Misconception 2: man-made chemicals are dangerous

The chemical reality is that whether a substance is manufactured by people, copied from nature or extracted directly from nature, tells us nothing much at all about its properties. In terms of chemical safety, “industrial”, “synthetic”, “artificial” and “man-made” do not necessarily mean damaging and “natural” does not necessarily mean better. Henna tattoos can cause allergic reactions, untreated water can kill, and rotting fruit contains some toxins that would make people very ill. All potatoes – not just green ones - contain some poison (solanidine alkaloids), which can bioaccumulate.

Nature can be harsh for the human body. Even our own bodies produce chemicals that can poison us, such as histamine, which can lead to anaphylactic shock. In fact, man-made chemicals have enabled us to reduce the damaging effects of natural chemicals, such as opiates and dioxins. Chemicals like flame retardants, cleaners, disinfectants, fungicides and anti-bacterials are used in our homes to protect us. The use of chemicals in ways like this has helped to improved life expectancy.

Man-made chemicals have freed us from the limited range of substances that societies once relied on. Producing chemicals in the lab makes it possible to create products that we can trust by controlling exactly what is used, and how much, and eliminating some of the impurities and toxic effects that are present in natural sources. We are able to work out why a substance has an effect, isolate the active ingredient and use it precisely, which helps to reduce our intake of active ingredients. Foxglove flowers are highly poisonous but modern chemistry enabled us to identify and extract digitalis and use it to treat heart conditions.

A further advantage of synthetic products is that desirable properties can be built into them: pills that are easily digested; creams that spread; and shampoos that lather so that less is needed.

Until the Middle Ages, lead compounds were used to dye hair black, and in China to create a yellow foundation on the face. In sixteenth century Europe, the white mask on Elizabethan faces was created by applying a mixture of white lead and vinegar. The lead aggravated the skin conditions that the mask was meant to cover, and also caused hair loss. If accidentally ingested or absorbed, more serious lead poisoning (anaemia, kidney problems) could occur.

Nowadays, lead compounds are banned from modern cosmetics, but are still reported to be found in traditional hair-dyes and traditionallymade kohl or surma (though not in modern eyeliners).

Natural products are inherently variable. A plant that does one thing in March may do another in September as its chemical composition changes (this is why the same variety of fruit is sometimes sweet and sometimes sour). Not surprisingly, people prefer to rely on synthetic versions of chemicals when they need reliability, such as for contraception or disinfection.

"It is worth noting that, although it's popular to complain about 'all those synthetic chemicals', this contrasts with increasing demand for them e.g. the contraceptive pill, mouthwash and hydrocortisone cream, and for products which are manufactured using them, like MP3 players, computers and CDs."