Use of Acids and Bases on the Boat

A few days into Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race, the crew members have been rearranging the items on the ship to best suit the situation. It's been a hassle having to stack all the excess sails, equipment, freeze-dried food supplies and clothing, move them to the bow (front), back to the stern (rear) again and again. 

I had hauled around several large, fluid-filled containers before I stopped to examine their contents. About half of them were common cleaning agents for the boat. Most were either acidic or basic in nature, as acids are corrosive and bases, once they are far up the pH scale, are corrosive as well. For example, phosphoric acid was used to remove rust from iron and steel surfaces by converting iron oxide to ferric (iron III) phosphate: Fe₂ O₃ + 2H₃PO₄ → 2FePO₄ + 3H₂O. The residue material can be scrubbed off to reveal a clean surface, or kept to provide further protection from corrosion. Sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, is a base that, when added to water, can be used to clean machinery equipment and storage tanks. The chemical is effective at removing most viruses, bacteria, and other toxins in the water. Sodium hydroxide is used to clean the boat because it costs little, and is easily removed and disposed of after use.

The remaining half of the containers were lubricating fluids used for the Camper’s internal combustion engines. In the engine, lubricant oils and cools the power transmission components to reduce friction and prevent overheating. It removes the impurities from the engine fluids, neutralizes potentially explosive byproducts of combustion, and prevents rust and other forms of corrosion.  A variety of base oils and additives are also included in the lubricants to tailor them to specific applications (e.g. can operate in wet conditions, resist thermal decomposition). It is important that the right lubricating fluid is chosen, as there are many additional expenses if the fluid needs to be replaced. Waiting for the old fluid to drain out and for the new fluid to be added can waste precious time. Using the wrong fluid would also mean increased corrosion of the engine.

Acids, on the other hand, are used in cooling fluids and antifreeze in order to maintain machinery. Antifreeze is a liquid solution that lowers the freezing point of whatever mixture it is added in, acting as a de-icing agent. Properties of an ideal antifreeze include excellent solubility, a high boiling point (to handle high temperatures inside the engine), excellent heat transfer properties, moderate viscosity, and low cost. Ethylene glycol is the most commonly used antifreeze because of its  low instability and water solubility. Most antifreeze liquids also include chemicals that prevent corrosion, to protect the metal surfaces inside the engine. However, once the antifreeze begins to decompose and breakdown, or the substances that prevent corrosion are depleted, the fluids should be replaced. 

References

Reignbough Chase. Iron (III) Phosphate. 2007. Photograph. Ford Muscle Forums. Web. 6 May 2012. <http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/Reignbough_Chase/dswofgr.jpg>.

Anglin, Donald. "Engine Lubrication." Access Science. McGraw Hill Companies, 2008. Web. 25 April 2012. <http://www.accessscience.com/content.aspx?searchStr=engine lubricant&id=233400>.

Danny Catucci. Engine Flush. 2010. Graphic. Redwood General Tire Store, Redwood City. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://www.redwoodgeneral.com/img/photos/engine-flush.gif>.

Butterfield, Sharon. "How Does Antifreeze Work." Wise Geek. Conjecture Corporation, n.d. Web. 12 April 2012. <http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-antifreeze-work.htm>.

George, Kathleen. "Antifreeze Mixture." Access Science. McGraw Hill Companies, 2008. Web. 2 May 2012. <http://www.accessscience.com/content/Antifreeze mixture/040400>.

Barbara Terry. Cooling System. 2008. Graphic. Family Car Parts. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.familycar.com/Classroom/Images/Cooling-System.gif>.

Ph Levels in the Oceans

Today, as we were travelling along the Brazilian coast, we were visited by a pod of playful dolphins.  They reminded me of the delicacy of Earth’s ocean biome, and how small changes can result in large consequences.

Time for a brief chemistry lesson! When carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in the ocean, it forms carbonic acid. However, it quickly breaks down into bicarbonate (HCO₃) and hydrogen ions (H+).

H₂O + CO₂ → HCO₃ + H

Since acidity is the measure of hydrogen ions in a fluid, as the number of ions increases, the acidity of the oceans rises as well.

The pH levels of the oceans are regulated by a process called “buffering”, where hydrogen atoms react with calcium carbonate to produce carbon dioxide and water. This is the opposite of the process that previously occurred:

HCO₃ + H → H₂O + CO₂

However, there must be enough calcium carbonate in the oceans to increase carbon dioxide levels, and currently, the ocean’s buffering system is not effective enough to counter the rapid increase in the water’s acidity.

 The Earth’s oceans are normally slightly basic, but with an increase in greenhouse gases, the seawater will likely slide down the Ph scale. Since the Ph scale’s intervals are by powers of 10 (each level is to the 10^th power more acidic then the level below), this represents a drastic increase in the water’s acidity.

Dolphins are considered a symbol of protection in many cultures around the world. The health of these dolphins relies on the health of the ocean’s ecosystems, and hopefully we can all make an effort to ensure that these lovely creatures survive.

References

 Adam-Carr, Christine, Douglas Fraser, et al. Science Perspectives 10. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd, 2010. Print.

Findlay, Helen. "Ocean Acidification." Catlin Arctic Survey Blog. Catlin Arctic Survey, 12 Apr 2011. Web. 21 April 2012. <http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/2011/04/12/ocean-acidification/>.

Gerad Bandos. Ph Scale. 2007. Graphic. Chemical Education Digital Library. Web. 6 May 2012. <http://chemteacher.chemeddl.org/services/chemteacher/images/stories/pH_Scale.jpg>.

Kim Martineau. Ocean Chemistry. 2009. Photograph. Ocean Acidification. Web. 27 April 2012. <http://theotherco2problem.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/ocean-chemistry.gif>.

The human amygdala, nervous system, and ... dolphins?

This is a beautiful day as dolphins have paid us a visit along the Brazilian coast between Rio and Salvador do Bahia ("Day 3"). Tony Rae is definitely hoping that this will bring good luck to the boat, and he may be right. After all, the dolphin is a good luck symbol for both Native Americans and Christians. Superstitions aside, just what is it that makes people respond so strongly to animals?

Recalling a radio podcast that I've heard a couple of months back, a study revealed that certain cells in a primitive part of the human brain called the amygdala show strong responses towards animals but not towards other people, places, or objects (Hamilton). Since the amygdala is responsible for storing emotion related events (Vecchia-Adams 122), it's no surprise that we have developed such strong responses toward animals. In order for us to gain a deeper insight into the topic we should closely examine the nervous system.

The nervous system is mainly made up of neurons and glial cells. Neurons are responsible for sending information using electrochemical currents while glial cells are responsible for the communication and connection between neurons ("Neuron"455). Receptor neurons are responsible for giving us external information and motor neurons are responsible for instructing muscle contraction with the information given ("Nervous System" 453). Interneurons send signals within the nervous system; an example would be thoughts that are processed in different parts of the brain.

The amygdala is a part of the central nervous system whereas the eye- as a sensory receptor is a part of the peripheral nervous system ("Science Perspectives 10" 104-105). The image is first perceived by the eye- more specifically the retina which is composed of light sensitive nerve cells (Thompson 1568). The signals then travel from the optic nerve to the visual cortex and the visual cortex via interneurons to the amygdala. The amygdala triggers emotion because of its ability to connect to different parts of the body and give them commands for actions; for example, increased heartbeat, stress-hormone release. Without the presence of amygdala, one may feel indifferent to any sort of stimuli and therefore won't gain a strong sense of need to take a particular action.

Researchers say that the reason for emotional response towards animals may be linked to primitive humans' relationships with animals. While we look at gentle animals with awe and adoration, we look at ferocious animals with a sense of fear because they indicate danger.

All in all, if viewing an animal is able to change our physical state, there's more to using adorable animals as good luck charms than we would think. Although these emotional responses that have been programmed in our primitive brain have had greater uses than it does now, the joy of viewing gentle animals will always remain with us.

References

Adam-Carr, Christine, Martin Gabber, Christy Hayhoe, Douglas Hayhoe, Katherine Hayhoe, Barry LeDrew, and Milan Sanader. Science Perspectives 10. 1st ed. 1. Toronto: Nelson Education, 2010. Print.

Limbic System. N.d. Photograph. Shippensburg University.Web. 27 May 2012. <http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/limbicsystem.html>.

"Day 3: CAMPER hoping dolphins will bring good luck." CAMPER WITH EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND IN THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE. CAMPER, 26 Apr 2012. Web. 25 May. 2012.

Hamilton, Jon, dir. "Human Brain Responds To Animals, Cute Or Creepy." National Public Radio: 01 Sep 2011. Radio. <http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=140116969&m=140129072>.

"Neuron." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Bonnie Strickland. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 455. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 May 2012.

"Nervous System." The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Bonnie Strickland. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 453-454. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 May 2012.

Panno, Joseph. THE CELL: Nature's First Life-form. Revised ed. Facts On File, 2009. 163-83. Print.

Thompson, Marie L. "Eye." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 1568-1571. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 May 2012.

VECCHIA-ADAMS, STEPHANIE DALL. "Amygdala." Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior. Ed. Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. 122. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Web. 27 May 2012.