Adopt-a-pollutant Acrylamide This essay would report a chemical pollutant of environmental significance.

. First, I would give some background information of the chemical pollutant. Then, the ways that the pollutant introduced into the environment would be discussed. At last, I would talk about the adverse effects. Acrylamide is the chemical pollutant I would talk about which is also called acrylic amide. The IUPAC name is prop-2-enamide and the molecular formula is C3H5NO. It is a structure with a 3 carbon chain containing a C double bond (C=C), a CO double bond (C=O) and a amide group. In normal condition, acrylamide is a white odourless crystalline solid which is soluble in water, ether, ethanol and chloroform. How does acrylamide get into the environment? Ingestion is the main way for acrylamide to get into the environment. In April 2002, a high level of acrylamide was found in starchy food especially fried and baked common foods like fries, potato crisps, bread etc. in Sweden [1]. Because sugars and amino acids, raw materials for the formation of acrylamide, are naturally found in starchy food. The research showed that acrylamide is found in heated food but not boiled and non-heated food. The formation of acrylamide is due to the thermal degradation of asparagine with sugars in the Maillard reaction which is for flavouring and colour conditioning [2]. So the conclusion that acrylamide is formed in food during high-temperature cooking. Therefore, food source is the way for acrylamide to be introduced into living organisms bodies. Other than food source, acrylamide has been used for industrial applications for many years. Synthesis of polyacrylamide polymers is the primary use. The polymer is used for wastewater treatment, soil conditioner, oil-drilling processes etc. The

polymers are introduced into the environmental by the abovementioned processes. Then, the degradation of residual polymers releases acrylamide [3]. Acrylamide is a toxic chemical substance. Although it is execrable, it spreads in living organisms bodies quickly. Firstly, it is genotoxic. Acrylamide induces gene mutation. It increases mutation frequency and induces chromosome aberrations, polyploidy, sister chromatid exchanges which are lethal. Other than somatic mutation, reproductive defects also resulted. Experiment for male rats was carried out to examine the effect of acrylamide. Reduction of sperm count and increased sperm mortality rate were resulted. Therefore, acrylamide does cause impaired fertility [4]. Also, it causes genetic mutation resulting high mortality rate and increased abnormality of offsprings. Secondly, it is carcinogenic. Although there is no actual evidence that acrylamide causes cancer for human, there are many laboratory animal studies show that acrylamide causes a range of tumors in rats [3]. Thirdly, it is neurotoxic. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin with an affinity for the spinal nerves that lower the speed of nerve impulses. Late arrival of nerve impulses leads to numbness of hands and feet, skeletal muscle weakness, drowsiness, hallucination etc. Finally, it is a skin and respiratory tract respiratory [2]. Other than biotic effects, there is no information was found on abiotic effects. So, acrylamide is only harmful to living organisms but not the environment. Acrylamide is a toxic substance released from heat-treated food and industrial applications. It is a lethal, tumor-causing, substance and affects the next generation. Therefore, we should start working on the solution.

Reference

1. European Commission (2002). . Retrieved February 26, 2013 from http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out131_en.pdf

2. Skog & Alexander (2006). Acrylamide And Other Hazardous Compounds

In Heat-treated Foods. : CRC Press.

3. Friedman & Mottram (2004). Chemistry And Safety Of Acrylamide In

Food.: Springer.
4. Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics U.s. Environmental Protection

Agency (1994). . Retrieved February 26, 2013 from http://www.epa.gov/chemfact/s_acryla.txt