Technology Technology

How the AIDS Epidemic Brought Back a Forgotten Desert Plant

 
 
Download Zune: The Zune Marketplace
When you first get a Zune, it might be difficult figuring our where to download Zune material especially if you are a person who used to use an iPod. This is one of the issues that Microsoft had already expected when they launched the Zune a few years back. Thus, they made sure that people would be able to get various downloads b... Read more


 Home | Technology

How the AIDS Epidemic Brought Back a Forgotten Desert Plant

This Technology Article is Brought To You By - Jason Lancaster

Since the beginning of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, members of the medical profession diligently wear latex gloves as they do scrubs. Health care workers noticed more and more how the material irritated their skin and developed latex allergies with this increased use of protective wear.

Latex allergies are marked by itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, rash, chest tightness, shock and even life-threatening illness. Health care providers with a latex allergy struggled for a compromise. With the gloves they were uncomfortable, possibly even ill, and without the gloves they were at a higher risk of contracting HIV. The solution: Using natural rubber latex that is hypoallergenic.

Commonly referred to as hevea, most natural rubber latex is often derived from the para rubber tree. Hevea, which is grown in tropical climates, absorbs a variety of tropical proteins. Because of these proteins hevea is the cause of this latex allergy and, therefore, hevea, the world's most common source of rubber, cannot be used to produce hypoallergenic latex.

Commonly used to produce hypoallergenic rubber, synthetic rubber is derived from petroleum. Manufacturers took another look at the guayule plant with rising oil prices and a demand for an environmentally-friendly and natural alternative. Guayule, which is a natural source for hypoallergenic rubber and does not contain any of the tropical proteins found in hevea, grows in the southwest region of the United States and northern Mexico.

Guayule's use as a source for hypoallergenic natural rubber is important-nearly 10 percent of the population has a hevea-based latex allergic reaction. But the guayule plant is more than just a hypoallergenic latex source-it's also a cash crop excellent for arid regions. It's so sturdy that it can grow successfully in the desert, and it doesn't require pesticides or irrigation. It also can be used as a feed stock for ethanol production.

Guayule rubber is nothing new surprisingly. To make rubber balls Native Americans used guayule. Because of a leaf blight outbreak that destroyed the rubber trees in Brazil in the 1920s, rubber was made from guayule. Because in the 1940s the war with Japan made it impossible to import rubber from Malaysia, guayule was used to produce latex. Guayule rubber was abandoned as a source of domestic rubber quickly after Brazilian trees recovered from the leaf blight and World War II ended. Lobbyists worked to keep oil-based synthetic rubber on the market and rubber producers in Southeast Asia were able to produce rubber more economically, despite guayule's natural allure.

Things changed then again. Beginning in the 1970s-in response to the oil embargo- U.S. policy makers began to look at alternatives to oil-based synthetic rubber. Once again began guayule research and development.

The problem with latex allergies became unavoidable because of AIDS: Enter the 1980s. With the demand being so high then and still now, guayule natural rubber is an invaluable product when requiring hypoallergenic products for anyone.

  • Technology Products on our marketplace

  • About the Author: Jason Lancaster is an avid fan of emerging agricultural biotechnology. Learn more about guayule at GuayuleBlog.com.
    Please Rate The Article From The
    Technology Category

    How the AIDS Epidemic Brought Back a Forgotten Desert Plant

     

    Not yet Rated

    Technology Related Articles Via RSS

    Boost your websites' search engine ranking! Attract more repeat visitors! Automatically, consistently update your content via Really Simple Syndication (RSS). To syndicate the above article and other Technology related articles on your blog or site, simply click on the XML Icon above to grab the RSS feed.

  • Why resort to partial discharge measurements
    Partial discharge testing has been used for a long period in order to help people detect insulation problems. This testing is more than useful because it can find the problems before they lead to failure. As a consequence, parti...
  • IT Project Management Training: Meeting Your Greatest Challenge
    If you should ask any experienced major information technology service provider what the biggest challenge is that they face each day chances are their response will be "project management." Obviously, the success of any informa...
  • The usefulness of partial discharge analysis
    If you are among the numerous people responsible for ensuring power for different communities, plants, refineries, hospitals and other institutions, you definetely need to rely on an accurate diagnostic equipment which alerts yo...
  • Selecting the best Waterproof Digital Camcorder
    So if you're into your water sports. You might want to collect and keep those special days. So what do you need to be able to do this? Well drum roll please, it's a waterproof digital camcorder. These can help you take not only ...
  • Advantages of a Compass Metal Detector
    Nearly every experienced treasure hunter has heard of the Compass metal detector. For many hunters, there is just nothing better for finding old coins, pieces of precious metal and many other great items. The name has been ar...
  • How to unlock an iPhone using iphone unlocking
    The iPhone is the most beautifully crafted mobile phone ever made. Unfortunately it is locked into a contract. If you want to use it on more than one network you will need to unlock it. iPhone unlocking will enable you to put...
  • © 2008 Article24.info All Rights Reserved.