SPECIALTY CHEMICALS

Synthetic, designer organic chemicals have been developed because they exhibit some quality or activity that is valuable to us.

Specialty chemicals include herbicides, insecticides, pharmaceuticals, food colouring and flavours, personal-care products, dyes and paints, adhesives, detergents, polymers and plastics — they are found just about everywhere in our modern lives.

Some organic chemicals are easy to break down (they are biodegradable) but others do not degrade so easily.

Designer chemicals are found just about everywhere in our modern lives.