/oss/taxonomy/term/3365/all en /oss/article/medical-you-asked/bottled-water-bad-your-health <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the</em> <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-is-bottled-water-bad-for-your-health"><em>Montreal Gazette.</em></a></p> <hr /> <p>Tap water or bottled water? The point has been debated for years, but a new study has added another dimension to the discussion. A recent study in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300582121">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> has created a bit of a panic with the suggestion that high levels of microplastics can be found in bottled water.</p> Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:27:47 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9807 at /oss /oss/article/history-you-asked/why-are-people-addicted-heroin-called-junkies <p>By the first decade of the twentieth century heroin addiction had become a huge problem in major American cities such as New York. The drug was not cheap and some people experiencing addiction resorted to supporting their habit by rifling through junkyards for scrap metal that they could sell. Interestingly, heroin was introduced by the Bayer Company in 1897 as a non-habit forming version of morphine. It was originally synthesized in 1874 by C.R. Wright, an English chemist who hoped to improve the properties of morphine by altering its molecular structure.</p> Sat, 11 Sep 2021 08:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8838 at /oss /oss/article/technology-environment/rethinking-your-garbage <p>Do you ever wonder what happens to your garbage after you throw it out? While we hope that the recyclable materials we painstakingly sort out ends up being recycled, the garbage usually piles up in the landfill. Although the landfill may be a solution for our “throwaway” society, it isn't quite a permanent one. Think about how the increasing population on the planet will directly increase the amount of garbage produced, and how land is a precious commodity. As time increases, the amount of land available will decrease, and 2/3 of the Earth is covered by water.</p> Wed, 15 Aug 2018 15:13:18 +0000 Sierra Delarosa, MSc, MMus 7307 at /oss