My three topics will be food additive, coffee or tea and recycling plastics. Total write 5 pages. If you have any questions, please ask.

Topics for Chem 30A term-paper – Spring 2020

1) Recycling – plastics 2) Pesticides/Herbicides

3) Solar Energy 4) Alternative Liquid Fuels

5) Wind Power 6) Household Products

7) Organic Food 8) Air Quality

9) Water Quality 10) Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming

11) Food Additive 12) Diabetes

13) Drugs 14) Vitamins

15) Paper vs. Plastics 16) Cholesterol and Fats

17) DNA and crime investigation 18) Endorphins and Morphine

19) Organic Gardening 20) Nuclear Waste

21) Anabolic Steroids 22) Coffee or Tea

23) Vitamin C 24) Aspirin

READ THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY SO THAT YOU DO NOT

HAVE POINTS DEDUCTED FOR PROCEDURAL MATTERS. THESE GUIDELINES

SUPERSEDE THE GUIDELINES FOUND ON THE GREENSHEET.

The essay will be four to six pages (of text). Seven pages is OK but do not exceed this limit.

The cover page and reference page does not count as one of the pages. Read the directions

below.

Each student will choose one topic and write a four to six page paper (maximum 7 pages)

covering the questions asked about that particular topic. Sign up for one topic by signing your

name on one of the sheets that will be provided in the lab. Each topic has a sign-up sheet with a

particular number set as the maximum number of students per topic, depending on the topic. For

the paper, use size 12 font, double spaced. If you use internet sources you must cite each

reference. Use the APA method for citing references. You can go on-line, look up APA citation

method and see how to reference your paper. Every time that you use a quote or directly take

some piece of information from an article or other source, it must be referenced. Cite the source

and write down the original article or source on the reference page at the end of the report. A

title page and a reference page do not count as one of the 4 to 6 pages. Each student will write

this paper in his/her own words and must include all references. Use at least 5 references. Use

original sources such as centers for disease control (CDC), FDA, USDA, EPA, NIH and other

government sites.

DO NOT use simple references such as Wikipedia and other encyclopedia sources.

Points will be taken off if your use a total of just one, two, three or four references and especially

if one of the references is Wikipedia. Go to the library and use various sources that may not be

on-line. Use journals such as JAMA, Nature, Science, etc… You may also use Scientific

American. Try and find some opinions written by experts in the topic of your choice. Reference

magazines, newspapers, journals etc… The title page must include: the title of the paper,

your name, date, and below the date type your lab instructor’s name, your lab time and

day. Do not write the lecturer’s name and lecture time and day.

All reports must be submitted to turnitin.com, which will provide a report on originality

for each paper. Turnitin.com gives a quantitative index if a paper is substantially copied from a

previously submitted report. In particular, copying or plagiarism (the excessive use of someone

else's words, even if acknowledged, see the section from the Academic Senate below) is

considered a serious offense, especially with regard to the formal lab reports. Note that simply

"re-ordering" words from another source does not constitute an original paper, and will be

"flagged" by turnitin.com. You must use your own words and analysis in all reports for this

course. Also avoid using too many quotations, we want you to summarize and write from your

preservative, we want to know what you learned.

YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR PAPER TO turnitin.com via canvas. Turnitin.com

has been activated for “the term-paper assignment” on your lab canvas. The writeup

section of your report must be submitted to turnitin.com before the start of the lab period in

which the report is due. The hard copy of the essay is due in your lab. Refer to the

greensheet (lecture syllabus) for deadlines. You can turn in the paper any time before this

deadline. Points will be taken off if there is no turnitin.com submission. Plagiarism is a form of

cheating and papers that have significant copying with no references cited will be given zero

points.

To submit your writeup section to turnitin.com: open your Canvas account. In the "assignments"

folder, you should find one for Term-paper. Upload your writeup section, and click on "turnitin."

Verify that your document has been submitted before closing. (note do not submit directly

to turnitin.com, all submissions must be from within Canvas)

Once you have signed up for a topic start to research it. Use the questions that I have

written for each topic as a guide for your paper. You don’t have to answer them one after the

other but try and organize your paper so that the questions for the most part are answered. Your

paper should contain an introduction (a history and general discussion about what the paper will

discuss), a section that includes specific material that is current and a conclusion that wraps up

the paper (this should include some of your own personal thoughts and comments about the

topic). Go back through the questions that I asked and see that your paper has adequately

answered most if not all. Please note that the questions for each topic are to serve as a guide

as to what is to be covered for each topic. HOWEVER, THE BOLD TYPED QUESTIONS

MUST BE ANSWERED somewhere in your essay. The other questions may also be

answered but not all of the questions need to be answered in the essay.

Make sure to reference all sections of the paper that you copied from some other source.

Plan ahead and check your schedule, late papers will not be accepted. If the deadline week is

particularly busy for you, then hand in your paper to me a week or two early.

THERE IS A WRITING LAB ON CAMPUS THAT WILL ASSIST YOU WITH THE

PAPER – their website is: www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/

1.2 PLAGIARISM:

At SJSU plagiarism is the act of representing the work of another as one's own (without giving

appropriate credit) regardless of how that work was obtained, and submitting it to fulfill

academic requirements. Plagiarism at SJSU includes but is not limited to:

1.2.1 The act of incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts thereof, or the

specific substance of another's work, without giving appropriate credit, and representing the

product as one's own work; and

1.2.2 Representing another's artistic/scholarly works such as musical compositions, computer

programs, photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures or similar works as one's own.

1) Recycling - Plastics 1) What is plastic? Is it a man-made product or a natural product?

2) Choose a few types of plastics and discuss how they are made. What is a

polymer? Discuss the recycling symbols used for plastics.

3) Toxicity of plastics, both in manufacturing and waste disposal. Are plastics

toxic? Do you drink from a plastic water bottle?

4) How much plastic is recycled in the US, globally (be specific with each type of

plastic).

5) Can plastics be burned safely and used as a fuel? What is the BTU content of

plastic when burned? Give a definition for BTU.

6) Biodegradable plastics –what structural features make it biodegradable?

7) What is the current status of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean. What is being

done to clean up this mess?

8) How long does it take for plastic to decompose in a landfill? In the ocean?

9) Does this information make you reconsider purchasing things that are contained

in a plastic container?

Cite scientific articles that use actual data. Be specific with information and make sure to

cite all references.

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2) Pesticides/Herbicides Select two or three pesticides and/or herbicides that are currently in use today (for example:

parathion, malathion, diazinon, DDT, chloropyrifos, atrazine, lindane, aldicarb, roundup). Use

the following questions to discuss the pesticides/herbicides that you chose.

1) Discuss the history of the compounds that you have chosen. When were they first

synthesized?

2) What are their structures? Be specific – draw them out.

3) For what purpose are they used (be specific)?

4) Discuss current farming practices in this country with respect to pesticide and herbicide usage.

Discuss various crops where these pesticides/herbicides are applied.

5) Discuss benefits. How have they impacted crops, animals and humans?

6) Discuss disadvantages, toxicity and health effects (including a discussion about testing

these compounds for causing cancer).

7) Stability of these compounds – how long does it take for these compounds to degrade in the

environment?

8) Discuss the food chain and bio-magnification of these pesticides

9) Which food crops are the most contaminated with pesticides and herbicides? Would you

eat food that has been pesticide/herbicide treated?

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3) Solar Energy (Photovoltaic energy) 1) Discuss a brief history of solar energy as used for electrical production.

2) How is sunlight converted into electrical energy?

3) Discuss photovoltaic systems as used for electrical energy production.

4) What are the Federal and State governments doing to encourage the development of

solar voltaic energy?

5) Discuss programs within California and the Bay Area as related to photovoltaic energy

production (what is being done currently, PG&E and other companies)

6) What are the short and long-term plans that the City of San Jose has for solar energy

development (photovoltaic systems)?

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4) Liquid Fuels for Energy Production 1) Discuss the organic liquid fuels - ethanol and methanol.

2) Include a brief history of these fuels.

3) When were they first used as fuels?

4) How were they produced 100 years ago and how are they produced today? What starting

materials are used today for their synthesis (production)?

5) Discuss the energy content of these fuels (use BTU’s when discussing energy content). 6)

How efficient are these fuels when used in automobiles? Discuss octane number.

7) What is some of the current research into the production of these fuels?

8) Why aren’t they used more? Can these fuels solve the energy crisis?

9) Discuss the use of these fuels worldwide and at the local level.

10) What is the Federal government currently doing to promote the use of these liquid

fuels?

11) How has the use of ethanol affected the price of corn? What is the situation with

ethanol subsidies and the Federal government?

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5) Wind Power 1) Discuss a brief history of wind power. How was it produced and how was it used? You may

go back into history as far as you want to go.

2) What systems are used today to harness the wind and convert the wind into electrical power?

How does wind become electricity?

3) Which countries are leading the way with this form of alternative energy? What are

they doing and are the companies in these countries that are doing this work being

subsidized by their respective governments?

4) What are we doing in California and in the United States? How much electricity is produced

by wind power in California?

5) Can wind power produce a significant amount of electrical power in the California?

6) Can it supply California with all of the electrical needs for the state?

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6) Household Products 1) Select two household products such as laundry soap, hand soap, dishwashing detergent, TSP

etc. that contain a significant amount of phosphate.

2) Discuss the chemical formulations (contents) and show chemical structures of the major

compounds found in these products. In what chemical form is the phosphate that is found in

these products?

3) Write a brief history of how and when these products were made. Which companies produce

these products?

4) How do they work? Be specific – are they acids, bases, surfactants, water softeners etc?

5) Discuss the environmental problems with phosphate containing products.

6) Why are phosphates used in these products?

7) Discuss wastewater treatment plants, farms and fertilizers, and the problem with

phosphate run-off into natural waters.

8) Do you use phosphate containing household products? If so, will you continue to use

these products or will you try and find an alternative?

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7) Organic Food 1) What is organic food? Provide definitions by FDA and other organizations.

2) Discuss the history of the food industry with respect to organic food classification.

3) Why are these foods usually more expensive?

4) Health benefits; are these foods higher in vitamin, mineral content? Be specific –

reference legitimate scientific sources.

5) Cost of production. Consider total cost, pesticide and herbicide usage for most foods.

6) Buying locally produced food vs. food from distant lands. Discuss the cost of production

and the cost of shipping. Also, discuss the risks involved with food from other countries.

How is the food inspected in these countries?

7) Discuss the benefits of growing your own food. Do you already do this? Are you planning to

start to grow your own food? Will you go organic?

8) Does SJSU have an organic garden project currently operating on campus? Report on this and

give an

update.

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8) Air Quality 1) History of air quality globally. Select a few regions such as L.A. , New York, San Jose,

London or a city in China and discuss their history of air quality.

2) What conditions were/are responsible for the air pollution found in the various regions

under discussion?

3) What legislation has been enacted to alleviate the air pollution condition?

4) Discuss the chemistry of photochemical smog. What is smog? What is the origin of this

word?

5) What pollutants are found in the air in these regions being discussed?

6) What are the health effects of air pollutants?

7) Does air pollution circulate globally?

8) Can air pollution affect climate? Can it affect crops? How?

9) What legislation has been enacted in California to lessen the impact of air pollution?

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9) Water Quality 1) Select two regions and discuss a history of water pollution. Examples could include

regions such as

India, East Coast, Great Lakes, China or the Bay Area.

2) Discuss in detail the history of these regions and how water quality has been a problem

and what has been done to correct the problem.

3) Discuss the various types of pollutants, their origins, and what steps have been taken to clean

them from the water.

4) How do these pollutants affect our health?

5) How is the water tested for various contaminants? Be specific – what chemical methods are

used?

6) Compare and contrast well water, bottled water and tap water.

What compounds are found in each? Is bottled water better for you than other water?

7) Discuss hard and soft water. What problems are associated with hard water?

8) Discuss San Jose State’s water. Is it clean? Would you drink it? Why or why not?

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10) Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming 1) Discuss a brief history of global warming. Who first came up with this concept? How

fast is the earth heating up? What is causing this heating to occur? Use credible sources as

references.

2) Discuss the various gases from man-made sources that are believed to be heating the

atmosphere. How have they changed over time?

3) Why do scientists believe the earth is heating up? What field tests are used to determine

this heating effect?

4) What is infrared radiation and how is this connected to global warming?

5) How is the Federal government planning and acting to deal with this problem?

6) What is happening with the Antarctic Ice sheets? Could sea levels rise?

7) Is California addressing greenhouse gases? What are they doing?

8) Is this a serious problem in your mind? Discuss this and defend your position using

scientific journals, newspaper editorials, government publications etc…

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11) Food Additives 1) Food additives (pick two additives such as nitrites, nitrates, BHT, BHA, sodium benzoate,

sulfites, MSG, potassium iodide, calcium propionate, benzoyl peroxide, calcium phosphate,

calcium sulfate, ammonium chloride, magnesium carbonate), discuss history, current usage.

2) Discuss chemical structures (draw them) of these compounds and how they work to preserve

food.

3) You may want to select a few foods such as bread, meats, fast foods and various packaged

foods and discuss the additives found there.

4) What are the negative health effects of these additives?

5) What are the positive effects of using food additives?

6) How is your diet? After researching this subject are you planning to alter your diet? How

will you do this?

7) How effective is the federal government (FDA) with respect to keeping us informed

about these various

additives? Are the FDA and USDA doing their job? What else could they do to improve

their performance? Do you think that these government agencies should be shut down

and that the food industry should be allowed to regulate itself?

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12) Diabetes 1) Discuss the history of this disease. When was it first identified? Discuss this disease on a

global basis. Discuss the current situation in the US with respect to this disease.

2) What causes this disease? Discuss the two major types of diabetes. Be specific with the

biochemistry (insulin) and how the cells operate in a diabetic person.

3) What can be done to cure or minimize the impact of this disease?

4) Which age groups are at risk for this disease?

5) How can modification of diet and exercise help with the control of diabetes? Be specific

with your discussion. Use credible references such as NIH and CDC. These are

government agencies. You may also want to peruse medical publications as well.

6) Which specific foods appear to be most problematic with this disease? Use studies from

the literature to support your answer.

7) If you know anyone with this disease, what do they do to keep this disease under control?

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13) Drugs 1) Select a couple of drugs such as morphine, PCP, amphetamines, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana,

cocaine, nicotine, peyote, psilocybin, opiates, methadone, prescription drugs… and discuss the

history of these substances. Write out the structures of the drugs that you are discussing.

2) How do they work? Be specific with where in our bodies these drugs interact.

3) Discuss abuse of these drugs.

4) Do any of these drugs function in a similar manner to naturally occurring compounds

already in our bodies? Discuss endorphins. What are they and when were they

discovered? How did the name come about?

5) Discuss the acceptance by the public and the government of these drugs.

6) Are there any benefits by using these drugs?

7) How do these drugs compare with similar “legal” drugs? Why are some drugs legal and

others are not? What criteria do the federal and state governments use to decide which

drugs are legal?

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14) Vitamins 1) Select two vitamins and discuss their history. When and how were they discovered and

purified? Write the structures.

2) What role do they play in nutrition?

3) How do they interact with our bodies? Be specific with the biochemical interactions.

4) Discuss food sources of these vitamins. Give actual vitamin content in each food discussed.

5) How does cooking, freezing, baking affect the stability of these vitamins? Are some

vitamins more susceptible to heat degradation and oxidation than others?

6) Discuss vitamin supplements and vitamin uptake in our bodies. Should everyone take

vitamin supplements? What is the NIH opinion on this?

7) Discuss vitamin deficiencies and diseases. Present a brief history of some of these diseases.

8) Discuss RDA requirements and can some vitamins be abused by taking too much? Can

these vitamin supplements actually be toxic?

9) Compare and contrast taking vitamin supplements with just vitamins from natural food.

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15) Paper vs. Plastics 1) Discuss the history of plastics and paper.

2) Discuss the chemical composition of each. Include some discussion about structure of these

substances at a molecular level.

3) How is paper made today in the US? How are plastics made?

4) How much energy is required to make paper and compare this to the energy required in the

production of plastic.

5) What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

6) Discuss how each product degrades in the environment. What are some of the products

of degradation?

7) Is one more toxic than the other? Cite references that have done studies which show

what chemical compounds are formed from biodegradation.

8) Discuss paper vs. plastics choices in local businesses. You may want to ask them if they

have eliminated plastic from their stores and why they did so.

9) What choices have you made concerning this problem?

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16) Cholesterol and Fats 1) History of cholesterol, when was it identified? Write out its structure.

2) What are its functions in the body? Why do we need it?

3) What are normal and abnormal levels?

4) What are some of the connections with heart disease?

5) Discuss the drugs that are prescribed to keep cholesterol under control. How do they

work?

6) Also discuss omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and how they are connected to cholesterol

levels.

7) Discuss the “good” and the “bad” cholesterol (HDL and LDL). Just what does “good”

and “bad” mean with cholesterol? Do we need both in our bodies?

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17) DNA and Crime Investigation 1) Discuss the history of DNA. When was it discovered? Who published a paper in 1953 in

Nature describing the structure of DNA?

2) What is the structure of DNA? What are the building blocks of the double helix? Write out

the structures of these nucleotides.

3) What role does it have in living systems? Where is DNA usually located in the cells?

4) How is it used in crime investigation? Discuss DNA fingerprinting.

5) How accurate is this technique?

6) Discuss some recent court cases where DNA has either upheld or overturned a court

decision.

7) Can DNA fingerprinting be used to re-investigate old cases? Give some examples.

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18) Endorphins and morphine 1) What are endorphins and when were they discovered? Write out the structures of some of

these compounds.

2) How do they function in our bodies? What are opiate receptor sites?

3) What is morphine and when was it discovered? Is it still cultivated today? Where?

4) How is it similar to endorphins? Do they both work on the same parts of the nervous system?

Explain in detail.

5) Discuss other compounds such as heroin, methadone and codeine and their connection

with endorphins. When was methadone developed? Why was it developed?

6) Discuss addiction with these compounds. What takes place at the molecular level?

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19) Organic Gardening 1) What is organic gardening? Be specific with definitions citing government sources.

2) Discuss various types of chemical and organic fertilizers. Write out their structures and

explain why they are used in farming practices.

3) What kinds of nutrients are needed for healthy soil?

4) What is compost? Discuss composting methods.

5) Discuss how you could change nutrient depleted soil into rich healthy soil.

Include soil amendments and how to adjust the pH of soil. Define pH and discuss

acid/base conditions in which crops grow best.

6) Discuss crop rotation and soil management. Include practices that have been used for

hundreds of years.

7) Do you have an organic garden? What do you grow?

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20) Nuclear Waste 1) What is nuclear waste? Where does it come from?

2) What are the various types of nuclear waste? Be specific.

3) Where are nuclear wastes stored in this country today?

4) Where is nuclear waste stored in other countries, such as France, India and Japan?

5) What are the problems with long-term storage of nuclear waste?

6) What are some current proposals to deal with this problem of storage?

7) Can some of this waste be recycled and reprocessed?

8) Discuss nuclear waste and weapons grade materials.

9) What international agreements have been made to deal with nuclear waste and nuclear

proliferation?

10) How serious is the nuclear situation today?

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21) Anabolic Steroids 1) What are they? Discuss chemistry of these substances. Write out the structures.

2) How are they used and abused? Can they be beneficial?

3) How are these detected in the body? Discuss in some detail, the instrumentation used to detect

various types of steroids (Gas chromatography, HPLC etc…).

4) Discuss some specific cases and ongoing investigations.

5) Discuss their abuse in Olympic competitions both past and present. What was the

outcome of these investigations?

6) What is your opinion about their use in athletics, medical practices, other...?

Are you for or against these drugs? Be convincing with your discussion. Use editorials

from reputable newspapers and medical-scientific journals to support your case.

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22) Coffee and/or Tea 1) Discuss the history of Coffee and/or Tea with respect to its cultivation and commerce.

2) Global consumption of coffee and/or tea globally and also in the US.

3) Caffeine content of various teas and coffees. How do chemists determine the amount of

caffeine in a tea or coffee sample?

4) Caffeine – discuss various health effects- good and bad of this compound.

5) Green teas vs. black teas, discuss chemical composition and health benefits. Write out

the structures of the most important compounds found in coffee and tea.

6) Decaffeinated teas, coffee – describe the process of decaffeination and the health effects

(good/bad) of these beverages.

7) Discuss diseases or negative health effects associated with over-consumption of coffee

and tea.

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23) Vitamin C 1) Discuss the history of this vitamin.

2) When was it discovered, what disease does it prevent?

3) Does it help to prevent or minimize other diseases? Be specific when referencing this

connection between Vitamin C and disease. There are many unsubstantiated claims and

therefore, find reputable sources and cite them in your paper.

4) What are antioxidants? How do they work? How does Vitamin C act as an antioxidant?

5) Discuss various sources of vitamin C.

6) Effect of cooking, baking storage, sunlight etc. on stability of vitamin C. Find references that

have done studies to show how Vitamin C levels are easily changed by various external factors.

7) How much do we need? Discuss various references.

8) Discuss any controversies regarding this vitamin.

9) Can it cure the common cold or cancer? Who was Linus Pauling?

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24) Aspirin 1) History of this compound. When was it discovered and what were its uses?

2) What is its structure and how does it work in the body?

3) How is it produced today?

4) Discuss aspirin and heart disease prevention. Cite specific studies. How were these studies

performed? Has the perception of heart disease prevention by aspirin changed during the last 20

years?

5) Discuss some aspirin alternatives, how they work and why they were developed. Write out

the structures of these compounds.

6) If aspirin was discovered today how difficult would it be to get FDA approval for over-

the-counter sales of this product?

7) Is aspirin potentially dangerous? Can you overdose on aspirin?

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