Dear Pandit ji, How can you say such things aboutDelhi (in the Editorial for the month of June, and in the cover story for the month of July on river pollution)?! I know Delhi is dirty and stuff but...never mind! Manju Via email Dear Manju ji, I love Delhi as much as you do. But don’t you agree that Delhi suffers from this disease? We should not deny the reality just because we love our city (or cities). If we really love our city, we should work towards making it a better place to live in. Pandit Gobar Ganesh Global Warming Some time ages down the line No Spruce none Deodar nor Pine Would bear the stupendous heat The heat doubly dreading Than that of a coalmine. ‘This might be some day’s scenario But may turn to that of today, If carbon dioxide seeks to persist To reject the heat to make way. It only dares to persist ‘cause humans on this insist- That in their race for survival Carbon Dioxide does assist. Factories blow it out, Carouse cars boost it away And We tear the coal apart For the deadly to make way. Since past a half decade Its level increased at a rally rate And it is this rank of it Which we must relegate. Though several efforts been clubbed To conclude Global Warming But for a one per cent success, It requires a global WARNING… ‘CAUSE this is just the inauguration With a mercury rise in the West There may be a score more In the North, East, lest… SAMBHAV GUPTA Delhi Public School (X)

Can we use alcohol as fuel? Hydrogen is inflammable but has high calorific value. So, is it possible to make it safe for use as fuel?

Sahana
Via e-mail

Dear Sahana ji,
Alcohol can be, and is used as fuel. The most well-known alcohols are Methanol, Ethanol, Propanol, and Butanol. They are of interest as fuels because they can be derived from biological sources (like cereal grains in case of Ethanol), and they have characteristics that allow them to be used in current engines. However, there are a few disadvantages such as those concerning production. But in countries like Brazil, almost 50 per cent of cars use 100 per cent ethanol as fuel. Hydrogen is also used as a fuel in hydrogen cars. And it is often called the “perfect fuel”. Hydrogen can be derived from both renewable and non-renewable energy sources. It acts as a carrier (similar to a battery), and not like an energy source (such as fossil fuels). It can be obtained from water by the process of electrolysis, which means by splitting the water molecules using electricity. There are two methods of using hydrogen in cars: combustion and fuel-cell conversion. In combustion, the hydrogen is ”burned” in engines, in the same method as in traditional gasoline (petrol) cars, to run on gaseous hydrogen. There are a number of advantages of using Hydrogen, such as the emission from fuel-cellpowered hydrogen cars is very less (combustion engine cars are not entirely emission-free). They produce less carbon dioxide than gasoline cars if emissions throughout the entire fuel cycle are compared. But the production costs are too high to replace petrol cars in the near future.

Dear Pandit ji,
I really like your magazine. It is very informative and yet very simple. I have a question about vitamin supplements. Can we take them without consulting a doctor?

Sushil
Via e-mail

Dear Sushil ji,
Thank you for appreciating the magazine. Vitamin supplements are useful, but one should never take them without consulting a physician. The usual vitamin or mineral tablets are 10-15 times more concentrated than the actual requirement of the body. Thus, excess and constant usage of artificial vitamins or minerals may bring rebound sickness. You might start using supplements to recover from the lack of a nutrient, but excess use might lead to other diseases that can be more fatal. Here are a few examples:

Vitamin A
High doses of Vitamin A from supplements can cause birth defects, liver problems and reduction in bone density.

Vitamin B6
High doses of B6 may cause nerve damage.

Vitamin B9: Folic Acid
High doses over 1500 mcg/day can cause nausea and loss of appetite.

Vitamin C
Excess vitamin C may cause mild diarrhea.

Vitamin D
Prolonged use of excess Vitamin D can cause kidney damage, high blood pressure, and headaches.

Dear Pandit ji,
Is there any harm in using Ethylene Oxide for treating spices?

Shaily
Via e-mail


Dear Shaily ji,
Ethylene oxide is used for treating spices that are not irradiated. It can form chlorinated two-carbon compounds (Ethylene chlorohydrin and Ethylene bromohydrin), and leave a residue on the spices. These compounds are Carcinogenic (can cause Cancer), and Mutagenic (can cause mutations). It may also have adverse reproductive effects in mammals. It may cause acute skin, respiratory, and eye irritation, skin sensitisation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and nervous system effects. Moreover, there are worker safety issues. Since Ethylene oxide takes time to dissipate (leave the spices) after the treatment, the spices are stored in the open. But, this gas gets released in the warehouse where the spices are stored. Thus, this gas can affect the health of the people involved in the treatment and working in the warehouse. This necessity to store the treated spices in open containers before shipping or sale also increases the warehousing cost, and leads to inconvenient product hold-up. This may also result in recontamination of the spices. Thus, it is banned in many countries, such as Japan, and the United Kingdom, and many other countries have strict standards for using Ethylene oxide.

Dear Pandit ji,
How can aeroplane balance in open sky?

Deepak Sharma
Via e-mail


Dear Deepak ji,
Aeroplanes fly and balance in the air because of the air itself! The air pushes the aeroplane’s wings and the rest of it up. This “pushing” by the air is called air pressure. The air under the wings pushes up more than the air on top of the wings pushes down. That is, the pressure under the wings is greater than that on the top. This happens because of the special shape of the wings of an airplane. It makes the air moving around it behave in a way that the aeroplane is balanced in the sky. The shape is called an Airfoil. An aeroplane wing is curved on the top and flat on the bottom, causing some of the air to go over the top and the rest of the air to go along the bottom. This makes the air moving under the airfoil move at a slower speed than the air going over the top. And as slow-moving air causes a high pressure and fastmoving air causes a low pressure, the plane flies and is balanced in the open sky.