Looking for a hands-on science project to do with your children this fall? The U.S. Crystal Growing Competition is back.

Held annually since 2014, the contest challenges K-12 students and teachers to grow the biggest, most beautiful crystals they can using aluminum potassium sulfate (alum), a nontoxic chemical used in water purification.

This year, the contest takes on new meaning, with many schools across the country operating under a remote or hybrid learning model, says founder Jason Benedict, a UB chemist with two school-aged kids.

Now, more than ever, with so many kids being at home, they need fun, hands-on scientific activities, says Benedict, associate professor of chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences. Growing crystals means they can take a break from their screens and do an exciting activity thats going to teach them something about crystals and crystal growth. You can do this as a family.

Crystals are really special objects where all of the ions or molecules are lined up in repeating patterns. People are exposed to crystals in a variety of ways in their daily lives. Snowflakes, for example, are all crystals. Salt and sugar are crystals. There are crystals inside of computers. Pharmaceuticals are crystalline. Well-tempered chocolate is an example: The snap of a well-tempered piece of chocolate is because the chocolate has a particular crystal form inside of it.

The contest is open to K-12 students and teachers, whether they are back in the classroom or learning at home. Participants can register for the competition by filling out the 2020 entry form and ordering bottles of crystal-growing material for $8. The deadline to order alum is Oct. 1.

Crystal-growing begins on Oct. 19, coinciding with National Chemistry Week, and goes on for five weeks. In addition to categories judging crystals by size and quality, the contest will again include a coolest crystal category that awards participants for cultivating crystals with a creative flourish, whether that means coloring crystals, trapping an object inside of them or implementing some other innovation.

Winners in various categories will be able to choose between cash prizes or hands-on magnetic science models that kids can manipulate to learn about crystal structures.

During the competition, teachers, students and families can share their excitement with the community of crystal-growers by posting updates on Twitter using the contests hashtag, #2020USCGC, Benedict says.

Submissions will be judged at UB.

The 2019 competition reached about 150 teams representing thousands of K-12 students and teachers, and homeschooling families in 33 states.

The experience of growing a sparkly, single crystal from scratch can be memorable for children.

Each team or participant starts with 100 grams of powdered alum. To grow a crystal, kids dissolve the material into water, then let the water evaporate. This causes the compound to emerge from the solution to form a crystal.

Its work that requires patience and finesse: If the water evaporates too quickly, too much of the alum will crystallize, causing imperfections such as occlusions or jagged edges (think rock candy). Go too slow, and youll get a miniscule crystal.

If the participants have half as much fun growing their crystals as we do receiving them, were going to have a lot of happy kids, parents and teachers, Benedict says.

Here are some how-to videos for growing large, single crystals:

The U.S. Crystal Growing Competition is sponsored by the American Crystallographic Association (which is based in Buffalo), the National Science Foundation, VWR and Wards Science, the UB Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry, the University of Central Florida Department of Chemistry, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the Western New York section of the American Chemical Society, Bruker, The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Krackeler Scientific and Rigaku, along with individuals who have made donations. To make a gift to support the contest, visit the competitions fundraising page.

Originally posted here:
Crystal competition offers socially distanced chemistry for kids - UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff - University at Buffalo Reporter

Newswise BUFFALO, N.Y. Looking for a hands-on science project to do with your children this fall? The U.S. Crystal Growing Competition is back.

Held annually since 2014, the contest challenges K-12 students and teachers to grow the biggest, most beautiful crystals they can using aluminum potassium sulfate (alum), a nontoxic chemical used in water purification.

This year, the contest takes on new meaning, with many schools across the country operating under a remote or hybrid learning model, says founder Jason Benedict, a University at Buffalo chemist with two school-aged kids.

Now, more than ever, with so many kids being at home, they need fun, hands-on scientific activities, says Benedict, PhD, an associate professor of chemistry in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. Growing crystals means they can take a break from their screens and do an exciting activity thats going to teach them something about crystals and crystal growth. You can do this as a family."

The contest is open to K-12 students and teachers, whether they are back in the classroom or learning at home.

Participants can register for the competition by filling out the 2020 entry form and ordering bottles of crystal-growing material for $8. The deadline to order alum is Oct. 1. Crystal-growing begins on Oct. 19, coinciding with National Chemistry Week, and goes on for five weeks.

Crystals are really special objects where all of the ions or molecules are lined up in repeating patterns," Benedict says. "People are exposed to crystals in a variety of ways in their daily lives. Snowflakes, for example, are all crystals. Salt and sugar are crystals. There are crystals inside of computers. Pharmaceuticals are crystalline. Well-tempered chocolate is an example: The snap of a well-tempered piece of chocolate is because the chocolate has a particular crystal form inside of it."

In addition to categories judging crystals by size and quality, the contest will again include a coolest crystal category that awards participants for cultivating crystals with a creative flourish, whether that means coloring crystals, trapping an object inside of them or implementing some other innovation.

Winners in various categories will be able to choose between cash prizes or hands-on magnetic science models that kids can manipulate to learn about crystal structures.

During the competition, teachers, students and families can share their excitement with the community of crystal-growers by posting updates on Twitter using the contests hashtag, #2020USCGC, Benedict says.

Submissions will be judged at UB.

The 2019 competition reached about 150 teams representing thousands of K-12 students and teachers, and homeschooling families in 33 states.

Growing crystals: A tiny sparkle in dark times

The experience of growing a sparkly, single crystal from scratch can be memorable for children.

Each team or participant starts with 100 grams of powdered alum. To grow a crystal, kids dissolve the material into water, then let the water evaporate. This causes the compound to emerge from the solution to form a crystal.

Its work that requires patience and finesse: If the water evaporates too quickly, too much of the alum will crystallize, causing imperfections such as occlusions or jagged edges (think rock candy). Go too slow, and youll get a miniscule crystal.

If the participants have half as much fun growing their crystals as we do receiving them, were going to have a lot of happy kids, parents and teachers, Benedict says.

How-to videos for growing large, single crystals:

Sponsors:

The U.S. Crystal Growing Competition is sponsored by the American Crystallographic Association (which is based in Buffalo), the U.S. National Science Foundation, VWR and Wards Science, the UB Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University, the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry, the University of Central Florida Department of Chemistry, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the Western New York section of the American Chemical Society, Bruker, The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Krackeler Scientific, and Rigaku, along with individuals who have made donations. To make a gift to support the contest, visit the competitions fundraising page.

See more here:
Socially distanced chemistry for kids: Join the U.S. Crystal Growing Competition! - Newswise

This month, the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant team at the Army's Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado completed the destruction of nearly 300,000 155mm projectiles, which each contained 12 pounds of mustard agent, said Walton Levi, site project manager.

Chemical agent destruction operations in Colorado began in March 2015 and are scheduled to be completed by 2023, said Levi. More than 780,000 munitions were in the original chemical weapons stockpile in Pueblo.

Mustard agent is a blister-producing chemical weapon contained within three types of munitions stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot, each named after the diameter of its shell: 155mm projectile, 105mm projectile and 4.2-inch mortar round, he said.

This marks the end of the 155mm projectile campaign at PCAPP and the safe elimination of approximately two-thirds of the original chemical agent stored at the depot, said Levi. ''We proudly completed this campaign ahead of schedule and while implementing strict, new protocols to keep our workforce safe amid the coronavirus pandemic,''he said.

Since the late 1960s, the U.S. government has been taking steps to reduce and eliminate the U.S stockpile of chemical weapons. This was reinforced by a presidential directive and the U.S. ratification in 1997 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty that calls on all member nations to destroy their chemical weapons and production facilities.

To comply with the treaty, the U.S. is destroying its last remaining chemical weapons stockpile, said Levi.

''Our ultimate goal is keeping the workforce and community safe from these World War II-era weapons,''said Army Col. Michael Cobb, commander of the depot. ''We use the utmost care and follow strict safety procedures when delivering the munitions from their storage igloos to PCAPP.''

''Destruction of 155mm projectiles is a great accomplishment for the PCAPP team,''said Ken Harrawood, project manager of the Bechtel Pueblo Team. ''Innovative solutions are key to solving issues that arise with a complex and one-of-a-kind operating facility like PCAPP. This would not have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of our amazing workforce.''

''I give credit to our team of employees dedicated to the munitions destruction effort, as many have spent their entire careers ridding the world of these weapons,''said Kim Jackson, plant manager. ''We reached this milestone because of the amazing workforce and their diligence, hard work and support to the PCAPP mission.''

''The United States is fully committed to destroying 100% of its remaining chemical weapons stockpile by Dec. 31, 2023,''said Mike Abaie, program executive officer of Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives.

As of Aug. 14, the destruction of 1,673.5 tons of mustard agent in the U.S. has been reported to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, an intergovernmental organization whose goal is to eradicate chemical weapons worldwide, said Abaie.

Under the close supervision of trained operators, the pilot plant uses dozens of automated systems to disassemble and drain the munitions and thermally heat the drained munition bodies, said Levi.

The liquid agent is neutralized, and the product, hydrolysate, is then fed to living microorganisms in a process known as biotreatment, Levi explained. Water is recycled at the pilot plant and the remaining salt is shipped off-site to a permitted treatment, storage and disposal facility. The plant is equipped with a robust pollution abatement system made up of 12 carbon filter banks that filter out particles before air from inside the plant is released back into the atmosphere.

During the next several months at PCAPP, technicians will retrofit the plants robots and systems to begin processing the next munitions campaign, which are the 105mm projectiles, said Levi.

In July, workers finished assembling three static detonation chambers to augment PCAPP by destroying problematic munitions, which are unsuitable for processing using the main plants automated equipment, said Levi. The SDC units will destroy the 4.2-inch mortar rounds, which is the third and final destruction campaign.

The other remaining chemical weapons facility in the U.S. is PCAPP's sister site, the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant near Richmond, Kentucky. BGCAPP is safely destroying 523 U.S. tons of the nerve agents VX and GB (sarin) and mustard agent stored in rockets and projectiles at the site, Levi said.

BGCAPP is using neutralization or an explosive destruction technology to safely destroy the munitions, he continued. BGCAPP began agent destruction operations with explosive destruction technology on June 7, 2019, and its main plant began operations on Jan. 17, 2020. Operations will be completed by Dec. 31, 2023.

An important element in the process of safely destroying chemical weapons is the coordination and collaboration with the local communities. The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program works closely and supports state and local governments and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to educate, prepare and protect communities surrounding the stockpile sites, Levi said.

Here is the original post:
DOD Approaches Goal of Destroying All Stockpiled Chemical Weapons - Department of Defense

Decades ago several bird species in the Great Lakesincluding the iconic bald eaglefaced an uncertain future because toxic chemicals were threatening their populations.

While several bans and policies have offered some protection, the same chemicals threatening these birds 60 years ago continue to accumulate in their bodiesand new chemical threats are adding to their toxic burdens, according to two new studies.

The two studies add to evidence that pollutants not only persist in the Great Lakes, but continue to travel up food chains to reach and endanger apex predators; and suggest that birds in the Great Lakes continue to impart toxic loads to their offspringresults that do not bode well for long-term bird populations. In addition, as birds are sentinel species, the studies show how previous and existing regulations have been inadequate at protecting all biota of the Great Lakes, including humans, from the harms of these industrial chemical pollutants.

In the first study, published online in Environment International last month, researchers examined how legacy pollutants around Lake Erie such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) continue to bioaccumulate in common terns. These migratory seabirds spend winters in Central and South America but stay near the Great Lakes from late April to mid-October, relying on the area as breeding grounds.

"Every common tern we looked at had some level of PCBs and PBDEs," Diana Aga, an analytical chemist at the University of Buffalo and co-author of the study, told EHN.

The U.S. phased out PBDEs in 2013, PCBs in 1979, and DDT way back in 1972. PBDEs were most commonly used as flame retardants; PCBs were used as coolants and electrical insulation; and DDT was a widely used insecticide. The chemicals were all banned because they were showing up in wildlife and humans and are linked to a variety of health impacts.

All three are persistent organic pollutants, chemicals that remain stable in the environment, lingering in sediments and plants rather than breaking down. Over the years, these chemicals move up food chains as predators eat contaminated prey, bioaccumulating in apex predators like the common tern. That is why birds of the Great Lakes region continue to feel the aftereffects of decades-old pollution.

To mitigate the accumulation of toxics in their bodies, female common terns, like other birds and animals exposed to chemical pollutants, will offload chemicals to their babies, said Aga"out of all the birds at different life stages, tern eggs birds had the highest accumulation of these pollutants."

Persistent organic pollutants are fat soluble, and egg yolks are full of fat, so the eggs they lay provide mother terns with an opportunity to rid themselves of those harmful compounds. This results in chicks that are born with already very high loads of toxics, if they manage to hatch at all.

While there is very little research that explicitly looks at the toxicology of PBDEs and PCBs in terns, a few older studies suggest a link between these contaminants and physical abnormalities like twisted beaks or deformities in eyes and feet in several other bird species like chickens, kestrels and cormorants. DDT, on the other hand, has long been linked to egg shell thinning and reduced hatching success.

The second study, published in Environmental Research this month, showed how peregrine falcons accumulate perfluorinated chemical pollutants like perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have made headlines in recent years for being "forever chemicals"since they take exceedingly long times to break down. Human PFAS exposure is linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and elevated cholesterol, among other health detriments.

The study's results suggest that peregrinesbirds of prey and one of the most widely found bird speciesget exposed to these chemicals through maternal transfer to eggs, their diets via contaminated smaller birds and mammals, and also simply by living in areas with higher levels of these substances.

"We're also at the mercy of a shifting chemical landscape," Robert Letcher, an environmental toxicologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada and co-author of the study, told EHN.

Despite being largely phased out in North America, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), a kind of PFAS that was officially added to the Stockholm Convention's list of persistent organic pollutants in 2010, is "still singularly the most bioaccumulative, highest level perfluorinated compound that's being reported in the environment and in the biota," said Letcher. He said the chemical industry is consistently developing new chemicals to replace those that are phased out, chemicals that stay largely secret until they are investigated and identified by scientists like himself.

"We have to do a little bit of chemical sleuthing to figure out our targets," Letcher said. Through that sleuthing, he says, scientists have been able to trace PFOS replacements like F53B, GenX, ADONA, and a number of others that are all different minor variations of PFOS, but it's hard to keep up with the sheer number of replacements that just keep coming.

This perpetual conveyor belt of toxics, on top of the already varied arsenal of legacy pollutants, makes zeroing in on what each chemical is doing to the falcons' health extremely difficult, Kim Fernie, another environmental toxicologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada and one of Letcher's co-authors, told EHN. Not to mention that there are a multitude of other environmental factors like climate change that could be acting in tandem, she added.

Despite the unknown, the results are concerning, as PFAS chemicals have been previously shown to be overtly toxic. Research in other animals reveals that PFAS decreases reproductive success, can cause developmental defects, endanger kidney and liver health, and even cause cancereffects that researchers suspect may translate to the health of these falcons and other Great Lakes birds.

"As we continue to have these new chemicals crop up, it's a little bit like whack-a-mole," Laura Rubin, the director of the Healing Our WatersGreat Lakes Coalition, told EHN. The Coalition is a group of about 165 NGOs and nonprofits throughout the Great Lakes region that pushes for clean water and the protection of landscapes and their wildlife.

"What we need now more than ever, is a precautionary principle, the idea that we should not be introducing new pollutants or chemicals until we know the effects," said Rubin. Currently, the onus to prove that a chemical is safe does not lie with the company manufacturing it. Without a precautionary principle, industries are free to release chemicals under presumed ignorance of the harms their products cause to the environment. Scientists and activists then have to identify and raise alarms about each individual pollutant. It becomes a repetitive story with different faces.

The destructive chemical pollutants of decades past yielded a few really seminal pieces of legislation, Rubin saidThe Clean Water Act, The Clean Air Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act, to name a few. "But those are starting to show their age and they need some updating in terms of responding to these newer classes of chemicals." Getting a precautionary principle in place would be a monumental step forward for protecting our landscapes, she said.

Pollution in the Great Lakes has significant implications for human health as well. According to the Great Lakes regional Water Use Database, 30 million people depend on the 40.4 billion gallons of water withdrawn from the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin each day. The land around that area is also home to roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population and more than 30 percent of the Canadian population, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A 2016 study also found that public water supplies with PFAS concentrations at or above the EPA's recommendat
ions reached as many as 6 million U.S. residents. PFAS in food is also of concern, especially via manufactured food, food packaging, and fish consumption. One report of PFOS concentrations in fish found the highest levels in lake trout collected from Lake Ontario.

These birds being contaminated by all these chemicals are really acting as canaries in the coal mine for us humans, Alicia Perez-Fuentetaja, an aquatic ecologist at SUNY Buffalo State University and one of Diana Aga's co-authors, told EHN.

To Perez-Fuentetaja, the birds should be a warning to us all.

"These birds are not even smoking, they're not drinking, they're not doing any of the things we do," she said "They're just eating their food in the wild, and look at the exposure they have."

Banner photo: Common terns in Hueston Woods State Park, College Corner, Ohio. (Credit: Andrew Cannizzaro/flickr)

Read more from the original source:
Long-banned toxics are still accumulating in Great Lakes birdsas new chemical threats emerge - Environmental Health News

The news that phosphine has been detected in Venuss upper atmosphere elicited great excitement among inorganic chemists last week (Nat. Astron., DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1174-4). Oh, who am I kidding? The paper, with its live-streamed press conference, column inches and Sky at Night special, generated excitement among almost everyone as the gass presence could be evidence that life exists in the planets skies.

The otherworldly idea isnt quite as out of this world as it might appear. Phosphine, PH3, shouldnt really exist in the atrocious sounding conditions of Venuss atmosphere, with its thick carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. The phosphorus would be oxidised to phosphate or phosphoric acid, as most of it is here on Earth. Yet there it is, and at levels around 20 parts per billion making it less common than, for example, neon in our atmosphere at 20 parts per million that although low mean it must be being replenished.

But how? Well, thats the million dollar question or perhaps billion dollar, given how much it costs to send missions to other planets these days. The reason phosphine has previously been suggested as a biomarker for life on other rocky planets, and was searched for on Venus for this study, is that theres no known way to produce it abiotically volcanoes, lightning strikes and even meteorites are all ruled out.

There are microbes and chemists, who also count as living beings, to a certain extent here on Earth producing phosphine, so maybe there are similar bugs on Venus too. The idea that the higher elevations of the Venusian atmosphere might be hospitable enough for life has been suggested before, notably by Carl Sagan and Harold Morowitz in 1967.

One of the ever-quotable Sagans most famous sayings of course is that Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The claim of life on other planets is about as extraordinary as they get, and one which the scientists behind the paper are very careful not to make unlike the majority of journalists covering the story. In the papers concluding paragraph, the scientists emphasize that the detection of PH3 is not robust evidence for life, only for anomalous and unexplained chemistry.

Im all for explaining anomalous chemistry check out the rest of the magazine if you dont believe me especially when it comes to other planets whose atmospheric chemistry we dont completely understand yet. So Im looking forward to the same breathless rush from the worlds media to cover whatever the addition to our understanding of phosphorus chemistry and planetary science this will probably turn out to be. My moneys on chemistry, not little green microbes.

Read the original:
Is there life on Venus? | Opinion - Chemistry World

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Oilfield Stimulation Chemical Market 2019-2024: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global oilfield stimulation chemical market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 10% from 2019 to 2024.

The future of the oilfield stimulation chemical market looks promising with opportunities in the hydraulic fracturing, matrix treatments, and acid fracking industries. The major growth drivers for this market are increasing crude oil production and rising deep drilling operations.

Some of the features of 'Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market 2019-2024: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis' include

This report answers the following 11 key questions:

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Industry Background and Classifications

2.1: Introduction, Background, and Classification

2.2: Supply Chain

2.3: Industry Drivers and Challenges

3. Market Trends and Forecast Analysis from 2013 to 2024

3.1: Macroeconomic Trends and Forecast

3.2: Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market: Trends and Forecast

3.3: Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market by Product Type

3.3.1: Friction Reducer

3.3.2: Acids and biocides

3.3.3: Corrosion Inhibitors

3.3.4: Gelling Agent

3.3.5: Iron Control Agent

3.3.6: Water Control

3.4: Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market by End Use Industry:

3.4.1: Hydraulic Fracturing

3.4.2: Matrix Treatments

3.4.3: Acid Fracking

4. Market Trends and Forecast Analysis by Region

4.1: Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market by Region

4.2: North American Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market

4.2.1: Market by Product Type: Friction Reducer, Acids and biocides, Corrosion Inhibitors, Gelling Agent, Iron Control Agent, and Water Control

4.2.2: Market by End Use Industry: Hydraulic Fracturing, Matrix Treatments, and Acid Fracking

4.2.3: Market by Country: US, Canada, and Mexico

4.3: European Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market

4.3.1: Market by Product Type: Friction Reducer, Acids and biocides, Corrosion Inhibitors, Gelling Agent, Iron Control Agent, and Water Control

4.3.2: Market by End Use Industry: Hydraulic Fracturing, Matrix Treatments, and Acid Fracking

4.3.3: Market by Country: Germany, France, U.K., Spain, and Russia

4.4: APAC Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market

4.4.1: Market by Product Type: Friction Reducer, Acids and biocides, Corrosion Inhibitors, Gelling Agent, Iron Control Agent, and Water Control

4.4.2: Market by End Use Industry: Hydraulic Fracturing, Matrix Treatments, and Acid Fracking

4.4.3: Market by Country: China, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand

4.5: ROW Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market

4.5.1: Market by Product Type: Friction Reducer, Acids and biocides, Corrosion Inhibitors, Gelling Agent, Iron Control Agent, and Water Control

4.5.2: Market by End Use Industry: Hydraulic Fracturing, Matrix Treatments, and Acid Fracking

5. Competitor Analysis

5.1: Product Portfolio Analysis

5.2: Market Share Analysis

5.3: Operational Integration

5.4: Geographical Reach

5.5: Porter's Five Forces Analysis

6. Growth Opportunities and Strategic Analysis

6.1: Growth Opportunity Analysis

6.1.1: Growth Opportunities for Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market by Product Type

6.1.2: Growth Opportunities for Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market by End Use Industry

6.1.3: Growth Opportunities for Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market by Region

6.2: Emerging Trends in Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market

6.3: Strategic Analysis

6.3.1: New Product Development

6.3.2: Capacity Expansion of Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemicals Market

6.3.3: Mergers, Acquisitions and Joint Ventures in the Global Market

7. Company Profiles of Leading Players

7.1: BASF SE

7.2: Baker Hughes Incorporated

7.3: DOW Chemical Company

7.4: E.I Dupont

7.5: Flotek Industries Inc

7.6: Halliburton

7.7: Schlumberger Limited

7.8: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company

7.9: Clariant AG

7.10: Ashland Inc.

7.11: Akzonobel N.V.

7.12: Albemarle Corp.

7.13: Solvay SA

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/74elny

Read the original post:
Global Oilfield Stimulation Chemical Market to 2024: Focus on Friction Reducer, Acids and Biocides, Corrosion Inhibitors, Gelling Agent, Iron Control...

AquAffirm won the Royal Society of Chemistrys Emerging Technologies Competition for their portable and cheap sensor which detects arsenic in water, the most significant chemical contaminant in drinking water globally.

The groundbreaking device has the potential to save the lives of millions of people around the world.

On any given day, 140 million people in 70 countries are drinking water that is contaminated with arsenic at levels above the World Health Organization safety threshold.

The London based company has gone from strength to strength and here CEO David Sarphie outlines what it meant to win the prestigious competition.

What was your business idea?

Traditional methods for testing and monitoring water contamination - which impacts on the health of millions of people around the world - are analogue, slow and difficult to interpret, using a basic colour metric system.

AquAffirm is developing the first digital sensors that have been designed to measure serious water contaminants like arsenic and fluoride. Its rapid, web-connected test, which uses affordable purpose-designed test strips, will transform the way arsenic mitigation programmes will run in the future. Beyond the sensor technology, the underpinning digital platform collects the data to be uploaded, analysed and mapped in real time, with the easily interpretable results available within three minutes.

How has business progressed since winning the competition?

Since winning in 2018, the business has conducted a significant amount of research and development. Substantial progress was made in the summer of 2019 in particular, with the team heading to Bangladesh to conduct early testing with the initial prototype. The business has also won a grant from Innovate UK to take the technology forward and fully launch in 2021 (having had its planned 2020 launch postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic), and has had very positive interaction with potential customers, generating encouraging feedback from major organisations in the field.

What are AquAffirms plans for the future?

In the short term, AquAffirm is currently raising investment to enable it to launch its working solution as part of an imminent arsenic mitigation programme currently planned for roll-out in Bangladesh with UNICEF and Water Aid.

Longer term, AquAffirm believes its current solution is simply the start for building a business that has the capability to create sensors for a range of different contaminants that impact peoples health. The business will also be looking at taking the technologies beyond the developing world and into more advanced markets, including the United States and parts of Europe, which still suffer from naturally-occurring and fracking-related arsenic problems.

What was your favourite part of taking part in the Emerging Technologies Competition?

The competition is an excellent way to get a view from both external experts in chemistry and business on the proposition of your technology. You also get to see the kinds of issues other people are solving and how they are presenting them to these experts, so its a terrific learning exercise. The publicity and networking opportunities that have arisen from being involved have also proved to be invaluable to our progress.

What advice does AquAffirm have for future Emerging Technologies Competition finalists?

Try to enjoy the experience. Get as much out of it as you can its a learning experience, so take as much as possible from the judges and the other participants.

For more information about the event go to http://www.rsc.org/competitions/emerging-technologies/

Link:
Profile AquAffirm: previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistrys Emerging Technologies Competition - Business Live

RIDGEWAY, N.Y. (WKBW) 3 adults and 2 juveniles are facing charges after chemical tanks were found punctured by bullets and leaking chemicals.

Monday afternoon, the Ridgeway Fire Department was called to the Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC facility on Allis Road due to a chemical leak issue. Once on the scene, first responders determined that the leak was due to bullet holes in the chemical tank itself. It appeared that bullets had ricocheted of nearby buildings and the tank.

The Orleans County Sheriffs Office, NYS DEC, NYS Police and Medina Police all responded to the scene and searched the nearby area. Police found 5 people, 2 adults and 3 juveniles, south of the chemical facility who admitted to target hooting in the area, according to the Orleans County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators believe the chemical facility was directly in line with the target shooting. Jared S. Silva, Stephen J. Jackson, Joe W. Jackson and the 3 juveniles were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.

It's estimated that $65,000 in damage was done to the chemical storage tanks.

Read the original here:
Five arrested after chemical tanks struck by gunfire - WKBW-TV

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "ZDDP Additives - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The publisher brings years of research experience to the 6th edition of this report. The 278-page report presents concise insights into how the pandemic has impacted production and the buy side for 2020 and 2021. A short-term phased recovery by key geography is also addressed.

Global ZDDP Additives Market to Reach $2.8 Billion by 2027

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for ZDDP Additives estimated at US$2.7 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$2.8 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 0.5% over the period 2020-2027.

Primary Alkyl ZDDP, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 0.4% CAGR and reach US$1.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After an early analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Secondary Alkyl ZDDP segment is readjusted to a revised 0.6% CAGR for the next 7-year period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $737.6 Million, While China is Forecast to Grow at 1.4% CAGR

The ZDDP Additives market in the U.S. is estimated at US$737.6 Million in the year 2020. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$506.5 Million by the year 2027 trailing a CAGR of 1.4% over the analysis period 2020 to 2027. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at -0.3% and 0.3% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately -0.1% CAGR.

Competitors identified in this market include, among others:

Key Topics Covered:

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. MARKET OVERVIEW

2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS

3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS

4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

III. MARKET ANALYSIS

IV. COMPETITION

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ir01o6

Excerpt from:
Insights on the ZDDP Additives Global Market to 2027 - Featuring Afton Chemical, AMS Technologies & ZPlus Among Others - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

Catholic World News

September 22, 2020

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CWN Editor's Note: A rising threat to the lives of unborn babies is the chemical abortion pill, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said in an action alert. The number of chemical abortions in the US has gone up dramatically, while the overall number of abortions has decreased. COVID-19 is expected to only make the problem worse, with more women (and teen girls) seeking chemical abortions at homeeven illegally, by mail and without a doctors prescription.

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