Background information

HOW DOES SOLUTION OF A CIGARETTE IN WATER AFFECT THE GROWTH OF BACTERIAS?


Objective
To find out how the solution of substances found in cigarettes and water affects the growth and mortality of bacteria. To investigate the amount of certain substances found in a cigarette.

Background information

Introduction:
For our experiment we are going to make a solution with the substances found in a cigarette and water, and then we are going to grow a culture of bacteria with this solution and prove its lethality. We have chosen this experiment because we think that it is interesting due to its effect on our organism’s’ cells.

With this experiment we want to aware people of the inconvenients of smoking by looking at it reactions with bacteria. We have choosen 5 of the substances found in the cigarette to watch the conclusion once we disolved it on water. 
The consumption of tobacco kills more than five million people a year and is responsible for the death of 1 in 10 adults. Among the five major risk factors of mortality, is the most preventable cause of death. 11 % of deaths are attributable to the consumption of it . Over 70 % of deaths from lung , bronchus and trachea cancer are attributable to the consumption of tobacco. If current trends continue , consumption of snuff will kill more than 8 million people per year by 2030. Most of them prematurely from a disease related to tobacco. It also kills people at the height of their productive lives , depriving families of their livelihood and nations a healthy workforce . In addition, consumers of snuff are less productive during his life due to their greater vulnerability to disease.


- What substances are found in a cigarette?

A cigarette is a small thin cylinder (about 8cm long and about 8mm thick) made ​​with chopped and snuff wrapped in a special fine paper that is smoked by burning at one end. It contains the following substances: 




These are the main compounds of a cigarette:

- Ammonia: It is used to crystallize the nicotine. Furthermore, accelerates the dispersion of the crystallized nicotine, altering its chemical composition to be more readily absorbed by the body.

- Arsenic: Highly damaging component: pure poison rat poison  content.

- Hexamine: A white, crystalline, water-soluble powder,  used as a vulcanization accelerator, an absorbent in gas masks, in the manufacture of the explosive RDX and synthetic resins, and in medicine as a diuretic and urinary antiseptic.

- Acetic acid: Hair dye and developer.

- ButaneColourless, odourless, but highly flammable. Domestic fuel.

- Fish metals: 
·                     Mercury: It is a bright and dense metal liquid at ordinary temperatures, silvery white.
·                     LeadIs a solid blue-gray colour metal, soft, malleable, ductile, high density and poor conductor of electricity.
·                     Cadmium: Is a metal from the group of transition elements, silver-white, malleable, like tin, highly toxic.
- Methanol: Colourless and highly toxic, obtained by distillation of wood at low temperatures or by the reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

- Carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide also known as carbon oxide, carbonaceous and carbonaceous dioxide gas with the chemical formula CO, is an odourless, colourless, flammable and highly toxic gas.

- Nicotine: Is an organic compound mainly found snuff plant (Nicotiana tabacum ) , with high concentrations in the leaves. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs in the world. Currently most of the cigarettes in the world market contain 1 to 2 milligrams or more of nicotine. As you inhale the smoke , the smoker ingested 0.8 mg of nicotine per cigarrillo.las sales and consumption of smokeless snuff have increased.

- Toluene: It is used in the manufacture of paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives ... causing vapors are narcotic and irritant effects. If inhaled in large amount can reach provoke death in the worst case.

-Paint. 


(American Lung Association, 2014)


These are another substances that the cigarette contains: 

AnilineIt may be toxic if swallowed, inhaled or comes in to contact with skin. It damages the haemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood.


- Benzopyrene: Carcinogenic substance that aids in the combustion process (the cigarette does not get shut down).

- Cyanide: very toxic (even lethal) organic compound

DDT: Insecticide. 

DiethylnitrosamineCause of liver damage.

Phenol: Phenol is a manufactured substance. In pure form, the phenol is a white-colourless solid. The commercial product is a liquid.

- Formol: Strong-smelling liquid with disinfectant properties, it is used in the preservation of dead organic bodies to prevent decomposition.



- Naphtalene: Solid, white, crystalline hydrocarbon characteristic odour, obtained from the distillation of coal tar; used in the manufacture of synthetic resins, celluloid and insecticides.

- Nickel: It is stored in the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, bones and teeth. It can cause gangrene of the feet and damage to the myocardium.
- Nitrosamine: Are organic compounds which usually arise due to the reaction of a secondary amine with a nitrite in acid medium. They can can cause cancer in a wide variety of animal species, a feature that suggests that may also be carcinogenic to humans.

 - Pyridine: It acts as a central nervous system depressant. It operates as nicotine in order to enhance the addictive effects of smoking.


- Polonium-210: Extremely radioactive element.


(Cancerresearchuk.org, 2014)



Bacteria:

We are going to perform a bacteria culture to demonstrate the lethally of some of the previous substances.


Bacteria are unicellular prokaryotic organisms, they lack a nucleus. They have very short life spans varying between minutes and days. Bacteria are the oldest living beings on Earth and they can be found everywhere even on the air we breathe. 


Bacteria have a very fast reproduction process and that’s the reason of its short life span. They reproduce asexually by binary fission. (Microinmuno.qb.fcen.uba.ar, 2014)

The necessary conditions for a suitable culture of bacteria are: temperature, amount of humidity, pressure, light, gas presence, the sterility of the means and acidity. It has to contain the necessary nutrients, growth factors and be extent of pollutant microorganisms.


- What is a solution? 

solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. The solutions are formed by the solute and the solvent (usually a lesser amount solute solvent).

Solution = solute + solvent
·                     Solute: A substance that is dissolved in another.
·                     Solvent: A substance or liquid capable of dissolving a body or other substance (the solute).

Example: A sugar cube in a glass of water. Sugar would solute and solvent water. (Chem.purdue.edu, 2014)


- Electronic stirrer: A glass stirring rod is an instrument used in chemical laboratories, involving the UN thin solid cylinder paragraph Glass serving stir solutions, with the aim of Mixing Chemicals and liquid materials in the laboratory. An agitator having a plate or surface that oscillates horizontally, driven by an electric motor. The liquids to be agitated are contained in vessels or tubes which are placed on the vibrating surface. (Heidolph-instruments.com, 2014)
 



- Solubility of compounds: 
Solubility (g/100g)

Temperature: 20-25º

Table: Solubility in water at 20-25º
Compound
Solubility (g/100g)
Ammonia (NH3)
89,9
Stearic acid (C18H36O2)
0,034
Hexamine (C6H12N4)
85,3 
Acetic acid (C2H4O2)
0,7
Butane (C4H10)
6,1
Aniline (C6H5NH2)
3,6
Methane (CH4)
3,3
Methanol (CH4O)
Miscible*
Carbon monoxide (CO)
27,6
Nicotine (C10H14N2 )
Miscible*
Toluene (C6H5CH3)
8,1
(Chemicalbook.com, 2014) (Castells i Guardiola, 1981)

*This means that they are soluble in all proportions. 


Other substances as Arsenic, Cadmium or Benzopyrene are not soluble in water.


References

American Lung Association,. (2014). What's in a Cigarette? - American Lung Association. Retrieved 3 December 2014, from http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/facts-figures/whats-in-a-cigarette.html

Cancerresearchuk.org,. (2014). Smoking and cancer: What's in a cigarette? : Cancer Research UK. Retrieved 5 October 2014, from http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/healthyliving/smoking-and-cancer/whats-in-a-cigarette/smoking-and-cancer-whats-in-a-cigarette

Castells i Guardiola, J. (1981). Química general. Madrid: Alhambra.

Chem.purdue.edu,. (2014). What Is a Solution?. Retrieved 26 October 2014, from http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/solutions/whatis.html

Chemicalbook.com,. (2014). ChemicalBook---Chemical Search Engine. Retrieved 6 November 2014, from http://www.chemicalbook.com

Heidolph-instruments.com,. (2014). Home. Retrieved 29 October 2014, from http://www.heidolph-instruments.com/products/overhead-stirrers/electronic-stirrers/

Microinmuno.qb.fcen.uba.ar,. (2014). Los medios de cultivo en microbiología. Retrieved 5 October 2014, from http://www.microinmuno.qb.fcen.uba.ar/SeminarioMedios.htm

No hay comentarios:

Publicar un comentario