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Does not answer the key question of how much ultrapure water will kill a human. Immersion killed a goldfish, but humans don't immerse themselves all that often,
by bediger4000 3y ago
Does not answer the key question of how much ultrapure water will kill a human. Immersion killed a goldfish, but humans don't immerse themselves all that often, and cost would prohibit filling a bath tub with it, much less a swimming pool.
Would a standard US 8 fluid oz glass of ultrapure water kill? If it would, this seems like a good mystery novel gimmick.
- ehutch79 3y agoFair Warning; second hand story Yes, just drinking some will do damage. I've heard of a non-tech seeing 'water' and ignoring the rest of labels and warning and drinking very pure water. Had to be sent to the hospital.
- mrcode007 3y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication It happens with any water, but IIRC it happens faster with pure water by washing away electrolytes and disturbing signaling.
- 0cf8612b2e1e 3y agoRight, Wikipedia lists LD50 of 90mL/kg (~5.5 liters for topical human). I am incredibly suspect that a single glass of pure water would do anything measurable. Hell, you can drink substantial amounts of D2O for a significant duration before metabolic processes begin to be impacted.
- benibela 3y agoWhen I was in elementary school, there was some water drinking challenge And the teachers warned against it, and someone told about a child dying from drinking just one liter of tapwater
- NovemberWhiskey 3y agoI'd be interested to see a MSDS that says that ultra-pure water is a hazard. I find a lot saying it's not. Pretty sure that what you heard about was either apocryphal or one of those "out of an abundance of caution" scenarios.
- elcomet 3y agoDrinking a lot will be harmful, but not drinking a glass.
- bediger4000 3y agoWhat a relief!
- mannykannot 3y agoIf the goldfish story is true, it probably died from a lack of oxygen. Does drinking water contain any nutrients not adequately available from a normal diet? I am extremely skeptical of the osmosis story told in the last two paragraphs, as I am doubtful that there is that much difference between clean soft drinking water and ultrapure water.
- aeternum 3y agoMaybe if you drank only ultra pure water and ate no food. The osmosis story is clear BS. The instant the water hits your mouth plenty of bacteria and electrolytes from salivia are reintroduced, not to mention all your digestive juices. If you injected the pure water directly into your bloodstream, you'd have an osmosis problem, thus the need for saline in IVs.
- TN1ck 3y agoDavid Blaine says he drank only distilled water for 44 days [1], if that's true, it should be pretty safe to drink. [1] https://www.happyscribe.com/public/the-joe-rogan-experience/1527-david-blaine https://www.happyscribe.com/public/the-joe-rogan-experience/...
- falcolas 3y agoFrom the end of TFA. “If ultrapure water was consumed continually, epithelial cells would be steadily leached (or perhaps instantly in the case of the goldfish’s respiratory system).” Basically it would scour cells from you digestive system, roughly equivalent to corroding it away. It would probably take a few liters or more, but it would also probably hurt like hell.
- Verdex 3y ago> Would a standard US 8 fluid oz glass of ultrapure water kill? If it would, this seems like a good mystery novel gimmick. If the pure water gimmick doesn't work out, then maybe for your mystery novel switch over to heavy water, which is known to be toxic iirc. Eccentric, recluse, rich person decides to drink nothing but heavy water for the exotic allure and then dies on the eve of a corporate merger or something. Bonus points, heavy water ice cubes will sink in regular water but over time they will float because they melt off the heavy ice and refreeze regular water, changing their buoyancy. Something the eagle eyed investigator can notice in the 11th hour.