ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: July 21, 2010

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• Science Inquiries: Michael Woods, Editor, 202-872-6293
• General Inquiries: Michael Bernstein, 202-872-6042

Oil dispersants used in Gulf of Mexico unlikely to be endocrine disrupters and have relatively low toxicity to cells

Government scientists are reporting that eight of the most commonly used oil dispersants used to fight oil spills, such as the massive episode in the Gulf of Mexico, appear unlikely to act as endocrine disrupters — hormone-like substances that can interfere with reproduction, development, and other biological processes. The tested dispersants also had a relatively...

Toward a new generation of superplastics

Scientists are reporting an in-depth validation of the discovery of the world’s first mass producible, low-cost, organoclays for plastics. The powdered material, made from natural clay, would be a safer, more environmentally friendly replacement for the compound widely used to make plastics nanocomposites. A report on the research appears in ACS’ Macromolecules, a bi-weekly...

• Press registration opens for ACS August 2010 National Meeting in Boston
  Press registration now is open for the ACS’ 240th National Meeting & Exposition in Boston August 22-26, 2010, with almost 8,000 reports on news advances in science. Watch for further information in the months ahead.
• Press releases, briefings, and more from ACS’ 239th National Meeting
  www.eurekalert.org/acsmeet.php
  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive
• Must-reads from C&EN: Consumer drug disposal dilemma
  Consumers who want to safely dispose of leftover prescription medications often get confusing and conflicting information — ranging from mixing the pills with kitty litter to flushing it. That has fostered calls for new federal regulations and guidelines. For details, contact m_bernstein@acs.org.
• Capitol Hill Briefing on Oil Spill Dispersants
  The ACS Science & the Congress Project and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers are sponsoring a briefing on the use of oil dispersants for oil spills, from noon to 1:30 p.m. on July 29 in the Capitol Visitors Center, Senate side, Room 202/203. A panel of experts, including Ken Lee of Canada’s Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research, Albert Venosa of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Robert Diaz of the Virginia Marine Sciences Institute, and Nancy Kinner of the University of New Hampshire, will speak on the science, use, implications, and future of oil dispersants. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) will give opening remarks. To register, go to http://tinyurl.com/Oil-Dispersants.
• ACS Pressroom Blog The ACS Office of Public Affairs’ (OPA) pressroom blog highlights research from ACS’ 38 peer-reviewed journals and National Meetings.
• Bytesize Science blog Educators and kids, put on your thinking caps: The American Chemical Society has a blog for Bytesize Science, a science podcast for kids of all ages.
• ACS satellite pressroom: Daily news blasts on Twitter
  The satellite press room has become one of the most popular science news sites on Twitter. To get our news blasts and updates, create a free account at https://twitter.com/signup. Then visit http://twitter.com/ACSpressroom and click the ‘join’ button beneath the press room logo.
• C&EN on Twitter
  Follow @cenmag <http://twitter.com/cenmag> for the latest news in chemistry and dispatches from our blog, C&ENtral Science <http://centralscience.org>.
• ACS Press Releases
  Press releases on a variety of chemistry-related topics.
• General Chemistry Glossary
• Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Web site on everyday chemicals
  Whether you want to learn more about caffeine, benzoyl peroxide (acne treatment), sodium chloride (table salt), or some other familiar chemical, CAS Common Chemistry can help. The new Web site provides non-chemists and others with useful information about everyday chemicals by searching either a chemical name or a corresponding CAS Registry Number. The site includes about 7,800 chemicals of general interest as well as all 118 elements from the Periodic Table, providing alternative names, molecular structures, a Wikipedia link, and other information.
• Science Connections from CAS
  CAS - Science Connections is a series of articles that showcases the value of CAS databases in light of important general-interest science and technology news. Topics range from fruit flies to Nobel Prize winners, with the CAS - Science Connections series pointing to CAS databases for a more complete understanding of the latest news.
• The Laser’s 50^th
  From DVD players to eye surgery, the laser stands as one of the greatest inventions of modern times — one that truly revolutionized everyday life. Laserfest is a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser, which was first demonstrated in 1960.

• Bytesize Science
  Bytesize Science is a science podcast for kids of all ages that entertains and educates, with new high-definition video podcasts and some episodes in Spanish. Subscribe to Bytesize Science using iTunes. No iTunes? No problem. Listen to the latest episodes of Bytesize Science in your web browser.
• Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions
  This special series of ACS podcasts focuses on some of the 21st Century’s most daunting challenges, and how chemists and other scientists are finding solutions. Subscribe at iTunes or listen and access other resources at the ACS web site www.acs.org/GlobalChallenges.
• Science Elements
  Science Elements is a podcast of PressPac contents that makes cutting-edge scientific discoveries from ACS journals available to a broader public audience. Subscribe to Science Elements using iTunes. Listen to the latest episodes of Science Elements in your web browser. Science Elements is on Facebook, friend it to see the latest updates and information.
• SciFinder® Podcasts
  Interested in healthful plant phytochemicals, nanotechnology, or green chemistry? Check out the SciFinder series of podcasts, which explore a vast array of current interest topics and new discoveries in the 21st century. The SciFinder podcasts are available in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese.

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