Does Earth Have Limits?: The Chemistry of Pollution, Episode 4

[Bonus] From the Cutting Room Floor: Anthrax Decontamination Following the 2001 Attacks

In the inaugural “From the Cutting Room Floor” — where we take parts of interviews that didn’t quite fit in our regular episodes — we talk about anthrax. Well not exactly… we talk about what happens with the chemicals that we use to kill anthrax. In 2001, some high profile people like news anchors and senators received mail laced with anthrax — a spore-forming bacteria that can be deadly. Afterwards, there were many spaces that had to be decontaminated. And Richard Corsi was tapped to study these decontaminants. How did they interact with indoor spaces? Where did they go? How long did they last for? When was it safe for people to return to these spaces? It was a multi-year study that helped explain why sometimes the spaces deemed safe after decontamination still caused harm.  Enjoy the episode? Please rate and review us! And, as always, if you have ideas email chainreaction@acs.org Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction [https://www.acs.org/pressroom/chain-reaction.html]

Does Earth Have Limits?: The Chemistry of Pollution, Episode 4

Pollution is only one way humans are altering our planet. There’s climate change, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and much more. Earth system scientists, including biological oceanographer Katherine Richardson, developed the nine planetary boundaries, a framework to understand what Earth systems are critical for life, and what will happen if human-caused changes to our planet continue. Katherine unpacks these boundaries, revealing how chemistry sits at the heart of both the problems and solutions to the equilibrium of many of these critical systems. It’s a sobering yet hopeful look at humanity’s future on a finite planet.  Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction [https://www.acs.org/pressroom/chain-reaction.html]

The Soil and Superfund Sites Beneath Us: The Chemistry of Pollution, Episode 3

Water and air pollution may capture the headlines, but there’s another threat looming beneath our feet: soil. We farm on it, build cities on it, and pull water from it. But pollutants from industrial waste, mining, and trash settle in soil, wreaking havoc on existing ecosystems and threatening our food and water supply. Soil and environmental chemist Owen Duckworth shares how chemists study soil, the unique qualities of soil pollutants, and the role chemists play in protecting public health.  After understanding what’s polluting our soil, then comes the difficult task of cleaning up those pollutants. Biogeochemist William Burgos discusses the little known world of soil remediation, including storing waste in landfills or allowing adaptable microbes to slowly remediate pollutants on their own. This episode transports you to the Superfund sites, old mining caves, and acid pits where waste hides away, and reveals chemistry’s role in understanding — and fixing — soil pollution.  Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction [https://www.acs.org/pressroom/chain-reaction.html]

It’s a Watery World: The Chemistry of Pollution, Episode 2

We live in a watery world; 71% of Earth is covered in water. But humans have polluted Earth’s water for decades with pollutants like plastic, oil, and drugs. Marine chemist Chris Reddy guides us through what happens to the ocean during human-caused spills – from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the X-Press Pearl plastic spill – and how the ocean recovers.  But our oceans aren’t the only waters at risk of human-caused pollution. Analytical chemist Carrie McDonough transports us to the water in our taps and the ‘forever chemicals’ lurking in them. She demystifies PFAS chemicals, explaining where they come from, where they end up, and the dangers they pose to our environment and human health. This episode is a whirling adventure through the world of water, including the analytical tools chemists use to study it and the looming public health threat of polluted water.  Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction [https://www.acs.org/pressroom/chain-reaction.html]

The Air We (Want to) Breathe: The Chemistry of Pollution, Episode 1

In the first episode of our series on pollution, we’re turning to the very thing necessary for human life: air. Environmental engineer Pete DeCarlo introduces us first to the tools chemists use to study the air, including the early innovations by chemist Arnold Beckman. These tools alarmed us to the problem of air pollution and its impact on human health, from the smog derived from cars in Los Angeles to the gases escaping from factories in Louisiana, the home of Cancer Alley, an 85-mile industrial stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.  But the threat of air pollution doesn’t just exist outside. During the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists (and the world) woke up to the viruses and particles polluting the air in our homes, office buildings, and schools. Indoor air quality engineer Richard Corsi urges that this indoor air pollution is a public health issue and that cleaning our air through proper ventilation is the way to mitigate this issue. He even created a low-cost way to filter indoor air that you can make at home. This episode is packed with public health crises, ingenious scientific inventions to analyze the unseen, and calls for cleaner air for the health of humanity.  Transcripts and episode sources at acs.org/chainreaction [https://www.acs.org/pressroom/chain-reaction.html]