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I was shocked - flabbergasted, actually - when I learned that authorities in Japan have begun injecting the chemical dihydrogen monoxide (a.k.a. "DHMO") into the troubled nuclear reactors at the earthquake damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.
DHMO has been injected under high pressure, in a desperate attempt to bring the temperatures in the reactors down to a safer level. When the on-site supply of DHMO was depleted, authorities took extreme measures to rush the delivery of to the site; first, by helicopter, and later via two emergency deliveries by the U.S. Navy. Much, much more DHMO now in the pipeline, with emergency priority delivery to the beleaguered plant now being arranged.
The owners and operators of Fukushima Dai-ichi, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), have admitted that DHMO is now leaking from the stricken reactors, and is entering the Pacific Ocean as well as local groundwater. Dihydrogen monoxide is also venting from the site in vast clouds of steam. Once in the atmosphere the DHMO from Dai-ichi will enter the jet-stream, circle the globe, and will soon spread around the planet. There is no doubt that DHMO from Japan has already reached the United States.
It was hydrogen produced by the reaction of DHMO with the partially melted nuclear fuel rods at Dai-ichi that directly resulted in the massive explosions seen at Reactors #1, #2, and #4. (Elements which are more electropositive than hydrogen such as lithium, sodium, calcium, potassium, and in particular caesium, displace hydrogen from DHMO, forming hydroxides - this process is called "radiolysis". Being a flammable gas, the hydrogen given off is dangerous and the reaction of water with the more electropositive of these elements may be violently explosive, as seen at Dai-ichi.)
Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It sickens over 4 billion and kills over 2 million people every year (United Nations World Health Organization, 2008: www.WHO.int). Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
According to the State of Washington Department of Health, "Recreational DHMO illness can have a significant impact on public health not only because of the severity of the illness but also the number of people who die." (www2.DOH.WA.Gov)
Dihydrogen monoxide:
* is also known as hydroxyl acid, and is the major component of acid rain!
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect"!
* may cause severe burns!
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape!
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals!
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes!
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients!
* contamination has been found in all floodwaters where death has occurred and violent storm rains containing destructive lightning!
* changing from crystalline to liquid is a leading cause of the destruction of arctic ice and glaciers!
Contamination Is Reaching Epidemic Proportions! Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the U.S. Midwest, and recently in California. DHMO contamination is even found in most cells in the human body!
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical!
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.
* to dissolve medicines before giving them to children and older adults.
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal in the United States. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The Horror Must Be Stopped!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the U.S. Navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive millions of tons of pure DHMO through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network daily. Many facilities store large quantities for later use. Many municipalities also have DHMO storage facilities.
It's Not Too Late! Act NOW to prevent further contamination . Find out more about this dangerous chemical. What you don't know can hurt you and others throughout the world. Write to your Congress person and Senator. Urge them to Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide NOW!
PLEASE COMMENT BELOW! Your comments below will be forwarded to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
We will continue to cover this story on Michigan Public Broadcasting station WNMC-FM (where I am the Sci+Tech Editor), as well as on Astronomy.FM.
(I wish to thank The Coalition to Ban DHMO (http://BanDHMO.org) for their assistance in preparing this article.)
NOTES:
* DHMO has the second highest molar specific heat capacity of any known substance, after ammonia, as well as a high heat of vaporization (40.65 kJ·mol−1), both of which are a result of the extensive hydrogen bonding between its molecules.
* The maximum density of DHMO occurs at 3.98 °C (39.16 °F). It has the anomalous property of becoming less dense, not more, when it is cooled down to its solid form. It expands to occupy 9% greater volume in this solid state, which accounts for the fact of DHMO floating on liquid water.
* Its Density is 1,000 kg/m3 liquid (4 °C), and weighs 62.4 lb/ft.3 (917 kg/m3, solid). It weighs 8.3454 lb/gal. (US, liquid)
* DHMO is miscible with many liquids, such as ethanol, in all proportions, forming a single homogeneous liquid. On the other hand, DHMO and most oils are immiscible usually forming layers according to increasing density from the top. As a gas, DHMO vapor is completely miscible with air.
* DHMO forms an azeotrope with many other solvents.
Further Reading:
* Anderson, A., & Olson, L. (1961). DHMO: The Untold Story. Chicago: Paladium Press.
* ________. (2007, April 1). Ahmadinejad: A rain of DHMO if Isreal attacks nuclear facilities. (Editorial). The Wall Street Journal.
* Cavuto, N.J. (2003, February 12). DHMO: Was this Saddam Hussein's 'Weapon of Mass Destruction'? MSNBC.
* Faiano, P. (2006). Weaponizing DHMO. International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry.
* O'Boyle, J. (1997, January 7). DiHydrogen Monoxide: What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us!. USA Today.
* Win-Tang Woo, K. (1948). DHMO: Molecular and Constancy Theory. London: Oxford University Press.
Other Web Sites for more information:
* DHMO Material Safety Data Sheet: http://www.dhmo.org/msdsdhmo.html
* The United Nations World Health Organization.
* Information about DiHydrogen Monoxide deaths from the CIA World Fact Book.
* Amazon.com World Wide Web Bookstore for more information about chemical compounds.
