Ban the industrial solvent Dihydrogen Monoxide!

[GMTplus7]

<p>Spread the word! SHARE YOUR STORY about an encounter with this dangerous substance. </p>

<p>I recently spilled a small quantity of this industrial solvent on an expensive silk tie—instantly ruined…</p>

<p>from the DHMO.org website:

Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:</p>

<ul>
<li> Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.</li>
<li> Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.</li>
<li> DHMO is a major component of acid rain.</li>
<li> Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.</li>
<li> Contributes to soil erosion.

</li>
</ul>

<p>

Some of the well-known uses of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:</p>

<ul>
<li> as an industrial solvent and coolant,</li>
<li> in nuclear power plants,</li>
<li> by elite athletes to improve performance,</li>
<li> in the production of Styrofoam,</li>
<li> in biological and chemical weapons manufacture,</li>
<li> in the development of genetically engineering crops and animals,</li>
<li> as a spray-on fire suppressant and retardant,

</li>
</ul>

[audiophile]

<p>Be careful, some DJs were fired for taking that same stance: [Florida</a> DJs May Face Felony for April Fools’ Water Joke Worse Than Rubio’s - Alexander Abad-Santos - The Atlantic Wire](<a href=“http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/04/florida-djs-april-fools-water-joke/63798/]Florida”>http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/04/florida-djs-april-fools-water-joke/63798/)</p>

[pelicularities]

<p>I use it a lot when I go cycling. It’s not about the bike, it’s about the dihydrogen monoxide.</p>

[stressedouttt]

<p>Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO in its liquid form, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes tissue damage and contact with its gaseous form causes burns. DHMO use is widespread. For those who have become dependent on it, DHMO withdrawal means death. DHMO can be an environmental hazard: it is a major component of acid rain, contributes to the “greenhouse effect,” leads to the erosion of natural landscapes and hastens the corrosion of most metals. Being so prevalent (quantities are found in every stream, lake and reservoir), DHMO contamination is at epidemic proportions. Despite the dangers, DHMO is often used as an industrial solvent, as a fire retardant, in nuclear power plants and (can you believe this) in certain food products. Companies dump waste dihydrogen monoxide into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The American government and the United Nations have refused to ban the production, distribution or use of this chemical due to its “economic importance.” The navy and certain other military organizations are highly dependent on DHMO for various purposes. Military facilities receive tons of it through a sophisticated underground distribution network. It is also stored in large quantities for military emergencies.</p>

[dragonmom]

<p>Ok, I wasn’t paying enough attention until I got to the “causes soil erosion” part. Silly me.</p>

[BunsenBurner]

<p>Rapid consumption of the substance is known to cause acute hyponatremia - a condition that can lead to death if not treated immediately:</p>

<p>[Too Much DHMO Can Kill](<a href=“Strange but True: Drinking Too Much Water Can Kill - Scientific American”>Strange but True: Drinking Too Much Water Can Kill - Scientific American)</p>

<p>[Hyponatremia</a> - MayoClinic.com](<a href=“http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hyponatremia/DS00974]Hyponatremia”>Hyponatremia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic)</p>