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Other Benefits:

A. Usefulness of Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons have many contributions in the needs of humans. Hydrocarbons benefit the industries of food, clothing, housing, art and aesthetics. Hydrocarbons have truly made an impact to society because though some may not be aware but almost all of the needs of humans today have hydrocarbons.

>FOOD

     There are seven main types of nutrients our body needs to be healthy. One must have a moderate intake of  carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water daily. Carbohydrates are compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Many of these have the empirical formula of CH20. Hydrocarbons are an important part of the food industry because carbohydrates are one of the essantials for healthy living.

       -Types of Carbohydrates

            1. Monosaccharides - most basic unit of carbohydrates. They are              the simplest form of sugar and are usually colorless, water-soluble,                    crystalline solids.

                   -Glucose / sugar wine can be found in fruits, corn, and honey. Our           body stores glucose for energy

                   - Fructose  honey, tree and vine fruits, flowers, berries, and most             root vegetables.

                   - Galactose is less sweet than fructose and glucose. When                       combined with glucose through a condensation reaction, the result is the           disaccharide lactose.

              2. Disaccharide -  a sugar/carbohydrate composed of two                          monosaccharides. It is formed when two sugars are joined together and            a molecule of water is removed.

                   - Maltose (glucose + glucose), can not be easily fermented by                 colonic bacteria, it is used in barley.

                   - Lactose (glucose + galactose), found in milk products.

                   -Sucrose (glucose + fructose), sugar is normal. found in many                 food plants. Also known as table sugar.

              3. Polysaccharide - a carbohydrate composed of many                               monosaccharides.These carbohydrates are found in food such as rice,             starch, corn, etc..

>CLOTHING

        One of the most famous hydrocarbon  used for clothing is PTA (purified terephthalic acid), which is made of para-xylene in which the material is essentially kerosene . Para-xylene is then oxidized using air into the PTA. The PTA shape-like detergent powder is then turned, with methanol, into polyester fibers. Ester poly fibre is a synthetic yarn that looks like thread. Almost all uniforms are made of polyester. To know the difference between thread and polyester yarn is you must look at the prices. Synthetic polyester yarns are relatively cheaper than clothing made from raw cotton, silk or other natural fibres. The fineness of the products made of  polyester fibers are affected by  the additive in the process of making yarn (when reacting with methanol PTA). Hydrocarbons provide cheaper materials for the clothing industry which also add to the fact that hydrocarbons are important.

>BUILDING MATERIALS

        One of the common materials derived from hydrocarbons is plastic. The base material of plastic is similar to LPG, which is a polymer of propylene, the olefin compound/alkenes of carbon chains C3. Plastic is so abundant, everywhere you look there is plastic. They can be found in the roof of  houses (plastic tiles), furniture, interior equipment, bumper cars, tables, chairs, plates, etc. Hydrocarbons have already been part of the building industry and humans still continue to manufacture plastic and other materials consisting of said carbons.

>ARTS

        For matters of art, especially painting, hydrocarbons are found in the ink / oil paint and solvent. . Hydrocarbon solvents used for paints  are made up of Low Aromatic White Spirit  or LAWS  which is a solvent, a result of Pertamina refinery in Plaju boiling in a point between 145°C - 195°C. LAWS form solvent compound whihc is a mixture of paraffin, cycloparaffins, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Painting is a huge part of art which is why without hydrocarbons art would not be the same.

>COSMETICS

        Lipstick, waxing and other cosmetic products contain hydrocarbons in their stucture., pharmaceutical or shoe polish.Petrochemical industry is the result of material-based oil and natural gases. Some examples are the petrochemical plastics, and artificial rubber. Some examples of Petrochemical basic materials  be olefins, and aromatic sy-gas. Cosmetics help improve appearance which is why hydrocarbons are important.

>Health Effects

        Biodiesel is safer for people to breathe. Research conducted in the US shows biodiesel emissions show decreased levels of all target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAH) and nitrited PAH compounds, as compared to petroleum diesel exhaust. PAH and nPAH compounds have been identified as potential cancer causing compounds. Targeted PAH compounds were reduced by 75 to 85 percent, with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was reduced by roughly 50 percent. Target nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically with biodiesel fuel, with 2 -nitrofluorene and 1-nitropyrene reduced by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only trace levels. All of the se reductions are due to the fact the biodiesel fuel contains no aromatic compounds.

Other Risks:

Even though Hydrocarbons have various benefits, they still pose risks and disadvanatages.

>AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS are among the most dangerous solvents with inhalation as their major hazard.

       - Benzene (Benzol) which is the most dangerous one, causes chronic poisoning. It destroys bone marrow which leads to loss of red and white blood cells and sometimes Leukemia.

       - Styrene which are used as lacquer thinners, aerosol spray cans, resin solvent, and fluorescentdye solvent, can cause  Kidney and liver damage, respiratory irritation, and narcosis.

       -Toluenecan can cause kidney and liver damage but if with proper ventilation, toluene is suggested as an alternative for benzene.

>ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS, also called petroleum distillates, tend to be less toxic than most other solvent. They are skin irritants and can cause chemical pneumonia if ingested. Also, they can cause death if inhaled.

        -Hexane , if inhaled in large amounts, may cause possible paralysis of limbs and the inflammation of nerves; Moreover, Hexane, with really high exposures, can cause damage to the central nervous system.