From: bjgaed@bb1t.monsanto.com
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Common ingredients info
Date: 20 Aug 92 07:57:19 CST
Organization: Monsanto Company, St. Louis, MO

In article <Bt8u3x.CDx@fc.sde.hp.com>, fritz@hpfcbig.sde.hp.com 
(Gary Fritz (tmp)) writes:

> I'd like to do some research on the ingredients commonly found in products
> everybody uses all the time, like shampoos, soaps, lotions, etc.  I've heard
> enough rumors of nasty effects of sodium lauryl sulfate and similar common
> ingredients that I'd like to do some looking on my own.
> 
> Only problem is, where to look?  The only sources I've found so far are,
> shall we say, biased.  I'd appreciate pointers to any reference books
> or other good sources that list all these sorts of ingredients and explain
> what they do, what they're good for, and what dangers/hazards they carry
> in language understandable to an intelligent but non-chemist person.
> 
> Thanks!
> Gary

What do you consider biased?  Some people consider the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) biased toward industry and some people consider  
the FDA biased toward consumers, and they have the final word on 
whether or not you can put a particular chemical in many kinds of 
products.  Now if I were feeling particularly nasty, I'd say, "Just 
check the _Federal Register_.  All the information you want will be 
there and you should have no trouble finding or understanding it."
8{)  8{)  8{)

As a first source, try _The Merck Index_.  It lists most of these 
types of ingredients and is very well cross-indexed by both generic 
name, chemical name, and some trade names.  (Go to the index in the 
back *first*.)

For sodium lauryl sulfate it lists synonyms (sodium dodecyl sulfate, 
SDS), method of preparation, a whole series of literature references 
on properties, several original citations on toxicology, an oral LD50 
in rats (1228 mg/kg; probably starved the little buggers to death by 
interfering with food absorption.)  

Another good source is Kirk-Othmer, _Encyclopedia of Chemical 
Technology_.  Once again, check the index volume.  You will find 
specific ingredients listed in the index cross-referenced to a 
monograph on the type of product.  You can also look up the product, 
such as shampoo or drain cleaner, and find out what each of the common 
ingredients do. Here again, you need to use the index so you will know 
that shampoos are listed under "H" for "Hair Preparations". 
The monographs are written in fairly clear English.  They avoid highly 
technical language because of their broad readership across many 
fields of chemistry.  (Chemists have just as much trouble with 
technical jargon outside their fields as non-chemists do.)  Most 
scientific reference libraries will have Kirk-Othmer.

If you want something less technical than that you are getting into 
the realm of journalism, or worse.  At that point all you are going to 
get is bias because the writers who "dumb down" technical subjects 
tend to have very specific agendas.  (Note the "sci." in this 
newsgroup's title.)

-- 
--Electric Monk            (Bruce Gaede); 
                            e-mail: bjgaed@ccmail.monsanto.com

"...and then time started seriously to pass."
--Douglas Adams, _Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency_