Amines
The amines are alkyl derivatives of ammonia. They are of three types: primary, sec-ondary, and tertiary.
In primary amines, one hydrogen atom of ammonia is replaced by an alkyl group such as CH3ˆ, C2H5ˆ, and so on. In secondary amines, two hydrogen atoms of ammonia are replaced by alkyl groups, and in tertiary amines, all three hydrogens are replaced. The amines, like ammonia, are all basic in reaction.
The quaternary ammonium salts have bactericidal properties that can be enhanced by the proper choice of the R groups. They are therefore of interest to public health professionals, who find them useful as disinfecting agents in food- and beverage-dispensing establishments. They are also used as disinfectants in the laundering of babies’ diapers to control infections of bacteria responsible for the rapid hydrolysis of urea. Solutions of the quater-nary ammonium salts are sold for disinfecting purposes under a variety of trade names
Urea, is an amide of considerable importance because of its many commercial uses and because it is a normal constituent of urine. It is a constituent of many agricultural fertilizers and is used in the manufacture of synthetic resins.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Polychlorinated biphenyls are chlorinated benzenes with the general structure: They were widely used as coolants in transformers and capacitors, plasticizers, solvents, and hydraulic fluids.
PCBs are very hydrophobic and tend to bioconcentrate. Significant concentrations of PCBs have been found in higher levels of the food chain (e.g., fish and birds).
Because of human health and environmental effects associated with PCBs, their manufacture in the United States was banned in 1977