Need a perfect ending for your next molecule?

Have you ever needed water solubility for your great new pharmaceutical, fungicide, herbicide, polymer, thickener, dispersant, or other organic reaction product? Well, here's a way:

Glycine has a convenient, reactive amino group so you can add this water-soluble terminal group to your favorite organic compound. We have 28 pages of ideas for you to choose from. That's something to react to.

GRACE Organic Chemicals Division, W. R. Grace & Co.

55 Hayden Avenue, Lexington, MA 02173 (617) 861-6600 X2803

CIRCLE 14 ON READER SERVICE CARD

BUILDING BLOCKS

2-Hydroxyacetophenone (2-HAP)

4-Hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP)

Commercial quantities of superior quality 4-HAP & 2-HAP are currently available.

Large volumes of both 4-HAP and 2-HAP will be available from our multi-million pound acetaminophen plant in late 1988. For more information, contact: Celanese Advanced Technology Company, 1250 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75247, attention: Dr. C. B. Hilton. 1-800-CELANESE

Government

Lake acidification predictions reversed A peer review of an Environmental Protection Agency study has re­versed the agency's predictions on the acidification of lakes in the U.S.

A group of scientists meeting in Corvallis, Ore., found that EPA's data showed few, if any, lakes in the Northeast would become acidic over the next 50 years. Just a week earlier, EPA's unreleased study was quoted as estimating that 300 (and possibly up to 1500) lakes would become acidic in this time frame.

Officials at the agency have ac­cepted the scientists' assessment. Courtney Riordan, director of EPA's acid rain office, explains that the scientists advising EPA believe the data "indicate that the Northeast is in a steady state." Moreover, he says, it can't be predicted from the data that "further acidification will occur at current loads." By loads, he means deposition of acidic pollu­tants from coal-fired boilers. This turnaround comes on the heels of President Reagan's announcement of a five-year, $2.5 billion commit­ment to support clean-coal technol­ogy research. The announcement reaffirms a commitment President Reagan made to Canada a year ago.

The reversal also follows Energy Secretary John S. Herrington's an­nouncement that the Administra­tion would request a $500 million advance appropriation for fiscal years 1988 and 1989 to support clean coal burning demonstrations.

Canadian officials and U.S. envi­ronmentalists have generally lauded this research effort. But both groups have said that more is needed in terms of standards to reduce emis­sions of sulfur dioxide and nitro­gen oxides.

Armed with this latest scientific assessment, however, EPA Admin­istrator Lee M. Thomas is now say­ing there may be no "need to bring emissions down." The scientists' conclusions also bolster President Reagan's resistance to stricter curbs on emissions from coal-fired boil­ers, which he is likely to express in his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney this week.

Lois Ember, Washington

28 April 6, 1987 C&EN CIRCLE 7 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Glycine