Re: Ethylene & ethylene oxide

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 13:27 04.04.2000 -0500, you wrote:
>>	No I think it's ethylene (not ethylene oxide).  I believe it's a plant 
>>hormone that hastens ripening.  I'm not aware that it's a carcinogen.
>>
>>	Ethylene OXIDE, like organic peroxides, is a *radiomimetic*
>>substance, in that it has very similar biological effects to radiation. I 
>>suspect this is because it causes free-radical formation.
>----
>If you get ethylene into your body, I would expect it to oxidize to ethylene 
>oxide. Ethylene oxide is a very nasty chemical - it was shown already about 
>40-45 years ago by L. Ehrenberg and others that it causes mutations in 
>plants (same DNA as in humans).

No, ethylene oxide is a rather unstable compound, because the bonds are
under very high tension, so it reacts easily with many compounds. Ethylene,
which consists of carbon and hydrogen might be oxidized to carbon dioxide
and water. 

Ethylenoxide is used in organic chemistry to enlarge certain carbon chains
by addition by two carbon atoms. I know this too well, because I remember a
synthesis during my studies in organic chemistry, where I wanted it to
react with a Grignard compound dissolved in diethylen ether and the beast
had not reacted, because the solution was too cold. When I heated the
mixture, not knowing about this fact to distill off the ether it suddenly
reacted so violently that the distillation apparatus was torn apart, some
parts hit the at least five meter high ceiling and all I found afterwards
was what had been marked with tape, so that me fellow students would not
"loan" it. Since my safety philosophy was always of the kind "Rather shield
alphas by lead than gammas with paper" I head worn a protective shield, so
nothing happened to me. 

Thanks Björn, for reminding me of the good old times, when we did work with
our hands, which nowaways might have to be performed with remote handling
behind thick walls!

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
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Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
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e-mail: schoenho@via.at


Office:
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