Final answer:
The pre and post-WWII period saw a transformation in chemical developments, with wartime prompting rapid scientific advancements followed by peacetime's mass production of consumer goods and medical technologies, and the introduction of persistent pollutants affecting global ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The differences between pre and post-World War II chemicals are significant in terms of their development, use, and impact on society and the environment. World War II catalyzed technological transformation with countries like Germany and the United States intensifying their developments in scientific and technological innovations for both lethal and non-lethal purposes, which became crucial to national security and warfare. In the post-war era, there was a massive increase in the production and dissemination of new chemicals, with over 80,000 new chemicals entering commerce since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, many due to post-WWII developments.
Before WWII, the chemical industry was already on the rise, but the war dramatically expedited research and production, especially in the creation of materials like synthetic rubber and oil, explosives, and warfare agents. The post-War era saw this trend continue but with a significant shift towards consumer products and medical advancements, including new vaccines and the mass-production of goods such as hairspray and household appliances. Additionally, this period unleashed a wave of persistent chemical pollutants like CFCs and PCBs, which have had complicated effects on human health and the environment, altering ecosystems and global biodiversity.
Many of these chemicals, originally designed or expanded upon during WWII, remain in global circulation, and their longevity and persistent nature have led to them being found in the most remote areas of the world, from the bodies of whales and Antarctic penguins to mountain cloud forests. This unprecedented introduction of synthetic chemicals has created environmental concerns over the long-term consequences of such extensive human-driven chemical release.