Chemicals

It’s an unfortunate truth that many important chemical reactions require rare and expensive metals as catalysts. But now, scientists have developed a device that actively tweaks plain old aluminum to make it behave like other metals on the fly.

A world-first clinical trial has found blood or plasma donations can reduce levels of toxic PFAS chemicals by up to 30 percent. The trial is the first to find an effective intervention that reduces blood levels of substances known as “forever chemicals”.

A new study has reawakened the debate over the safety of artificial sweeteners. The findings suggest an association can be detected between sugar substitutes and increased cancer risk, but experts not affiliated with the research question their validity.

Exposure to phthalates, a chemical used to manufacture thousands of everyday products, has been linked to an increased risk of childhood cancer. The findings add to research suggesting this chemical may have various deleterious health effects in humans.

Manufacturing of chemicals has grown so rapidly that governments are now unable to assess, let alone control the risks to Earth's ecosystems, taking us beyond a safe "planetary boundary" and endangering the planet's stability.

An intriguing new study has found a chemical excreted by babies can influence aggression in humans. The findings reveal curious sex-specific responses to the chemical, triggering aggression in women but blocking aggression in men.

A study is offering one of the most comprehensive investigations ever conducted into the origins of cannabis' unique “skunk-like” smell, discovering an entirely new family of sulfur compounds that are chemically similar to compounds found in garlic.

A first-of-its-kind study has measured levels of plasticizer chemicals in a number of fast food products. The findings reveal high concentrations of a number of potentially harmful chemicals, such as phthalates, in almost all samples studied.

Researchers are calling for urgent action limiting the use of chemicals called phthalates in the production of plastics. A new study estimates up to 100,000 premature deaths in the United States every year could be attributed to phthalate exposure.

A first-of-its-kind study has found traces of hundreds of unknown chemicals in electronic cigarette vaping liquid and aerosols. The study details a huge array of unidentified chemicals plus a handful of known and potentially harmful compounds.

Following recent recommendations by an expert panel, the European Union has formally banned food coloring E171 from all foods, beginning in 2022. Also known as titanium dioxide, the chemical is commonly used as a white colorant in processed foods.

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Benjamin List and David MacMillan, for their work developing a new class of catalyst. The technique is based on small organic molecules and has been instrumental in pharmaceutical research since.