Chemistry and Public Policy. Chemistry has influenced our lives in profound ways

Question

Chemistry and Public Policy. Chemistry has influenced our lives in profound ways and will continue to do so in the future. In fact 70 percent of all legislation placed before congress addresses science - related questions an issues, and many pertain to chemistry. Find a science related piece of legislation or law that is enforced and discuss how it has helped or not helped society. For example "Is it safe to radiate food to retard spoilage?", "Should MTBE gasoline additive be prohibited even though it improves car performance?" please explain in detail full detail....

Explanation / Answer

Food irradiation is the process of exposing foodstuffs to ionizing radiation. These radiations are useful for freeing electrons from their atomic bonds in the targeted food.
(a) It is useful for preserving food for reducing the risk of food borne illness;
(b) preventing the spread of invasive pests; and
(c) for delaying or eliminating sprouting or ripening.
Negative effects of food irradiation:
(a) Some microbes are resistant to mild radiations and there is no definitive way of killing all of the organisms that can come into contact with our foods.
(b) Irradiated foods might cause serious health issues like cancers, chromosome abnormalities, and premature deaths.
(c) There is a prospective loss of vitamins and minerals from food. The textures and flavor also could be altered which makes it smell or taste unpleasant.

(2) Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline additive useful for boosting octane. It is an oxygenate that is, it adds oxygen to the reaction when it burns or reduces the amount of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust and so it improves car performance. But, MTBE is carcinogenic when mixes with water. When a gasoline containing MTBE leaks from an underground storage tank at a gas station, it can mix easily into the groundwater and can contaminate wells.

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