b"SENSE, NONSENSE AND SCIENCEBY: JOE SCHWARCZTHE RIGHT CHEMISTRY: 'NATURAL' VERSUS 'SYNTHETIC' CHEMICALST here are many confrontationsatom of carbon-14. This carbon-14 then on the battlefield of cyberspace.reacts with oxygen to form carbon diox-Vaccineproponentsversuside that is then taken up by plants during anti-vaxxers. Creationists versus evolu- photosynthesis and is used in the bio-tionary biologists. Anti-fluoride activistssynthesis of all the plants organic com-versus fluoridation supporters. Climateponents. Therefore, caffeine in a coffee change deniers versus climate scien- bean will have some C-14. As long as a tists. However, one of the most vigorousplant is alive, it keeps taking up carbon debates revolves around the relativeThe myth thatdioxide, so its C-14 content is the same merits of synthetic and natural chem- there is somethingas that of the atmosphere. Once the plant icals. Worshippers of natural substancesdies, it no longer photosynthesizes, and maintain that these are preferred overmagical aboutits C-14 content will continue to decrease synthetics because they are safer sincethrough radioactive decay. By the time nature knows best. Scientists on thenatural substancesplant matter becomes petroleum, its C-14 other hand claim that the safety andpersists to this day. content will have virtually disappeared. efficacy cannot be determined by a sub- Caffeine can be synthesized in the stances origin, but only by appropriatelaboratory from simple molecules that are testing. They commonly point out thatsourced from petroleum, and this version nature is replete with toxins rangingwill have essentially no C-14. However, from strychnine and botulin to arseniccaffeine from coffee beans will have and snake venom.some, and its presence can be detected The idea that natural substanceseither by measuring beta ray emission or have some sort of vital force that cannotthrough mass spectrometry, an instru-be replicated in the lab was dismissedmental technique that can detect small as early as 1828 when Friedrich Wohlerchanges in atomic mass. synthesized urea and showed it to beAn element is defined by the numberCommercially,caffeinecanbe identical to the natural version isolatedof protons in its nucleus. For example,obtained either from the decaffeination from urine. Nevertheless, the myth thatevery atom of carbon in the universe hasof coffee beans or through chemical syn-there is something magical about naturalsix protons in its nucleus. But the nucleusthesis. In general, synthesis is cheaper, substances persists to this day. Recently,can also contain neutrons, particles thatand most of the caffeine that is added to I had an inquiry from an individual whohave the same weight as protons but haveenergy drinks is produced on a massive was perturbed by learning that the caf- no effect on the identity of the element.scale in China. Once produced, it is the feine in his energy drink originated in aAtoms of the same element that differ insame as any other caffeine. Well, almost. lab and not in a coffee bean. I explainedthe number of neutrons are called iso- While the difference in C-14 content is that a molecule of caffeine is defined bytopes. Roughly 99% of all carbon atomsonly of academic interest, there may be its molecular structure and whether thehave six protons and six neutrons anda difference in residues of processing atoms that make up that structure areare referred to as Carbon-12. A tiny, tinychemicals. In any chemical reaction the joined together by Mother Nature or byfraction, one in a trillion carbon atoms,product will contain traces of the rea-a chemist makes no difference.has eight neutrons. This isotope, Carbon- gents used in its synthesis. There have I thought I had provided a pretty14, is radioactive, meaning that one of itsbeen questions raised about quality con-convincing argument. But then came aneutrons breaks down into a proton andtrol in some Chinese facilities. However, it follow-up question. So, how come I sawan electron. The emitted electrons consti- is also possible that in the case of caffeine this report about chemists finding thattute beta rays and can be detected. Inobtained by decaffeinating coffee beans, the caffeine in an energy drink didntany sample containing C-14, after sometraces of extraction solvents remain.come from the coffee bean but was syn- 5730 years, half the atoms will haveBasically though, when it comes to thetic? Good question. While it is truedecayed. This is the basis of radiocarbonthe consumption of caffeinated bever-that in terms of molecular structure nat- dating as well as identifying a sample asages, the question that should be asked ural and synthetic caffeine are identical,being natural or synthetic. is not whether the caffeine is natural or there is a subtle difference in isotopeWhen neutrons in cosmic rays emit- synthetic, but rather what impact the ratios that allows for the identification ofted by stars knock a proton out of nitrogenworlds most widely-consumed psycho-a sample as being natural or synthetic. atoms in the atmosphere, they produce anactive substance may have on health. EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 29"