CHEMICALS FOR

CONSUMERS AND THE

I M P O RTA N C E
FIRDA AMYRUS WAHIZAN
5 AMANAH

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction (slide 3)
Soaps & Detergents (slide 4)
Food Additives (slide 5)
Medicine (slide 8)
Conclusion (slide 12)
Reference (slide 13)

INTRODUCTION
Natural chemicals are substances produced by a
living organism, that is, found in nature.
Examples of natural chemicals;
Oxygen, Hydrogen, Mercury, Bromine, Francium etc,
Examples of artificial chemicals;
Aspertame (artificial sweetener), Atrazine (herbicide
commonly used),
Tributyltin (used as fungicide to prevent growth of
marine organisms on boats and ships).

SOAP & DETERGENTS

Soap is sodium or potassium salts of long-chain
carboxylic acids
The general formula of a soap is:
RCOO-Na+/RCOO-K+, where R is an alkyl group with 12 to
18 carbon atoms.
R can be saturated or unsaturated.

Detergent is a synthetic cleansing agents which is

made from hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum
fraction. Thus, detergents are petrochemicals.

FOOD ADDITIVES
Food additives are chemicals that are added to food in small
quantities for specific purposes such as protection against bacterial
attack or restoring the colour of food destroyed during food
processing.
There are two main group of food additives;
i)
Preservatives and Antioxidants
ii) Flavouring agents, stabilizers, thickening agents and dyes.

EFFECTS OF FOOD ADDITIVES ON

H E A LT H
Effects

Explanation

Allergy

Caused by Sodium sulphite, BHA, BHT,

MSG and food dyes.
Causes a disease named Chinese
restaurant syndrome (giddiness, chest
pain, and difficulty in breathing)

Cancer

Caused by carcinogens (sodium nitrite)

Nitrite reacts with amines to produce
nitrosamine

Brain damage

Caused by excessive intake of nitrites

Hyperactivity

Caused by tartrazine (additives)

Difficulty in sleeping or relaxing

WAY S T O R E D U C E U S E O F
ADDITIVES IN FOOD
Avoid buying genetically modified foods

MEDICINE

TRADIT IONAL MEDICINE

Traditional medicines are medicines derived from natural sources
such as plants and animals without being processed chemically.
Examples of traditional medicine;
Plant

Part of Plant
Used

Garlic

Corm

Aloe Vera

Quinine

Uses

For preventing flu attack

For reducing high blood
pressure

Leaves

For preventing itchy skin

For treating burns on
the skin

Bark of
Chinchona Tree

For treating malaria

For preventing muscle
cramps

MODERN MEDICINE
Modern medicines usually contain a mixture of active ingredients
prepared in different forms such as capsules, pills, solutions or
suspensions.

Type

Example

Function

Side
Effects

Analgesics

Aspirin

Used for pain

relief

Can Cause
brain and liver
damage

Antibiotics

Penicillin

Used to cure
tuberculosis

Headache,
allergic
reaction,
diarrhoea

Psychothera
Peutic Drugs

Antidepressan
ts

To reduce
tension and
anxiety

Drowsiness,
addiction

USE OF MODERN MEDICINE

Used for pain relief
Used to cure tuberculosis
To reduce tension and anxiety

CONCLUSION
Some of the importance of chemicals in our daily
life are;
For health care and beauty, industries and transport,
food security and agriculture, science and
technology and cooking.
We must always use chemicals required for a
particular process and to not substitute.
We must always review and understand hazards
before using a chemical substance.

REFERENCE
Form 5 Chemistry Textbook
Whizz Chemistry SPM Reference
Wikipedia
Google