The Chemical World This Week
ENGINEERS PAID MORE IN EUROPE THAN U.S. Whether a new engineer fresh from a university actually wanted to work in the U.S., the U.S. always had one tempting advantage among industrialized countries—top pay. Well, not anymore. In a survey out last week, the Conference Board, a business research organization in New York City, finds that from 1971 to 1975 the U.S. dropped from first to sixth place among 12 countries in salaries paid to new engineers. Vaulting into first place was Denmark, where engineering graduates averaged $20,400 in their first job in 1975. The average 1975 starting pay in the U.S. was $14,891. In last place was the U.K. with $6,986. The Conference Board chose engineering for its salary survey for two reasons. Engineers' compensation often is used as a benchmark for other salaries, and job content is similar in all countries. The Conference Board's survey does not stop with engineeers' gross starting pay. The study continues with two measures of "real" pay—the time with and without fringe benefits that a new engineer has to work in each country to buy a comprehensive array of 115 goods and services. Consumption patterns were put together for each country. The only goods and services excluded were shelter and utilities, automobiles, and education. The 115 items were priced for one major city in each country—for example, New York City in the U.S. In this comparison, the U.S. fares considerably better than in gross engineering salaries. Without benefits, work time required to buy the 115 items went down in every country except Sweden from 1971 to 1975. However, the relative decrease favored the U.S., which moved from seventh to fourth place. First place in 1975 went again to Denmark, and last spot went to France. The spread between countries narrowed considerably from the gross pay survey—from 192% between last and first place in gross pay to 91% in real pay. With benefits included in the time needed for engineers to buy the 115 items, the U.S. did slightly less well but still improved its standing. From eighth place in 1971, the U.S. moved to sixth in 1975. Any salary comparison among countries including bene4
C&EN Nov. 14, 1977
fits tends to pull down the U.S. position, since benefits are generally greater in other countries. Top position in this survey in 1975 went to Norway; the most expensive again was France. The spread between last and first place shrinks to 58%. The explanation for the differences between the gross- and real-income rankings between countries lies in several shifts between 1971 and 1975. European salaries jumped sharply in the early 1970's. So, relative to the U.S., did most European inflation rates. A third important factor is that many European countries' currencies
appreciated in these years relative to the U.S. dollar. Since 1975, however, the U.S. may have improved its position in engineering salaries. Surveys from the American Chemical Society, the Engineers Joint Council in New York City, and the College Placement Council in Bethlehem, Pa., have shown big increases in engineers' pay over the past two years. For example, CPC's latest survey of offers to new B.S.-level chemical engineers shows an annual rate of $16,668. New B.S. chemists, by contrast, were offered $13,224 (C&EN, Aug. 15, page 4). D
New process to aid Whit House decisions The White House is evolving a new management-decision process for domestic issues, says Presidential science adviser Frank Press. One of the first issues being taken up is the health of basic scientific research. Dr. Press outlined the process at a symposium on science and government at Columbia University. The symposium was held in honor of Columbia emeritus professor 1.1. Rabi, 79, the 1944 Nobel Laureate in physics, and the man who persuaded President Eisenhower to set up the science adviser's office in the first place. The new process, Press explains, is designed to tackle problems that cut across the traditional boundaries between the Cabinet departments and agencies. Its final product, he says, is a Presidential option paper outlining the scope of a problem and its effect on national policy—for instance, what long-term effect a falloff in basic research would have on the U.S. economy, national security, or energy options. The initiative to begin the decision-making procedure can come from the President himself, if he is interested in a particular issue, or from White House staffers who want to bring a problem to the President's attention. (The National Security Council has been using this process since President Carter took office in January; the procedure is new only in the domestic side of the White House.) The review of basic research, for example, originated in the Office of Science & Technology Policy.
Press: option paper is final product
The study is first framed within the White House, says Press, and the research chores are divided among the various agencies in consultation with the agency administrators. Once the plan is approved by the President, the White House staff continues to monitor and coordinate the effort while the Cabinet staffs do the work. When the research is completed, the White House staff distills it all into the final option paper. Stanley Schneider, assistant to Press, says that the heads of the federal mission agencies—such as the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation—are now in the process of reviewing their policies on research support. "It's a way of making them take stock, and
ask 'Where do we go from here?' " Schneider says. Some changes of direction may well be needed; Press sees many symptoms of decay. "Between 1968 and 1975, the federal government's funding of basic research declined 20% in constant dollars/' he says. Furthermore, industrial labs are moving away from exploratory research and toward more "defensive" research—protecting their products against federal regulations and refurbishing old products instead of risking new ones. "By the time the decay in basic research becomes apparent," Press points out, "recovery could take a decade." D
New chemical detected in smog formation The first example of a new class of small-ring compounds has been detected as a short-lived intermediate in photochemical smog reactions. The compound, dioxirane, was found by a team of chemists and physicists at the National Bureau of Standards studying the reaction of ozone with ethylene—an important reaction in smog formation. That dioxirane is formed at all is causing re-evaluation of currently accepted models of the reaction mechanism of olefins with ozone in polluted air. The dioxirane molecule is very simple looking: H. H'
,0
c; I
^0 "It's the sort of molecule that you would expect undergraduate students to put down in reaction mechanisms," says Dr. Joel Leibman, a theoretical chemist studying small-ring compounds at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. "And you also would expect more advanced students to look at it and say, 'No, it can't be formed,' " he continues. "Seeing it actually found is very, very nice chemistry." The NBS scientists found the compound as part of an investigation of the ozone-ethylene reaction. Chemists John T. Herron and Robert E. Huie had earlier determined by computer analysis of reaction rates and product concentrations in this system that 90% of the reaction products were molecular fragments rather than free radicals. This finding contradicts most current reaction mechanisms, which call for formation of large numbers of free radicals, but it supports a mechanism proposed in
NBS physicists Suenram (left) and Lovas discuss the formation of the dioxirane molecule, which they detected for the first time using low-temperature microwave spectroscopy. The compound's existence was confirmed by chemists Huie, Martinez, and Herron (left to right in photo on right) by low-temperature mass spectrometry
1975 by Dr. W. R. Wadt and Dr. W. A. Goddard III, which has dioxirane as an intermediate. Collaborating physicists in this work, Dr. Richard D. Suenram and Dr. Frank J. Lovas, performed the ozone-ethylene reaction in a specially constructed microwave absorption cell cooled to -196° C. Under these conditions, the dioxirane molecule is stable enough to be detected by microwave spectroscopy. Dr. Herron, Dr. Huie, and Dr. Richard I. Martinez then repeated the experiment at low
temperature and found by mass spectroscopy analysis an intermediate whose charge-to-mass-ratio is consistent with dioxirane. What the discovery does for the chemistry of smog is to "really nail down beautifully" the notion that free radical formation is not the most important part of the reaction of ozone with olefins, Herron explains. Suenram and Lovas have tried to form other dioxirane compounds, particularly the methyl and fluorine derivatives, so far without success. D
Plan aims at better toxic chemical control To better coordinate the govern- I into which information can be shared ment's campaign to regulate toxic among various federal agencies chemicals, the federal Toxic Sub- "without placing unnecessary burstances Strategy Committee panel dens on regulated industries." More early this month laid out its master than 30 federal agencies collect such plan to pull together federal safety data in one form or another, but free efforts. The panel, composed of sci- exchange of information is limited entists and nonscientists from 16 because of laws and agency practices federal agencies and chaired by Gus- to protect trade secrets. The comtave Speth of the White House mittee will examine which of these Council on Environmental Quality, barriers can be lowered. The federal policy for carcinogenic singled out several broad areas for scrutiny: risk assessment is likely to affirm the • Chemical carcinogenesis—the utility of high-dose, long-term animal committee will give top priority to studies (such as those used to test working out a single set of principles saccharin) in determining carcinofor identifying chemical carcinogens. genicity. High-dose animal experiAccording to the committee, a lack of ments have long been accepted by such principles has led to much public toxicologists as direct evidence of a chemical's ability to produce human confusion. • Federal research—although the cancer at lower doses. CEQ's Speth, formerly a lawyer government conducts and supports much research on toxic chemicals, with the Natural Resources Defense federal authorities are not always Council, declares: "For the first time certain that research is adequate and federal authority over hazardous well designed. The committee will chemicals spans the entire cycle of chemical production and use. We now look into improvements. • Data collection—because toxic can begin to develop comprehensive chemicals regulation requires exten- strategies—using both regulatory and sive information about chemical nonregulatory approaches—to make production, use, sales, employee ex- sure that human health and the enposure and health, and environmen- vironment are not subject to unnecD tal effects, the committee will look I essary risks." Nov. 14, 1977C&EN
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