HW 2 Closure Fall 2010

**Q. Question:  Don’t chemical manufacturers need to develop material safety data sheets for the final end products they make?
A. The manufacturers of a chemical that is sold (contrast with a chemical that is part of an internal process) do need to supply an MSDS, if asked.  For products that are sold to the public, there is no need to supply an MSDS if the product comes under the Consumer Product Safety Act, which all herbicides do.  Thus the MSDS for the oxyfluorfen was supplied to the employees mixing it with the other stuff, but the final product would not need an MSDS. 

*Q. From the article about Wetterhahn, what makes dimethyl mercury so easily absorb through latex?  Is it the same with nitrile gloves?  Would non-methylated mercury species be stopped by latex?
A.  Many chemicals will easily penetrate latex, which is natural rubber, usually.  Here is a page from the NIOSH book
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ncpc/mcpc.html look at mercury and you see it does not have recommendations for the metallic or the alkylated.  Here is another source:
http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/safety/glove.html
But you won’t find mercury or organic mercury there, either.

Q. My question pertains to the biochemistry section of this module.  The material presented a direct correlation between carbohydrates and cholesterol but also a link to steroids.  When I think of steroids I think of a drug that promotes both muscle growth but also has psychological effects (i.e. “roid rage”).  Is the connection between the consumption of carbohydrates and feel good effect of eating them utilize any hormonal functions similar to that of steroids? 
A. Good question, which I will try to answer, even though it is beyond this course, I’m a ancient body builder and have some interest in these things.  The corticosteroids or glucocorticoids, include cortisol – the evil hormone.  Cortisol is an anabolic stress hormone increases blood sugar by breaking down stuff that is not needed and some that is needed.  However the increase in blood sugar will make one feel good, or at least make one feel less bad.  One of  other cortico steroid is an androgen that might help with muscle growth, but it is only one fifth as powerful as testosterone and thus is not usually associated with roid rage or pimples.  Goolge dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA for more good info.