ChemMatters - April 2016

™DEPARTMENTS
4 Open for Discussion: Can Smells Harm You?

By Brian Rohrig

Most of us try to avoid bad smells, but what if you had to stay in a smelly room for a while (for a meeting or at a friend’s house)?

Could the bad smell make you sick?

19 As a Matter of Fact: The Flint Water Crisis
FEATURES
5 A Close-Up Look at the Quality of Indoor Air

By Brian Rohrig

Because many homes and buildings are poorly ventilated, the concentration of toxic gases and airborne irritants can rise to dangerous levels. We take a look at three common indoor air pollutants that could cause serious health problems.

8 Chemistry Helps Athlete Keep Moving

By Stuart Mason Dambrot

Chandler Smith, now a college student, has been wearing a prosthetic leg and foot since he was 18 months old. Thanks to chemistry, the prosthetics he has been wearing over the years have allowed him to follow his dream of becoming an athlete.

12 Frozen Fish Stick Blues

By Mary Alexandra Agner

Some fish contain relatively large amounts of mercury. Where does this mercury come from, and why does it remain inside the fish that ingest them?

14 Antioxidants Go the Extra Mile

By Andrew Porterfield

Fruits and vegetables contain chemicals called antioxidants, which remove potentially damaging compounds present in our bodies and may protect us from developing heart disease, eye cataracts, and certain cancers.

16 Cellulosic Ethanol: A Fuel of the Future?

By Jonathan Sherwood

In the future, ethanol could be a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to gasoline, especially if it is produced from agricultural waste. The current challenge is to find an economical way to extract ethanol from agricultural waste.