When outdoors this summer, watch out for plants that can cause rashes, blisters and more! Learn more about the chemistry behind these reactions in the latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News. Click to view the full graphic on the C&EN site.
Brushing past a plant in the undergrowth whilst out walking might sound fairly innocuous. In the case of Giant Hogweed, however, it’s anything but. This plant’s sap can cause burns and blistering after contact, and there’ve been an increasing number of articles warning of the danger it poses over the past few months. Here, we take a look at the chemical compounds behind the sap’s unpleasant effects.