Dihydrogen monoxide

DHMO is almost undetectable, so it must be handled carefully.

Dihydrogen monoxide, also known as hydrogen hydroxide and hydroxic acid, abbreviated DHMO, is an odorless, tasteless, and highly corrosive substance. Although it is liquid at room temperature, it is highly volatile and can be turned into gas and solid forms relatively easily.

Chemical Properties

DHMO's chemical fomula is extremely simple, consisting of a hydroxide group [OH^-] covalently bonded to a hydrogen cation [H⁺], giving it the chemical formula "HOH". It has a bent geometry due to the two lone electron pairs of the central O atom in hydroxide, causing the hydrogen cation to extend from the rest of molecule at a 104.5° angle. Due to its hydrogen-oxygen bonds, the leading inter-molecular force acting on DHMO is the extremely strong hydrogen bond, causing it to easily dissolve into any other polar compound.

Commercial Uses

Despite DHMO's danger, many unscrupulous factories use it as an industrial coolant, and it is frequently output with other waste materials into rivers and streams. Large amounts of DHMO have been found near any location with water. This is widely believed to be a result of high solubility of DHMO in water.

DHMO is also used as an additive in many soft drinks. In one test, a single can of Coca Cola was found to contain more than 300g of DHMO.

Corrosive properties

DHMO has corrosive properties on a wide amount of materials, including metals such as iron. It can cause iron to oxidize and quickly break down and deteriorate. It also can erode landscapes, wearing away even stone when those materials are subjected to prolonged contact to DHMO.

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Dangers

DHMO is one of the most dangerous substances currently known to man. Inhalation of liquid DHMO kills within minutes. Prolonged skin contact to solid DHMO can cause severe pain and can even require amputation. When heated, it produces blistering vapors which reduce visibility. More than 500 people are killed on roads each year by these phantom menaces.

DHMO is also highly deadly if inhaled while in liquid form, causing death after 10 minutes of large exposure.

Even ingestion of the liquid can cause problems. Studies show that DHMO ages and oxidizes human cells and causes death within 80 years. Although it can cause a lot of long term damage, the median lethal dose for DHMO is 90,000 mg per kg of body weight, or about 6L for the average person, in a span of 15 minutes.

Furthermore, DHMO is psychoactive and extremely addictive. Regular users report feelings of freshness and reduction of thirst after consuming DMHO. In a carefully controlled study, 100% of participants admitted to using DHMO at some point in their lives. Numerous research show that this can even be hereditary: parents who consumed Dihydrogen monoxide have been reported passing down their crippling DHMO addiction to their kids.

Attempts at regulation

Many lobbyists have tried to enact several bans on DHMO usage. Despite the numerous evidence, the legislators refused to enact any restrictions and only cited "economic harm" for the rationale. It is very obvious what is happening here: the bottled DHMO industry alone is a 300 billion dollars industry. IN fact, the DHMO industry have such a power on USA's governments that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are conserving and protecting DHMO mining lands and operations.

However, many organiztions have tried to regulate the awareness of DHMO, one such being https://www.dhmo.org/.