White Arsenic

This graphic is the first in a planned series looking at the effects and chemistry of a range of different poisons. As such, it seemed appropriate to start with one of the most well known poisons: arsenic. Arsenic has been used by poisoners for centuries, primarily in the form of white arsenic, ...

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Thallium, ‘The Poisoner’s Poison’

Having already looked at arsenic and cyanide in the previous instalments in this series, our attention turns to thallium, another famed poison. Thallium perhaps doesn’t share quite the same profile as arsenic and cyanide, but despite this it’s perhaps an even more effective compound in ...

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Following on from the start of the Chemistry Advent Calendar yesterday, here’s anotherfestive post, this time looking at the chemistry of the poinsettia plant. The red leaves of the poinsettia plant can be used to make a pH indicator, due to their chemical composition; this is actually something ...

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Part I: The G Series

Today’s graphic looks again at the darker side of chemistry, after the previous post on the various chemical agents used in World War 1. The present day spectre of chemical warfare is largely concerned with nerve agents, which come in two main groups; today’s post examines the G series of nerve ...

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Die Chemie der Schokolade

Valentinstag, ein passender Zeitpunkt, um die Chemie der Schokolade für die neueste Grafik der Lebensmittelchemie zu untersuchen. Insbesondere konzentrieren wir uns hier auf die beiden häufig erwähnten Wirkungen des Schokoladenkonsums: die vermeintliche aphrodisierende Wirkung und die schädlichen ...

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The Chemistry of Rhubarb

Field-grown rhubarb will shortly be coming into season and appearing in supermarkets in the UK, so it seems like a good time to take a look at the chemistry behind this odd-looking vegetable. It’s mostly used in pies and desserts, but it’s only the stalks of the plant that we eat – and there’s a ...

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There’s a reason that it’s strongly recommended not to pick wild mushrooms unless you’ve had training in recognising the different types; some mushrooms containing deadly toxins can look almost identical to those that are perfectly safe to eat. Of the various types of mushroom toxins, those which ...

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