ScienceAugust 26, 2026

ethylbenzene

ETH-ul-BEN-zeen

Definition

A clear, colorless, flammable liquid aromatic hydrocarbon used as a chemical intermediate and a common industrial pollutant found in soils.

Etymology

The word is a chemical compound name derived from 'ethyl' (referring to the C2H5 radical) and 'benzene' (a hydrocarbon from which it is derived, named after benzoin resin).

In the news

Ethylbenzene is identified in the article as one of the BTEX compounds that researchers at a contaminated brownfield site are studying for potential degradation by specific bacteria.

A single teaspoon of soil from a healthy forest floor contains more living organisms — bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes — than there are humans on Earth, and most of the species in that spoonful have never been named or described

Read the full article ↗

ScienceBlog.com

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