Chemicals

Both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and its close relative Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants. SLS and SLES are esters of Sulphuric acid....

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company,...

Trichloroethylene is used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts and as an industrial solvent. It is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids...

Toluene (methylbenzene, toluol, phenylmethane) is an aromatic hydrocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent for the manufacturing of paints, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and rubber. Toluene is found in gasoline, acrylic paints,...

Sunscreens are chemical agents that help prevent the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the skin, or that is what you have been led to believe. SPF stands for Sun...

Food preservation is the procedure of treating and handling food to prevent or greatly slow spoilage by micro-organisms, improve appearance of the food or extend its shelf life. A preservative...

Of course, everyone realizes petroleum products are used in the gasoline that fuels our vehicles. But did you know petroleum-based components are in medicines, food, and even in the clothes...

These cancer-causing agents can be sealed into fruit and vegetables by the wax that is used to make produce look shiny. Don't buy shiny produce! Since these pesticides become airborne,...

Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) belongs to a broad family of man-made organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. PCBs were domestically manufactured from 1929 until their manufacture was banned in 1979. They...

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant chemicals added to products so they won't catch fire or burn so easily if they are exposed to flame or high heat. PBDEs...

The primary commercial source of nicotine is by extraction from the dried leaves of the tobacco plant. Since nicotine is the drug in tobacco leaves, whether someone smokes, chews, or...

Chemically speaking, MSG is approximately 78 percent free glutamic acid, 21 percent sodium, and up to 1 percent contaminants. It's a misconception that MSG is a flavor or "meat tenderizer."...

Lindane is an organochlorine insecticide and fumigant which has been used on a wide range of soil-dwelling and plant-eating insects. It is commonly used on a wide variety of crops,...

An insecticide is a pesticide used to kill insects. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the...

Hexane (n-Hexane) is a chemical made from crude oil. Most of the hexane used in the industry is mixed with similar chemicals in products known as solvents. The major use...

Herbicides, also commonly known as weed killers, are used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by...

Fungicides are extensively used in industry, agriculture, and the home and garden for a number of purposes. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield,...

Formaldehyde is naturally produced in very small amounts in our bodies as a part of our normal, everyday metabolism and causes us no harm. It can also be found in...

People associate certain colors with certain flavors, and the color of food can influence the perceived flavor in anything from candy to wine. For this reason, food manufacturers add these...

Fluoride in drinking water was originally added in the 1940s to prevent tooth decay, or that was the cover story. The hard truth is that fluoride can do little to...

Dioxins are a class of chemical contaminants that are formed during combustion processes such as waste incineration, forest fires, and backyard trash burning. They are also used during some industrial...

N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, abbreviated DEET, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. It is intended to be applied to the skin or to clothing, and provides protection against tick bites,...

A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco for smoking, enclosed in a wrapper of thin paper. The main ingredient in cigarettes is tobacco, although the tobacco is...

Chloroform is a colorless liquid with a pleasant, nonirritating odor and a slightly sweet taste. Several million tons are produced annually as a precursor to Teflon and refrigerants. In the...

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and the related compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are often added to foods to preserve fats. BHA and BHT are antioxidants. Oxygen reacts with BHA or BHT rather...

Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil and is one of the most basic petrochemicals. Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell. Most people...

The foods currently lining U.S. supermarket shelves contain hundreds of additives designed to enhance color, texture, flavor, and shelf life. There are also dietary additives, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty...

We assume companies would not sell us products that may cause health concerns, right? Sadly, we are exposed to chemicals in almost every aspect of our lives! There are toxins...