Simviation Forums

Uh oh! Looks like we're in trouble.

Uh oh! Looks like we're in trouble.

Only if you're clocked in the head with it I think.

Despite the fact the light water and heavy water are chemically identical, heavy water is mildly toxic. How can this be? Since heavy water is heavier than normal water, the speed of chemical reactions involving it is altered somewhat, as is the strength of some types of bonds it forms. This affects certain cellular processes, notably mitosis, or cell division, due to the difference in binding energy in the hydrogen bonds needed to make certain proteins. Mouse studies have shown that drinking only heavy water along with normal feed eventually causes degeneration of tissues that need to replenish themselves frequently, and leads to cumulative damage from injuries that don't heal as quickly. One study likens the effects to those suffered by chemotherapy patients. Heavy water toxicity manifests itself when about 50% of the water in the body has been replaced by D2O. Prolonged heavy water consumption can cause death.

Don't get any funny ideas about using heavy water as a virtually untraceable and undetectable murder weapon, though. Given its role in breeder reactors for producing weapons-grade plutonium, production and distribution of heavy water is closely monitored and controlled. Obtaining a significant amount is damn near impossible for the average Joe, and you'd need a LOT of it to kill anyone. It's also expensive--one estimate puts the price at about $300 per kilogram. Hit 'em over the head with a bottle of Poland Spring and save yourself some grief.