Acrylamide

The chemical compound acrylamide is an amide with chemical formula C₃H₅NO and structure

It is a white odorless crystalline, soluble in water, ethanol and ether. It is used in papermaking, ore processing, manufacture of permanent-press fabrics, and the manufacture of dyes. Acrylamide is also used to synthesize polyacrylamides which find many uses as water-soluble stabilizers, for instance in waste water treatment and in gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).

Acrylamide is also a probable carcinogen found in small quantities in some foods. It is believed to be created in foods when starches and other carbohydrates are overheated (far past 100°C) during cooking. Some sources claim that people in the modern world consume daily on average around 25 microgramss of acrylamide, and that this accounts for a significant number of cases of cancer.

The CAS registry number for acrylamide is 79-06-1 and its UN number is 2074.

External Links

• http://www.nsc.org/library/chemical/Acrylami.htm Chemical information
• http://www.konsumentverket.se/html-sidor/livsmedelsverket/enginformationakryl.htm Report about acrylamide in food and cancer risks