(no subject)
Fun fact for the day. I was wondering about the mechanism of toxicity for melamine, the compound causing all the ruckus in the Chinese milk scandal. It turns out that melamine on its own is essentially nontoxic. However, if it is in the bloodstream along with another compound called cyanuric acid, these two chemicals react and form a highly insoluble precipitate in the kidney, leading to kidney failure. Cyanuric acid is also nontoxic and is present at low levels in drinking water and animal feed. Because cyanuric acid is basically out there in the environment, melamine is banned as a food additive. Although, melamine can be used in cattle feed, and I haven't figured out why cattle don't get renal failure from the compound.
Granted, I read it all on Wikipedia, so take with salt.
Granted, I read it all on Wikipedia, so take with salt.