Emphasizing Endosulfan and Organic Substance: What is the Ecological Danger of the MV Princess Tragedy?

The MV Princess of the Stars was a ferry owned by Filipino shipping company Sulpicio Lines that capsized off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon at the height of Typhoon Frank last June 21, 2008. According to the Coast Guard, the ferry's manifest recorded 702 passengers including 50 children as well as 100 crew. The civil defense office said that the ship carried 626 passengers and 121 crew members. It was reported that a 10 metric tons of endosulfan, a restricted pesticide for use in pineapple plantations, was found in the sunken MV Princess of the Stars.

Endosulfan is a chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide and acaricide of the cyclodiene subgroup which acts as a poison to a wide variety of insects and mites on contact. Endosulfan is a poisonous and highly toxic pesticide. It only needs a very small amount which is equivalent to only 8 milligram to kill someone who is affected with it. Our central nervous system will be the most damaged area in human body. These chemicals should not be taken with fruits and vegetable and passengers as well. Endosulfan brings many ecological danger which can probably lead to death.

Endosulfan breaks down into endosulfan sulfate and endosulfan diol, both of which, according to the EPA, have "structures similar to the parent compound and are also of toxicological concern…The estimated half-lives for the combined toxic residues range from roughly 9 months to 6 years." The EPA concluded that, "based on environmental fate laboratory studies, terrestrial field dissipation studies, available models, monitoring studies, and published literature, it can be concluded that endosulfan is a very persistent chemical which may stay in the environment for lengthy periods of time, particularly in acid media." The EPA also concluded that "endosulfan has relatively high potential to bioaccumulate in fish." It is also toxic to amphibians: low levels have been found to kill tadpoles. Several fish species are quite susceptible to endosulfan. Endosulfan is also quite toxic to birds and to shellfish. Birds in general are fairly sensitive to endosulfan poisoning. The symptoms persisted for up to a month in a few animals. It is moderately toxic to bees and is relatively non-toxic to beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps, lady bird beetles and some mites.

The Department of Health of the Philippines has temporarily banned the consumption of fish caught in the area. Endosulfan is classified as a "Severe Marine Pollutant" by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.

sources:

MV Princess of the stars. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Princess_of_the_Stars

NDCC update. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from NDCC web: http://210.185.184.53/ndccWeb/images/ndccWeb/ndcc_update/MV_princess_star/sitrep%207%20mv%20princess%20of%20the%20stars.pdf

Pesticide Information Profiles. Revised June, 1996, from Extoxnet: http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/endosulf.htm

http://hugsmiles.com/ladyinpurple/2008/06/28/enduslfan-a-poisonous-chemical-found-to-be-in-sunken-mv-princess-of-the-stars/

http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/dienochlor-glyphosate/endosulfan-ext.html

Endosulfan health effects. Retrieved March 11, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosulfan#Health_effects

electrolytic cells

Electrolytic Cells

• conversion of electrical energy back to chemical energy
• decomposes chemical compounds by means of electrical energy, in a process called electrolysis; the Greek word lysis means to break up. The result is that the chemical energy is increased. Important examples of electrolysis are the decomposition of water into hydrogen and hydroxide, and bauxite into aluminium and other chemicals.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolytic_cell)

E^o_cell = E^o_reduction(cathode reaction) - E^o_reduction(anode reaction)

If E^o_cell> 0, we have a spontaneous process (galvanic cell)
If E^o_cell<>

THREE COMPONENTS OF ELECTROLYTIC CELLS:

• electrolyte (any substance containing free ions that behaves as an electrically conductive medium)
• 2 electrodes: anode and cathode

Galvanic cells compared to electrolytic cells

In contrast, a battery or galvanic cell, converts chemical energy into electrical energy, by using spontaneous chemical reactions that take place at the electrodes. Each galvanic cell has its own characteristic voltage (defined as the energy release per electron transfer from one electrode to the other). A simple galvanic cell will consist only of an electrolyte and two different electrodes. (Galvanic cells can also be made by connecting two half-cells, each with its own electrode and electrolyte, by an ion-transporting "bridge", usually a salt bridge; these cells are more complex.) The electrodes typically are two metals, which naturally have different reaction potentials relative to the electrolyte. This causes ions of one of the electrodes to preferentially enter the solution at one electrode, and another ion to leave the solution at the other electrode. This generates an electric current across the electrolyte, which will drive electric current through a wire that makes an exterior connection to each of the electrodes. A galvanic cell uses electrodes of different metals, whereas an electrolytic cell may use the same metal for cathode and anode.

A rechargeable battery, such as a AA NiMH cell or a single cell of a lead-acid battery, acts as a galvanic cell when discharging (converting chemical energy to electrical energy), and an electrolytic cell when being charged (converting electrical energy to chemical energy).(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolytic_cell)

for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolytic_cell

electrochemical cells(o2-o4-o9)

ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS

• conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy

• an apparatus in which a spontaneous reduction oxidation reaction occurs

Parts of a Galvanic Cell

A Galvanic cell is usually separated into two compartments. The reducing and oxidizing species are not in direct contact. Instead an electrical wire is used to facilitate the transfer of electrons and a salt bridge is used to facilitate the transfer of ions.

• cathode - the compartment in which reduction occurs. In the example shown above, the cathode compartment is composed of an aqueous solution of Cu(NO₃)₂ and a copper electrode (an electrode is the material that is exposed to the solution and, at the same time, is connected to an external wire). The reaction at the cathode (a reduction) for this case is:

Cu²⁺ (aq) + 2e^- ---> Cu (s)

• anode - the compartment in which oxidation occurs. In the example shown above, the anode compartment is composed of an aqueous solution of Zn(NO₃)₂ and a zinc electrode. The reaction at the anode (an oxidation) for the above case is:

Zn (s) ---> Zn²⁺ (aq) + 2e^-

In a galvanic cell, electrons are flowing from the anode into the cathode. To complete the electrical circuit, a salt bridge is necessary. Inside the salt bridge, negative ions (anions) move toward the anode (where the positively charged Zn²⁺ is being formed) while positive ions (cations) move toward the cathode (where the amount of positively charged Cu²⁺

half-cell reactions

• oxidation and reduction at electrodes

cell voltage

• electromotive force (E) or cell potential

for more information about electrochemical cells: http://bouman.chem.georgetown.edu/S02/lect25/lect25.htm