Retired Chemistry Professor to Provide Insights

(Columbia, Tenn. - November 2, 2010) - - - Retired Professor of Chemistry, Dr. B. I. Naddy, will present a lecture on Consumer Chemistry - Soaps, Cleaning Agents and Detergents on Wednesday, November 10 at 3:30 p.m. in the Waymon L. Hickman building, room 123 on the Columbia Campus. The event is sponsored by Columbia State Community College's Lyceum Committee and is complimentary and open to the public.

"Various consumer chemistry compounds are used throughout the human world and continue to be developed almost daily," said Dr. Glenn Hudson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Vice-Chair of the Lyceum Committee at Columbia State. "Some of these chemical compounds are found in our daily lives as common soaps, cleaning agents, and detergents."

Naddy's lecture will focus on the origin and development of common soaps, cleansers, and detergents that are used in everyday life and the potential impacts. In addition, he will describe in simple terms how the various chemicals react to form soaps, cleaners, and detergents.

Naddy indicates that humans come into contact with a variety of chemical liquid and solid compounds and solutions on a daily basis. The more common ones that are encountered in the home and at work are soaps, detergents, and cleaners. These compounds and solutions have been created chemically over a long period of time, with the most recent advances taking place in the last 100 years. These substances allow humans to perform a variety of cleaning activities, but there is potential impact to the environment, workplace, and home.

"What chemical reactions and compounds create the conditions for cleaning? What are the hazards, if any, to the usage of such chemicals? And, what changes have cleaning agents undergone that have reduced potential impact to the environment and humans? We will discuss these questions and determine the answers as I present an overview of the development of cleaning agents," added Naddy.

For more information on this event or other Lyceum events, contact the Lyceum Committee by emailing lyceum@columbiastate.edu, or visit http://columbiastate.edu/lyceum.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

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