Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
mental pollution, in the form of acid rain (Cowling 1982, Mohnen 1988,
Baedecker & Reddy 1993) and harmful chemicals in surface water
(Baker
et al
. 1991) such as the Great Lakes (Hilleman 1988), in tainting
supplies of drinking water (Ross & Amter 2002), and in irresponsibly
and illegally dumping toxic wastes (Love Canal near Niagara Falls,
NY;
22
the Hudson River was continuously polluted by PCBs).
23
The chemical community responded, as a rule, rather promptly - over
less than two decades - and responsibly. The chemical industry cleaned
up its operation, as a rule allowing only innocuous effluents from its
plants. Environmental research was funded handsomely, and drew sig-
nificant numbers of chemists. Chemical education also followed suit, for
instance the American Chemical Society sponsored textbooks of general
chemistry for non-chemistry undergraduate majors, focused on environ-
mental issues.
24
A yet more interesting trend developed. I contend that the new envi-
ronmental consciousness among chemists, with lasting value (Mossman
et al.
1990) led them to move in the direction of biology (Bensaude-
Vincent 2002), rather than continue with traditional mainstream chemical
science.
25
This 'Biological Turn' was marked by the vitamin B12 synthe-
sis (Woodward 1973), the much admired biomimetic steroid syntheses
(Johnson 1977, 1998), the synthesis of natural products (Woodward
1972, Nakanishi 1991) such as giberellic acid (Corey 1978) or multifi-
dene (Boland & Jaenicke 1979), the considerable research effort by E.J.
Corey in the field of prostaglandins, the pioneering studies by Martin
fects on the ecology and on animal species accumulating the toxic chemical in their
tissues (Baker & Wilkinson 1990).
22
Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation dumped an estimated 350 million lbs of
hazardous chemical wastes in this trench between 1942 and 1953. After it was filled
and covered, it was sold to the Niagara Falls Board of Education. The scandal broke
in 1977, after the New York Department of Environmental Conservation reported the
extent of soil and groundwater contamination (Levine 1982).
23
Unsurprisingly, public support of chemical research went down. In the US, federal
funding decreased by 14 percent in constant 1972 dollars between 1971 and 1975
(Smith & Karlesky 1977, pp. 86-101).
24
Chemistry departments lowered their standards during that period. The average stu-
dent quality dropped. Faced with declining applications for admission, departments
wanted to avoid losses in undergraduates (Smith & Karlesky 1977, pp. 114,156).
25
Synthetic organic chemists were thus updating their concerns, turning away from
their more traditional pursuit.
