Chemophobia

“So what do you do for a living?” asked the guy standing next to me. “I’m a chemist,” I said, expecting to see his face light up with a mixture of admiration and envy. “Oh…. So you work with chemicals, then?” he said, and his emphasis on the word “chemicals” indicated both repulsion and pity for my unfortunate career choice. I thought about saying, “Everyone works with chemicals, since everything is a chemical,” but I can usually spot a lost cause when I see one so I just nodded and began talking to myself until he decided he wanted to be somewhere else. Why does the term ”chemical” evoke such negative feelings in some people? I suspect that much of the reason has to do with the media (and those who use the media, e.g. politicians). It’s pretty much an unwritten rule in the media that the word “chemical” is only to be used when negative connotations are required. If a chemical is found to be beneficial, words like “substance” or “ingredient” or “compound” or “drug” will be used instead. Here's an article I found discussing the use of chemical alternatives to chlorine in swimming pools. These alternatives include ozone, Cu²⁺, and Ag⁺ to kill bacteria. The pool owners are happy that they no longer have to deal with the problems inherent with chlorine and there’s no problem with that. But you’ll notice that many of these owners (and the writer of the article) indicate they are glad to be in a chemical-free pool. What? Copper and silver aren’t chemicals?

Want to get someone’s attention? Just invoke a chemical name – the longer and the more scientific sounding, the better. There’s been a series of hoaxes over the years based on the supposed necessity of banning DHMO (dihydrogen monoxide). The most recent incarnation occurred last year in New Zealand when an MP was tricked into believing that DHMO might be harmful to the public. DHMO was described to her as colorless, odorless, tasteless, causing the death of uncounted thousands of people every year, and yet so addicting that, for those who become dependent on it, its withdrawal means certain death. Not bad for a substance which covers over two thirds of the planet’s surface.