Curated category
IARC Group 1 carcinogens
- CadmiumFriedrich Stromeyer isolated a new element in 1817 while examining zinc carbonate samples sold to pharmacies in Germany.
- GasolineThe word gasoline first appeared in English dictionaries during the late 19th century. It combines gas with chemical suffixes like -ole and -ine to describe…
- TobaccoThe English word tobacco originates from the Spanish tabaco, which traces its roots to the Taíno language of the Caribbean.
- OpiumThe Mediterranean region holds the earliest archaeological evidence of human use of opium poppies dating back to before 5000 BCE.
- BerylliumIn 1798, a paper read before the Institut de France announced that chemist Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin had found a new earth by dissolving aluminum hydroxide…
- ArsenicA heavy, brittle block of grey arsenic sits on a laboratory bench. Its density measures 5.73 grams per cubic centimeter.
- AsbestosArchaeologists have uncovered evidence of asbestos use stretching back 4,500 years to the Lake Juojärvi region in East Finland.
- Alcohol (drug)Ethanol carries the molecular formula C2H6O and a weight of 46.0684 grams per mole. This simple liquid acts as a central nervous system depressant by…
- BenzeneMichael Faraday first isolated benzene in 1825 from the oily residue left over during the production of illuminating gas.
- Gamma rayPaul Villard, a French chemist and physicist, discovered gamma radiation in 1900 while studying radiation emitted by radium.
- SunlightA photon born in the core of the Sun takes between 10,000 and 170,000 years to reach the surface. It changes direction every time it encounters a charged…