Acrylamide content of commercial frying oil.

After Swedish researchers reported that heated foods such as potato chips and French fries contain acrylamide, the potential for health damage resulting from the consumption of these foods became a widespread concern. Used frying oils collected from food manufacturing companies were subjected to acrylamide determination using GC/MS-SIM, but the compound was not detected. Thus, we conclude that frying oil used in deep frying would not contaminate foodstuffs with acrylamide and that the recovered oil, much of which is used as a component of animal feeds, would be safe for livestock.

Microwave-assisted dechlorination of polychlorobenzenes by hypophosphite anions in aqueous alkaline media in the presence of Pd-loaded active carbon.

Microwave-assisted dechlorination of chlorobenzene and the three dichlorobenzenes takes place in the presence of the hypophosphite (NaH(2)PO(2)) reductant and Pd-loaded activated carbon (Pd/C) in alkaline media at relatively low temperatures. The extent of loss/dechlorination at 90 degrees C followed the order: o-DCB approximately m-DCB>CB>p-DCB. Detected final products were mostly benzene and phenol.