For this assignment, I want you to find a media report that attempts to raise alarm or fear about a chemical or some use of a chemical. It can be from a newspaper, magazine, website, blog, advertisement, or any other ‘published' source. Next, I want you to investigate whether the claim is justified or not, by using credible information.
Remember that governmental and intergovernmental organizations like Health Canada, FDA CDC, WHO, EPA, Environment Canada, etc. are great places to look for credible information. Also good are professional organizations like the Canadian Medical Association, or the Canadian Dental Association. If you wish, you can go to the primary literature, but it is not expected.
More dubious claims often come from sources that are trying to sell products. Some particularly excellent sources of bad chemistry are the Food Babe, Natural News, and Mercola.com.
Page limit: Max 1 page!!!!!
Please prepare your 1 page report on 8.5"x11" paper, with 1 inch margins and 12 point font. Colour and images are fine (and appreciated!). Single spacing is suggested. Your final report must be submitted as either a word document or pdf. No other formats are allowed. You should include references, and you are free to use any referencing format that you wish. References may appear on a second page (or on the back of the first page). Please don't use a cover page (waste of paper). Please make sure your name and student number are clearly visible at the top of your 1-page paper.
PLEASE be very aware that copying and pasting text from any source is considered plagiarism and is easy to detect. Be sure to write it in your own words. Copying and pasting sections of texts and then changing a few words does not qualify as ‘your own words' and is also considered plagiarism. All assignments must be submitted online through ACORN, and I will be implementing TurnItIn to detect plagiarism. I am not implementing any requirement that everyone chooses a different chemical/article, but try not pick the same chemical as a friend. The work is to be individual, and not collaborative!
Your submission will be assessed according to your ability to find and assess information and express this in written form. The highest grades will be reserved for reports that are informative, interesting, and well written. Do your best to avoid typos and grammatical errors - they reduce the authority of your report, and in severe cases, the readability.