Materials Unit Project
Pollution In China: The Worlds Problem
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, American families annually spend around 1452 dollars on clothing. Everyday, companies are working to make their products fashionable and dependable. Living in a capitalistic society, this is how things should be. But, when progress trumps morality in these corporations, we aren’t the ones who suffer the consequences.
China, home to around 20% of the world’s population holds about 7% of the world’s fresh water. Out of that 7%, around 40% is considered polluted, leaving around 320 million Chinese citizens dehydrated and unhealthy. Many of the factories that are producing these hazardous toxins are owned by American companies that benefit from the products that are being made in China.
In 2011, the organization Green Peace kicked off their “DETOX” campaign, which challenged American corporations to minimize the hazardous waste that is being dumped into the rivers and lakes of China. Adidas was one of the corporations that was challenged by DETOX. The reports and investigations executed by Green Peace revealed that Adidas was dumping hazardous chemicals into Chinese rivers.
One of the substances that Green Peace found coming from the Adidas factory was Alkylphenol. Alkylphenol is used in many products like detergent. It is an endocrine disruptor, which means that the body recognizes it as a hormone. Endocrine disruptors can cause learning disabilities and other problems with brain development. The article Environmental endocrine disruption: an effects assessment and analysis states that Endocrine disruptors "interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for development, behavior, fertility, and maintenance of homeostasis.”
Long Chain PFCs (Perfluorinated chemicals) are another contributing factor water pollution in China. They are used to make products more repellant of dirt, oil, and water. Although long chain PFCs create more durable products, the waste that comes from using these chemicals can be hazardous if not disposed of correctly. Our own government conducted research on these chemicals and found that overexposure to Long Chain PFCs can result in “developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.” The Adidas group stated that they eventually want to stop using all fluorinated chemicals on their products. Although they are using money and time to look for new and better alternatives to long chain PFCs, they are still used in Adidas products.
Living in a Democratic society, it isn’t our job, but our duty to push Adidas and other clothing companies to change and modify its production strategies in China. If the American population were to stop buying products that use PFCs, major corporations would have to change their production to meet the demand. To do this, we need to research the companies that supply our clothing and make more educated decisions when buying clothes. Another great way to support the purification of China’s water is by donating to Green Peace which can be done on their website.
China, home to around 20% of the world’s population holds about 7% of the world’s fresh water. Out of that 7%, around 40% is considered polluted, leaving around 320 million Chinese citizens dehydrated and unhealthy. Many of the factories that are producing these hazardous toxins are owned by American companies that benefit from the products that are being made in China.
In 2011, the organization Green Peace kicked off their “DETOX” campaign, which challenged American corporations to minimize the hazardous waste that is being dumped into the rivers and lakes of China. Adidas was one of the corporations that was challenged by DETOX. The reports and investigations executed by Green Peace revealed that Adidas was dumping hazardous chemicals into Chinese rivers.
One of the substances that Green Peace found coming from the Adidas factory was Alkylphenol. Alkylphenol is used in many products like detergent. It is an endocrine disruptor, which means that the body recognizes it as a hormone. Endocrine disruptors can cause learning disabilities and other problems with brain development. The article Environmental endocrine disruption: an effects assessment and analysis states that Endocrine disruptors "interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for development, behavior, fertility, and maintenance of homeostasis.”
Long Chain PFCs (Perfluorinated chemicals) are another contributing factor water pollution in China. They are used to make products more repellant of dirt, oil, and water. Although long chain PFCs create more durable products, the waste that comes from using these chemicals can be hazardous if not disposed of correctly. Our own government conducted research on these chemicals and found that overexposure to Long Chain PFCs can result in “developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals.” The Adidas group stated that they eventually want to stop using all fluorinated chemicals on their products. Although they are using money and time to look for new and better alternatives to long chain PFCs, they are still used in Adidas products.
Living in a Democratic society, it isn’t our job, but our duty to push Adidas and other clothing companies to change and modify its production strategies in China. If the American population were to stop buying products that use PFCs, major corporations would have to change their production to meet the demand. To do this, we need to research the companies that supply our clothing and make more educated decisions when buying clothes. Another great way to support the purification of China’s water is by donating to Green Peace which can be done on their website.
Reflection
Materials have changed the world and continue to do so. From the invention of steel to kevlar, we benefit daily from the discoveries that were made in the past. Some changes will affect the world positively, and some will hurt it. Although the uses of polymers have made a big impact on the world on an economic level, the misuse of how it is created and wasted have lead to thousands of issues. This project has taught me that advancement in the products we buy can lead to massive health problems in third world countries where they are assembled. We need to look at all the different factors when creating new materials, and even when buying products made of these materials.
Physical properties of all materials are caused by the microstructure that it entails. Just the addition of an electron can change a material into something completely different and new. Polymers are all different, and can be made differently by the way they are originally set up. The amount of initiator, catalyst, and monomer drastically affect the physical properties of the polymer that is created. Another factor that can change the physical properties in a polymer is how the chains of monomers connect and intertwine.
Physical properties of all materials are caused by the microstructure that it entails. Just the addition of an electron can change a material into something completely different and new. Polymers are all different, and can be made differently by the way they are originally set up. The amount of initiator, catalyst, and monomer drastically affect the physical properties of the polymer that is created. Another factor that can change the physical properties in a polymer is how the chains of monomers connect and intertwine.
Nuclear Power Debate Project
In this project, we debated the cleanliness of nuclear energy and the implications and benefits that it might bring to America. We did our research at first without knowing the side we would be given in the debate. I ended up getting pro nuclear power, so the rest of my research was based on that. Debating made this project competitive which made me work harder. This project was by far the best science project I've ever done. Below you can see the different pieces of work that I put into this project