4 ms·

The more chemists I have spoken to over the years, the more I hear warnings about polymers in general. Seems as though, that in general structure simply cannot

The more chemists I have spoken to over the years, the more I hear warnings about polymers in general. Seems as though, that in general structure simply cannot be manufactured in a way that is innocuous to our health. It is plausible that plastic will be the next tobacco/leaded gasoline. Time will tell however.

carlmr 3y ago
>It is plausible that plastic will be the next tobacco/leaded gasoline. More like lead, since it's impossible to remove the microplastics from our environment. Tobacco you can just stop, I know it's addictive and all, but at least the issue is psychological, not physical.
- neuronic 3y ago
  Dependence on many drugs, including nicotine, is indeed very physical: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/nicotine-addictive https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-n...
Ekaros 3y ago
I have wondered about carbon steel and cast iron for cooking. The common method is to "season" them for use. But that is done with fats and high heat? What is the stuff that forms? Is it also some type of polymer? It doesn't seem to survive acidic environment too well. So acids could break it down, is it actually safe to eat? Or something comparable to plastics?
- Dah00n 3y ago
  I have no idea about this stuff but wouldn't it be fair to say that those ... byproducts.. haven't been found in humans, so at least it isn't comparable to plastics?
  - Ekaros 3y ago
    Or is it just not something we are searching and looking for. Then again, maybe it goes under the known carcinogenic effects when food is cooked at high temperature.
- giraffe_lady 3y ago
  My background is cooking not chemistry, but I suspect there's a lot more to that process. IIRC the iron is a catalyst for oxidation in a particular way that affects the resulting polymer. Then the polymer is carbonized by the very high heat process. This all happens in the same "step" of seasoning, over time, but when learning to season I was taught it was several distinct things that had to be allowed time to run their course. Pans where the seasoning was done at too low a temp or aborted early, usually both to avoid smoke, have a distinctly tacky or even sticky feel to their surface. This is probably the more straightforward polymer you're thinking of. I believe these actually handle acid better though. When you get the acid reaction it's definitely the iron part of the seasoning involved. Tastes like old coins.
refurb 3y ago
I'm a chemist and I'm not sure what the problem with polymers is? Many of them are some of the most inert substances we know of. Maybe you could share what these chemists told you?

carlmr 3y ago

>It is plausible that plastic will be the next tobacco/leaded gasoline. More like lead, since it's impossible to remove the microplastics from our environment. Tobacco you can just stop, I know it's addictive and all, but at least the issue is psychological, not physical.

neuronic 3y ago
Dependence on many drugs, including nicotine, is indeed very physical: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes/nicotine-addictive https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-n...

Ekaros 3y ago

I have wondered about carbon steel and cast iron for cooking. The common method is to "season" them for use. But that is done with fats and high heat? What is the stuff that forms? Is it also some type of polymer? It doesn't seem to survive acidic environment too well. So acids could break it down, is it actually safe to eat? Or something comparable to plastics?

Dah00n 3y ago
I have no idea about this stuff but wouldn't it be fair to say that those ... byproducts.. haven't been found in humans, so at least it isn't comparable to plastics?
- Ekaros 3y ago
  Or is it just not something we are searching and looking for. Then again, maybe it goes under the known carcinogenic effects when food is cooked at high temperature.
giraffe_lady 3y ago
My background is cooking not chemistry, but I suspect there's a lot more to that process. IIRC the iron is a catalyst for oxidation in a particular way that affects the resulting polymer. Then the polymer is carbonized by the very high heat process. This all happens in the same "step" of seasoning, over time, but when learning to season I was taught it was several distinct things that had to be allowed time to run their course. Pans where the seasoning was done at too low a temp or aborted early, usually both to avoid smoke, have a distinctly tacky or even sticky feel to their surface. This is probably the more straightforward polymer you're thinking of. I believe these actually handle acid better though. When you get the acid reaction it's definitely the iron part of the seasoning involved. Tastes like old coins.

refurb 3y ago

I'm a chemist and I'm not sure what the problem with polymers is? Many of them are some of the most inert substances we know of. Maybe you could share what these chemists told you?