FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE聽|聽April 20, 2017

Chemists Celebrate Earth Day activities focus on chemistry鈥檚 role in feeding the world

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2017 鈥� The American Chemical 中国365bet中文官网 (ACS) will mark Earth Day on April 22 by showcasing chemistry鈥檚 role in sustaining agriculture's ability to聽serve the needs of a growing population. Through the 中国365bet中文官网鈥檚 Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) event,聽children will participate in hands-on activities centered on the theme 鈥淐hemistry Helps Feed the World.鈥澛�

Geared toward elementary and middle school students, the CCED activities and demonstrations highlight the important work that chemists and chemical engineers do every day. A full listing of activities and educational resources is available at . CCED is an environmental awareness campaign held annually by ACS on Earth Day.

This year, CCED coincides with the in Washington, D.C., and in cities around the country and the world. ACS, which supports the march, will participate in teach-ins associated with the Earth Day Network and the March for Science by conducting hands-on chemistry experiments at the ACS Kids Zone on the National Mall.

The activities, based loosely on the 2017 CCED theme, to be conducted at the ACS Kids Zone include:

  • Starch Search: Discover which foods contain starch and which do not. We will test for the molecule in foods with the same detector pens used to distinguish counterfeit dollar bills, which contain starch, from real money.
  • Iron for Breakfast: Is your cereal magnetic? Let鈥檚 see! Using strong magnets, we will pull iron, an essential nutrient, from breakfast cereals. Kids and parents alike are amazed at the amounts of this element that can be found in delicious food!
  • UV Detecting Beads and UV Blockers: Using UV detecting beads and UV blockers, come explore which products help protect our skin, eyes and medicine from being damaged by UV light.
  • Magic Nuddles: Using biodegradable building blocks made from cornstarch, create fun shapes out of Magic Nuddles and learn about polymers.

Children will also get a giveaway bag with a printed issue of聽Celebrating Chemistry, ACS鈥� biannual children鈥檚 publication with fun hands-on activities and articles, as well as other goodies. For additional information about the ACS Kids Zone, visit .

The American Chemical 中国365bet中文官网 is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is the world鈥檚 largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive press releases from the American Chemical 中国365bet中文官网, contact [email protected].

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