/oss/taxonomy/term/3282/all en /oss/article/medical-technology/springtime-montreal-means-scent-asphalt-air <p>So, what is asphalt and where does it come from? The source is petroleum, that dark viscous liquid found deep within the Earth, the product of once living organisms subjected to millennia of intense pressure and heat. It is not an understatement to say that petroleum is vital to modern life. It is of course used to produce the fuel that our cars, trucks, buses, ships and airplanes run on, but petroleum also furnishes the raw materials used to make our plastics, synthetic fibres, medications, agrochemicals and personal care products.</p> Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9923 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/benzene-jitters <p>At one time it was used as an aftershave because of its sweet smell.  It was even used to decaffeinate coffee.  Oh my, how times change!  Today we worry about a few parts per billion of benzene in our drinking water, in our soft drinks, in our antiperspirants or sun protection products.  Why?  Because benzene is an established carcinogen and should be avoided.  But benzene also happens to be one of the building blocks of our society.  Traces of it are everywhere.  Given that eliminating benzene from the environment is impossible, what we need is a reasonable risk analysis.  That’s quite a c</p> Thu, 20 Jan 2022 01:26:48 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8995 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/what-difference-between-regular-candles-and-dripless-candles <p>Candles are one of the oldest forms of generating light. Any flame, of course, is a source of light so candles emerged from a search for materials that could burn for a long time. Nobody knows who first noted that beeswax, beef tallow or spermaceti from whales burned well, but it would not have been a difficult thing to notice. Countless people must have observed that the fatty parts of animals when cooked would sometimes catch fire.</p> Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:56:43 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7675 at /oss /oss/article/videos/right-chemistry-chemistry-shoe-polish <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-5qibf3tjed8" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the chemistry of shoe polish" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5QIbF3tjEd8?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-5qibf3tjed8&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the chemistry of shoe polish" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the chemistry of shoe polish</iframe> </div> </p> Fri, 09 Nov 2018 19:18:30 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7442 at /oss /oss/article/videos/right-chemistry-many-uses-petroleum <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-2"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-auxeemtfhxu" width="640" height="390" title="Dr Joe Schwarcz: The many uses of petroleum" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/auxeeMtfhXU?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-auxeemtfhxu&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr Joe Schwarcz: The many uses of petroleum" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr Joe Schwarcz: The many uses of petroleum</iframe> </div> </p> Thu, 02 Aug 2018 20:32:12 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7207 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/are-all-oils-essential-are-essential-oils-even-oils <p><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil">Oils</a></span><span> are defined as any net uncharged chemical substance that is a thick liquid at room temperature and is both hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (does mix with fats, or lipids). When we think of them, our minds tend to focus on the kitchen: olive, canola or peanut oil. But there are also oils in your garage (motor oil), bathroom (conditioner) and your art collection (oil paints).</span></p> Thu, 28 Jun 2018 16:02:47 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7152 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-technology/lipstick-behind-scenes-look <p>Lipsticks, (the waxy kind that come in the traditional tube), contain a variety of natural waxes, such as beeswax, carnauba wax, ozokerite, ceresin, or microcrystalline wax, which is derived from petroleum. These waxes are softened with mineral or vegetable oils, or with petroleum jelly. And in order to get the colour spread evenly over the lips and remain there for more than 30 minutes, film formers are added. Colourants and preservatives too. And because there is such a high concentration of waxes and oils, antioxidants are frequently added as well.</p> Tue, 21 Feb 2017 04:42:16 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1504 at /oss