Definition of Acrylamide

Acrylamide: A chemical created in foods when starches and other carbohydrates are overheated (over 120°C or 250°F) during cooking. There is concern that acrylamide may be a carcinogen (cause cancer).
Acrylamide is used in papermaking, ore processing, permanent-press fabrics, and dye manufacture.
Acrylamide is also polymerized to form polyacrylamides which are used as water-soluble stabilizers, for example, in waste water treatment and in gel electrophoresis.

Definition of Acanthamoeba

Acanthamoeba: A microscopic organism, an amoeba, found in soil, dust and fresh water (lakes, rivers, hot springs and hot tubs). Acanthamoeba also occur in brackish water and sea water as well as in heating, venting, and air conditioner units, humidifiers, and dialysis units.

Acanthamoeba can enter the skin through a cut, wound, or through the nostrils and, once inside the body, can travel to the lungs and through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, especially to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Through improper storage, handling, and disinfection of contact lenses, Acanthamoeba can enter the eye and there cause infection.

A particularly dire infection caused by Acanthamoeba called granulomatous amebic encephalitis is
characterized by headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, and coma that can progress over several weeks and end in death. Acanthamoeba infections occur more frequently in people with compromised immune systems and the chronically ill. Eye and skin infections are generally treatable while infections of the brain are almost always fatal.