Monday, March 14, 2011

Dihydrogen Monoxide: The killer in your cupboards.


On the dangers of not doing your research.

Dihydrogen Monoxide (also known as DHMO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless chemical which kills thousands of people a year due to accidental inhalation, or if ingested in large quantities. Particularly at risk are young children.
DHMO:
• Is also known as hydroxyl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
• Contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
• Can cause severe burns.
• Is fatal if inhaled.
• 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 tumours of terminal cancer patients.
There have been claims that traces of DHMO have been found in over 87% of the population. Some see this figure as alarmist, others however believe that that figure is actually too low, and put the figure at an astonishing 97.6%.
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.
Perhaps most worrying of all is that DHMO is a common food additive. So common that many labels have only recently started listing it on ingredient lists, and still more fail to do so.
What many people won’t tell you however is that DHMO is in every single bottle of infant formula and jar of baby food made. Every. Single. One.

There have been petitions to ban Dihydrogen Monoxide circulated in the past, and the issue has been brought to the attention of many governments. Unfortunately, only a brave few politicians have had the courage to bring up the subject of DHMO in public, and they are often ridiculed for it.

Why is this deadly chemical allowed in our homes, you might wonder.
Once again this issue all comes down to money. DHMO was worth over half a billion dollars in Australia last year alone. Dihydrogen Monoxide in conjunction with the unthinkably ecologically damaging Polyethylene Terephthalate was worth an astronomical $ 15 BILLION in North America in 2006.

There have also been reports that unethical supermarket chains and other suppliers have been injecting meat with DHMO. The New York Times ran an article on this debacle way back in 2007, yet there is still no industry regulation, and no politicians willing to go to bat over the issue of DHMO.

There is even evidence to suggest that DHMO is even present in both tap and bottled water.
As an Australian I am all too aware of the dangers of DHMO.
I ask you to educate yourself and others on this most grave issue, and most importantly, please research the things that may affect your family.


The moral of the story? Always do your own research and double check the facts.