Three hundred and twenty thousand people die annually from acute oxidane exposure. Indeed, ongoing research indicates that many more deaths—particularly due to certain diseases such as Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis, and even Malaria—may be linked to heightened levels of surface oxidane. Worse, deaths post oxidane exposure are going up each year. So why is nothing being done? Let us examine significant sources of oxidane production today. Hydroxylic Acid, also known as DHMO or Oxidane, is a byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuels, and is used, among other things, in coal and nuclear power plants (where it is used as a moderator), in the production of plutonium and radiopharmaceuticals, but also (in diluted forms) in a number of cleaning and even beauty products, such as nail polish remover.
While Oxidane is produced largely by the fossil fuel industry, it is also used to a varying extent in a number of other sectors as well, as it is a relatively cheap solvent, and these industries would suffer significant economic setbacks if harsher regulations were imposed. However, as more and more oxidane is produced each year, some form of regulation is increasingly necessary. Not only has oxidane been linked with numerous diseases, but its impact on the environment is often detrimental to both humans and other species across the Earth.
IMPACTS ON HEALTH:
Stricter regulation of oxidane is necessary due to its adverse impact on human health. The chemical can be inhaled as an invisible, odorless gas—however, it tends to be consumed in more significant quantities in food and drink. It can be found in a wide variety of products; for instance, many plastic bottles and wrappers contain it, as do a number of preserved frozen foods in the US, where it is often included in sauces to improve the consistency, causing them to be smoother and easier to spread. While in the past it was widely believed that the consumption of limited quantities of oxidane is safe—and indeed, some sources, such as oxidane.org continue to assert this, more recent research may indicate that exposure to “safe” quantities of oxidane can still be dangerous. Chronic oxidane exposure is likely linked to numerous diseases, Pseudomonas pneumonia and Pseudomonas septicemia being among the most deadly in the United States. Even more disturbingly, it has been suggested that even if one is not exposed to it directly, high levels of oxidane in the environment may be correlated with malaria, though any connection is believed to be indirect.
In high concentrations, on the other hand, the danger has been extensively researched, and hundreds of thousands are thought to die annually. Oxidane, when ingested, is able to penetrate the entire body as the molecules are small enough to enter the bloodstream from where it spreads to the heart, liver, and even the brain in very little time. Deaths can occur after as little as 20 to 60 seconds of exposure. While victims may survive if quickly removed from the source of oxidane and brought swiftly to a hospital (depending on the severity of the incident), death may occur too quickly for victims to be saved. While it takes high amounts of oxidane to cause such extreme effects, even consuming only 3g in a day has consistently been found to cause a variety of symptoms including headaches, loss of appetite and nausea. Radioactive forms can be even more dangerous.
IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
In addition to being dangerous to human health, the release of oxidane into the environment may also have harmful impacts—making it clear that regulation is necessary. In fact, oxidane is known to be a greenhouse gas, and though it is considered less harmful than carbon dioxide, this is a very low bar. Heightened levels of atmospheric oxidane can also disrupt local weather patterns, and have been linked to potentially harmful storms and increased local rainfall, which can be particularly dangerous in areas at risk from flooding or hurricanes, which is thought to exacerbate. One famous example of havoc wreaked on the atmosphere by this substance is in Venus where it is thought to have been a significant factor in the runaway greenhouse effect which transformed its environment into what it is today—and indeed, small amounts of oxidace continue to be present in the venusian atmosphere, around 20 ppm or 0.002%.
In addition to behaving as a greenhouse gas, its properties as an acid may also have impacts on the environment. Oxidane, or hydroxylic acid is not only a significant component of acid rain, along with nitric, sulphuric, and other more widely recognized acids, but it is also present in the ocean, where its reaction with CO2 to form the even stronger carbonic acid is widely considered a significant contributor to ocean acidification, a phenomenon which is detrimental to marine life. Its corrosive properties on land, where it comes in rain, have been linked directly with the breaking down of rocks and ultimately the erosion of landscapes. It can also contribute to the corrosion of certain metals, including steel.
Some will argue that oxidane usage in industry is beneficial, as it creates jobs. In addition to being used in power generators, oxidane, which is adhesive, is used in the production of industrial adhesives (glues) and disinfectants. Some proponents of Oxidane have claimed that several endangered species, such as African Forest Elephants, benefit from oxidane related environmental shifts. These claims, however, need to be taken into consideration with the broader context. While oxidane does indeed create jobs for some in oxidane-related industries, it is important to bear in mind the quality of life of the people in these professions. Not only are they required to be exposed to oxidane often on a daily basis, often with few or no protections. Additionally, while precautions ensure that this is rare, Oxidane can also explode when exposed to a number of chemicals, posing further risks to any who work near it.
Further, the products produced are very often contaminated with Oxidane, causing consumers and intermediaries to be exposed as well. As for endangered species, while climate change (which oxidane heightened levels form a part of) may make some previously hostile environments inhabitable to new species (e.g. the greening of the Sahara) this is a double-edged sword, as far more previously inhabitable environments become hostile, and further, climate change can lead invasive species to harm native populations, which while beneficial to the invasive species, is harmful to the environment over all.
In conclusion, Oxidane, useful though it may be to industry, must be banned or at least more strictly regulated. Not only does it have proven health impacts, but it is also involved in climate change, and industry which benefits from it does so at the expense of its workers being exposed to the chemical. Companies may argue that harm industry and therefore the economy, but they seldom consider the hospital fees that Oxidane victims pay, nor the effect of deaths and poor health on the economy—and in any case banning Oxidane could avert many illnesses, for which a slightly worse economy would certainly be worth it, even if it did have this effect. Pressure from industry affects much of US policy already, do not let it affect this as well! You are strongly encouraged to research Oxidane yourself and spread the word.
Comments