exposure that we can.”

‘Generally recognized as safe’

Since 2000, nearly 99% of any new food contact chemicals were greenlit for use by the food and chemical industry, not the US Food and Drug Administration, according to a 2022 analysis by EWG.

In that 22-year period, food manufacturers asked the FDA’s permission to introduce a chemical 10 times, the analysis said. Instead, “companies have exploited a loophole for substances that are ‘generally recognized as safe,’ or GRAS. The loophole lets food manufacturers — not the FDA — decide a substance is safe,” the EWG report stated.

Created by an amendment in the 1950s to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, GRAS was intended to be applied narrowly to common ingredients such as sugar, vinegar and baking soda. The US Government Accountability Office released a report in November 2022 highlighting FDA limitations in monitoring the nation’s food safety, including the agency’s lack of legal authority over food manufacturers. “In addition, FDA does not track the date of the last pre- or post market review for all food contact substances in a way that allows FDA to readily identify substances that may warrant a post market review because new safety information may have emerged,” the GAO report stated.

FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, Jim Jones, told US House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s subcommittee on health last week that the FDA has made food chemical safety a top priority.

Toxic chemicals in food
Food contamination
Chemical leaching
Human body exposure
Food safety
Chemical migration
Endocrine disruptors
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
Phthalates in food
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Packaging chemicals
Heavy metals in food
Food contact materials (FCMs)
Health risks of food additives

#FoodSafety
#ChemicalExposure
#ToxicChemicals
#FoodContamination
#HealthRisks
#ChemicalLeaching
#EndocrineDisruptors
#PFAS
#FoodPackaging
#FoodToxins
#CleanEating
#SafeFood
#PublicHealth
#ChemicalAwareness
#EnvironmentalHealth

About Us

Award Information - International Analytical Chemistry Awards

Welcome to the International Analytical Chemistry Awards - International Analytical Chemistry Awards, a premier event in the realm of International Analytical Chemistry Awards. Here's what you need to know about this exciting Award :

  • Theme: The theme for International Analytical Chemistry Awards is "Sustainable International Analytical Chemistry Awards for a Connected Future."
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Breakthrough in Hydroxyurea Detection: Point-of-Care Innovation#chemistr...

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Microplastics in Food: Hidden Dangers & Future Solutions #sciencefather ...

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Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Catalyst Magic: Game-Changing Method for Alkane Activation Discovered in Japan

Catalyst Magic: Game-Changing Method for Alkane Activation Discovered in Japan



Researchers have developed a novel method to activate alkanes using confined chiral Brønsted acids, significantly enhancing the efficiency and selectivity of chemical reactions. This breakthrough allows for the precise arrangement of atoms in products, crucial for creating specific forms of molecules used in pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.



Scientists at Hokkaido University in Japan have achieved a significant breakthrough in organic chemistry with their novel method for activating alkanes—key compounds in the chemical industry. Published in Science, this new technique simplifies the conversion of these fundamental elements into valuable compounds, enhancing the production of medicines and advanced materials.

Alkanes, a primary component of fossil fuels, are essential in the production of a wide range of chemicals and materials including plastics, solvents, and lubricants. However, their robust carbon-carbon bonds render them remarkably stable and inert, posing a significant challenge for chemists seeking to convert them into more useful compounds. To overcome this, scientists have turned their attention to cyclopropanes, a unique type of alkane whose ring structure makes them more reactive than other alkanes.

Many of the existing techniques for breaking down long-chain alkanes, known as cracking, tend to generate a mixture of molecules, making it challenging to isolate the desired products. This challenge arises from the cationic intermediate, a carbonium ion, which has a carbon atom bonded to five groups instead of the three typically described for a carbocation in chemistry textbooks. This makes it extremely reactive and difficult to control its selectivity.

Precision and Efficiency in Catalysis

The research team discovered that a particular class of confined chiral Brønsted acids, called imidodiphosphorimidate (IDPi), could address this problem. IDPi’s are very strong acids that can donate protons to activate cyclopropanes and facilitate their selective fragmentation within their microenvironments. The ability to donate protons within such a confined active site allows for greater control over the reaction mechanism, improving efficiency and selectivity in producing valuable products.

“By utilizing a specific class of these acids, we established a controlled environment that allows cyclopropanes to break apart into alkenes while ensuring precise arrangements of atoms in the resulting molecules,” says Professor Benjamin List, who led the study together with Associate Professor Nobuya Tsuji of the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery at Hokkaido University, and is affiliated with both the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung and Hokkaido University. “This precision, known as stereoselectivity, is crucial for example in scents and pharmaceuticals, where the specific form of a molecule can significantly influence its function.”

Catalyst Optimization and Computational Insights

The success of this method stems from the catalyst’s ability to stabilize unique transient structures formed during the reaction, guiding the process toward the desired products while minimizing unwanted byproducts. To optimize their approach, the researchers systematically refined the structure of their catalyst, which improved the results.

“The modifications we made to certain parts of the catalyst enabled us to produce higher amounts of the desired products and specific forms of the molecule,” explains Associate Professor Nobuya Tsuji, the other corresponding author of this study. “By using advanced computational simulations, we were able to visualize how the acid interacts with the cyclopropane, effectively steering the reaction toward the desired outcome.”



The researchers also tested their method on a variety of compounds, demonstrating its effectiveness in converting not only a specific type of cyclopropanes but also more complex molecules into valuable products.

This innovative approach enhances the efficiency of chemical reactions as well as opens new avenues for creating valuable chemicals from common hydrocarbon sources. The ability to precisely control the arrangement of atoms in the final products could lead to the development of targeted chemicals for diverse applications, ranging from pharmaceuticals to advanced materials.

Reference: “Catalytic asymmetric fragmentation of cyclopropanes” by Ravindra Krushnaji Raut, Satoshi Matsutani, Fuxing Shi, Shuta Kataoka, Margareta Poje, Benjamin Mitschke, Satoshi Maeda, Nobuya Tsuji and Benjamin List, 10 October 2024, Science.

Alkane activation
Catalyst innovation
C-H bond activation
Hydrocarbon functionalization
Sustainable chemistry
Green catalysis
Selective oxidation
Organometallic catalysis
Transition metal catalysts
Japanese chemical research
Reaction efficiency
Catalytic cycles
Chemical transformation
Low-energy pathways
Catalysis breakthrough

#AlkaneActivation
#CatalystInnovation
#GreenChemistry
#SustainableCatalysis
#ChemicalBreakthrough
#C_HBondActivation
#Organometallics
#EnergyEfficient
#ChemistryResearch
#JapaneseScience
#TransitionMetalCatalysts
#SelectiveOxidation


About Us

Award Information - International Analytical Chemistry Awards

Welcome to the International Analytical Chemistry Awards - International Analytical Chemistry Awards, a premier event in the realm of International Analytical Chemistry Awards. Here's what you need to know about this exciting Award :

  • Theme: The theme for International Analytical Chemistry Awards is "Sustainable International Analytical Chemistry Awards for a Connected Future."
  • Hybrid Event: International Analytical Chemistry Awards is an innovative hybrid event, offering two dynamic ways to participate.


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Monday, October 14, 2024

Toward Quantum Advantage: Qunova’s HiVQE Algorithm Transforms Quantum Chemistry

 



Qunova Computing’s recent breakthrough using its HiVQE algorithm not only achieved chemical accuracy on several NISQ quantum computers but also accelerated computations by 1,000 times.

This advancement significantly narrows the gap to achieving a quantum advantage in chemistry, offering the potential to revolutionize how we approach complex chemical problems with quantum computing. This achievement marks a major leap towards practical and scalable quantum applications in the chemical industry.

Groundbreaking Results in Quantum Computing

Qunova Computing, a company developing quantum software for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial engineering sectors, announced today that its algorithm has achieved unprecedented levels of accuracy in tests on three different Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era quantum computers, each with varying numbers of qubits. In each test, the algorithm produced results with an accuracy below the 1.6 millihartrees threshold required for practical quantum chemistry applications, a standard referred to as ‘chemical accuracy’. This is the first time such accuracy has been reached on a commercially available quantum computer.

Pioneering Achievements Demonstrated Live

“This is a very exciting result for our team, and indeed for the quantum computing community more broadly,” said June-Koo Kevin Rhee, CEO and Founder of Qunova Computing. “These results show that we are able to meet the requirements of industrial users on existing NISQ machines. We anticipate that running a similar demonstration on a NISQ machine with as few as 40 qubits could provide industrial users with a real quantum advantage. To that end, our team will spend the coming months preparing experiments to confirm if this theory is correct.”


Hardware-Agnostic Algorithm Performance

During the Quantum Korea 2024 event, Qunova demonstrated chemical accuracy using a 20-qubit IQM machine. This demonstration was performed successfully for 3 days in a row, to produce energy estimations of three different geometries of lithium sulfide (Li2S) for an hour each day, live at the event. Previous to that, in a 24-qubit experiment using an IBM Quantum Eagle processor, Qunova also demonstrated its algorithm could reach a computational accuracy of 0.1 millihartrees in modeling the ground state energy of lithium sulfide, which is well beyond what is required for chemical accuracy. The company has also recently achieved comparable results using the IBEX Q1 quantum computer, an ion-based machine from AQT that supports up to 20 qubits.

These results indicate that the quantum algorithm Qunova has developed is hardware-agnostic. These tests were conducted on a range of different molecules including lithium sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, water, and methane.

Industry Partnerships and Future Applications

“The results Qunova has demonstrated mark a significant milestone for end-users aiming to use quantum hardware for applications in the field of chemistry. IQM is pleased to have supplied the hardware on which this demonstration was run repeatedly, over multiple days, during this summer’s Quantum Korea event. Our commercial quantum system ran reliably and, together with Qunova’s advanced algorithm, demonstrated that we are now entering the era when quantum computing can deliver real value for users in the form of new business applications,” said Dr. Peter Eder, Head of Strategic Partnerships at IQM Quantum Computers.

“At AQT, our aim is to solve challenges beyond classical computing capabilities, pushing boundaries to address business needs. Providing quantum hardware on which Qunova was able to achieve chemical accuracy is an excellent example of the kind of value we aim to deliver with our partners. The results from this experiment, using our 20-qubit trapped-ion system, show that Qunova’s solution is truly hardware agnostic, which is an impressive achievement. Through our cloud solution, ARNICA, we remain committed to accelerating quantum discovery and making this transformative technology readily available,” added Dr. Thomas Monz, CEO at AQT.

A New Era of Quantum Efficiency

Unlike simulations done on classical computers using traditional Variational Quantum Eigensolvers (VQEs), which are not scalable, the Qunova solution functions on all types of quantum computers and provides computational accuracy sufficient to carry out advanced computations for chemistry. Meanwhile, VQEs run on quantum systems have thus far failed to achieve chemical accuracy. Qunova has achieved this using its new kind of simplified VQE, dubbed “HiVQE” or “Handover Iteration VQE”.

The results show that using this HiVQE solution reduces the computational resources required to compute these problems by 1,000 times or more, when compared with traditional VQEs. Qunova therefore estimates that its algorithm has the potential to deliver a quantum advantage for chemical computations, over classical computers, using a NISQ machine with as few as 40-60 qubits.

The key to this breakthrough was to develop a computational method without carrying over errors in the quantum computing procedure. “Pauli word measurements” were therefore removed from the traditional VQE algorithm to simplify problems and harvest only essential data related to the orbitals of each molecule. Then, those outcomes were fed into classical machines to calculate the result with the lowest energy very quickly, which allows chemical accuracy to be achieved. This also enabled the computations to run 1,000x more efficiently.


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Saturday, October 12, 2024

 

New Catalyst for Efficient Methane Production Using Electricity



It is the primary component of natural gas and, when produced using green electricity, is largely climate-neutral. The researchers' understanding of the model system they examined can be applied to large-scale technological catalysts. It is possible to generate other significant chemical compounds using this technique.

The researcher moved from the University of Montreal to the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Bonn. He initiated his most recent study while in Canada and completed it after relocating to his new institution.

The study discusses water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The researchers brought these two partners together using a gas diffusion electrode. The reaction requires separating the two oxygen atoms (chemical symbol: O) from the carbon atom (C) and substituting them with four hydrogen atoms (H). Water is the source of the hydrogen.

Preventing Side Reactions

The issue with this approach is that water prefers to go through a different reaction and will instantly split into hydrogen and oxygen when it comes into contact with an electric current.

This is the function of the recently created catalyst, which is applied to the electrode. Above all, it ensures that carbon dioxide reacts faster and makes it easier to form methane. It does this by weakening the bonds that bind the carbon atom to the two oxygen atoms and containing the carbon dioxide in its so-called “active center.”

The following step involves gradually substituting four hydrogen atoms for these oxygen atoms. At this point in the process, the catalyst requires water. However, it must also maintain a safe distance to prevent any unwanted side effects.

Water-Fearing Molecular Chains

This specialized phrase translates to “having a fear of water” and is derived from Greek. The side chains serve as a kind of conveyor belt, keeping the H2O molecules away from the electrode and active center. In other words, they grab hydrogen atoms from the water molecules and move them to the active core, where they combine with the carbon atom. In this fashion, CO2 is transformed into CH4 in numerous phases.

This reaction creates almost no unwanted side products, and the process is efficient over 80%. Nevertheless, the catalyst is not truly ideal for the large-scale generation of methane.

The researcher thinks there are other uses for this technique besides the production of methane. He believes that it may be more profitable to produce other chemical compounds, such as ethylene, which is the raw material for many plastics. Hence, in the medium run, it might be possible to reduce the environmental impact of plastic manufacture by using the novel catalyst method whenever feasible.

The investigation had participation from the following institutions: The Universities of Bonn, Montreal (Canada), Swansea (Wales), Bayreuth, Oulu (Finland), Hohenheim, FU Berlin, and the Synchroton SOLEIL in Saint-Aubin (France).

The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Erasmus+ program from the EU.

  • Methane production
  • Catalysis
  • Electrocatalysis
  • Renewable energy
  • Green chemistry
  • Sustainable fuel
  • Carbon-neutral methane
  • Electricity-driven synthesis
  • Energy efficiency
  • CO2 reduction
  • Hydrogen generation
  • Catalyst innovation
  • Electrochemical processes
  • Clean energy
  • Methane synthesis

    • #MethaneProduction
    #Catalysis
    #Electrocatalysis
    #GreenEnergy
    #SustainableFuel
    #CarbonNeutral
    #RenewableEnergy
    #CleanTech
    #EnergyEfficiency
    #CO2Reduction
    #HydrogenEconomy
    #Electrochemical

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    Fazli Karim | Sarhad University | Innovative Research Award | Pakistan

    Innovative Research Award Fazli Karim is a researcher at Sarhad University of Science & Information Technology, Pakistan, with experti...