ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: January 5, 2011

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

News Items in This Edition

Household sewage: Not waste, but a vast new energy resource

In a finding that gives new meaning to the adage, “waste not, want not,” scientists are reporting that household sewage has far more potential as an alternative energy source than previously thought. They say the discovery, which increases the estimated potential energy in wastewater by almost 20 percent, could spur efforts to extract methane, hydrogen and other fuels…

New method for making large quantities of deuterium-depleted drinking water

Scientists in China are reporting development of a less expensive, more eco-friendly method for making deuterium-depleted drinking water, citing studies suggesting that it may be a more healthful form of water. Their report appears in ACS’ bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research…

How studded winter tires may damage public health, as well as pavement

Scientists are reporting new evidence on how studded tires — wintertime fixtures in some areas but banned in others for causing damage to pavement — may also damage the health of motorists and people living near highways. Studded tires have small metal protrusions from the rubber tread that improve traction on icy or snow-covered roads. Their study appears in ACS’ Chemical…

Organic onions, carrots, and potatoes do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants

With the demand for organically produced food increasing, scientists are reporting new evidence that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants and related substances than vegetables grown with traditional fertilizers and pesticides. Their study appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food…

“Smart grid” would save energy, cut costs for U.S. consumers

Momentum is building for a new energy “smart grid” that would overhaul the U.S.’s 100-year-old electrical power network. The impact would be huge –– from installation of a new web of electrical transmission lines to smart meters to control home appliances. The meters would offer consumers discounted rates if they use electricity at off-peak hours. A key objective of the $1.5 trillion dollar…

Journalists’ Resources

News media registration opens for ACS’ 241st National Meeting & Exposition
Almost 9,500 reports on new discoveries in health, energy, environment, food and other areas that involve chemistry are on the program March 27-31, 2011 in Anaheim, Calif., making it one of the year’s largest scientific meetings. News media registration now is open.
Press releases, briefings, and more from ACS’ 240th National Meeting
www.eurekalert.org/acsmeet.php
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/acslive
Must-reads from C&EN: The “V” factor in U. S. scientific progress
American scientific conferences, universities, private and governmental research facilities benefit from the presence of the best scientific minds from around the world. Visa denials can be a roadblock, and have stirred controversy in the scientific community. How does the U. S. Department of State decide who gets a visa and who does not? David T. Donahue, deputy assistant secretary for visa services at the State Department, explains. For the full text story, contact m_bernstein@acs.org.
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 50th
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.

ACS Videos

The American Chemical Society encourages news organizations, museums, educational organizations, and other web sites to embed links to these videos.

Prized Science: Taming the Red Tides
The latest episode in the American Chemical Society’s new video series, Prized Science: How the Science Behind ACS Awards Impacts Your Life, focuses on the quest to cure a terrible form of food poisoning caused by population explosions of algae that stain the water red and produce a potent toxin. Entitled “Taming the Red Tides,” the high-definition video focuses on Michael Crimmins, Ph.D., winner of the 2010 Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products. Crimmins and colleagues at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, study brevetoxin A, a poison produced by red tide algae. Previous episodes of Prized Science explore technology that helped shrink the size of computer chips, “green gasoline,” and the possibility that life on Mars seeded life on Earth. The series is available without charge at the Prized Science website, YouTube, iTunes and on DVD. ACS encourages educators, schools, museums, science centers, news organizations, and others to embed links to Prized Science on their websites.

The Chemistry of the Holidays

The Chemistry of Sourdough Bread

The Chemistry of Fireworks

The Chemistry of Grilling and Barbecuing

ACS Podcasts

Note to Journalists and Other Viewers

This is the latest American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs Weekly PressPac with news from ACS’ 38 peer-reviewed journals and Chemical & Engineering News.

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ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: January 05, 2011