Dihydrogen Monoxide:
DHMO
A PRESENTATION BY
TORONTO CITIZENS FOR A SAFER
ENVIRONMENT
(TCSE)
Dihydrogen Monoxide:
The facts are not in debate
 Many argue about global warming, evolution, and even
the shape of the Earth.
 No scientists, mainline or fringe, argue the facts about
Dihydrogen Monoxide.
 Think of it like the debate on gun control.
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The effect of gunshots is not under debate
The statistics on gun shot victims is not under debate
The only debate is whether or not guns should be banned.
 Likewise, despite the unanimous agreement on the
effects of DHMO, the debate around DHMO solely
concerns whether or not we should place more controls
upon its use.
What is DHMO?
 Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a
colorless and odourless chemical
compound, also referred to by some
as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen
Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide,
or simply Hydric acid.
 Its basis is the unstable radical
Hydroxide, the components of
which are found in a number of
caustic, explosive and poisonous
compounds such as Sulfuric Acid,
Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.
DHMO molecules
Source: Physical Revue.
The Deadly Legacy of DHMO
 Inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities, can
cause death.
 In 2007 there were 3,443 deaths by inhalation of
DHMO.
 That’s almost 10 deaths a day (1,2)
 Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe
tissue damage.
 DHMO ingestion can produce excessive sweating
and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling,
nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS)
[online]. (2009) [cited 2009 Nov 24]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wide-ranging OnLine Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) [online]. (2010) Available from
URL:http://wonder.cdc.gov/mortsql.html
The Deadly Legacy of DHMO
 The causative link between Dihydrogen Monoxide
(DHMO) and Cancer is currently not established,
although a significant amount of evidence seems to
suggest that DHMO at least plays a role in the
formation of cancer, including:
•Hodgkin's Lymphoma,
•Ewing's Tumor,
•Chondrosarcoma,
•Fibrosarcoma,
•Multiple myeloma,
•Colorectal cancer,
•Leukemia,
•Basal cell carcinoma,
•Squamous cell
carcinoma,
•Malignant melanoma.
The Deadly Legacy of DHMO
 Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
 DHMO destabilises soil’s ability to cohere, thereby
contributing to soil erosion.
 It is found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumours and
lesions.
 Over 90% of dogs which have viciously attacked
humans had exposure to DHMO within 30 minutes
before the attacks
 Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive
sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling,
nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance.
The Deadly Legacy of DHMO
 Although the U.S. Government and the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) do not classify Dihydrogen
Monoxide as a toxic or carcinogenic substance (as
it does with better known chemicals such as
hydrochloric acid and benzene), DHMO is a
constituent of many known toxic substances,
diseases and disease-causing agents,
environmental hazards and can even be lethal to
humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.
Where is DHMO Found?
 To date (June, 2011), every test performed upon lakes and streams
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throughout North America has found measurable amounts of DHMO.
Ice samples from both the Arctic and Antarctic have shown the
presence of DHMO.
A former U.S. Food and Drug Administration employee and a specialist
in the feeding of dairy cattle, Dr. Donna Maria Waltz, warns that
regulation of DHMO in the dairy industry is lacking.
Further, Waltz says, DHMO is used without an approved new animal
drug application in treatments to disinfect cow udders and teats, to
cure hoof problems, to alleviate the impact of bovine diarrhea, and both
internally and topically to treat heat stress.
Purchasing DHMO-free milk is a good alternative for those who are
worried about the lack of DHMO regulations in the dairy industry,
suggests Waltz. Most grocery stores and pharmacies carry a number of
DHMO-free milk products.
Government & Industry Response
 Government and Industry have been
strongly resistant to ridding the
environment of DHMO.
 In 2004, the motion to ban coffee cups
that had been manufactured using a
process that employed DHMO was put
on the agenda of city councilors of Aliso
Viejo in Orange County, California.
 It was pulled before the meeting started.
Government & Industry Response
 Despite resistance, there has been headway.
 Federal (EPA) regulations are now in place to make it
illegal to dispose of DHMO in landfills, including those
licensed for hazardous waste.
 Regulations also stipulate that any DHMO appearing
in a landfill must be removed.
 Similar laws apply in Canada.
 Judging from these laws it appears both the U.S. and
Canadian governments recognize the inherent danger
DHMO poses to the environment.
Government & Industry Response
 Fortunately, too, some industry and governmental
leaders are taking the initiative to inform and educate
their employees in spite of what the government's official
policy may be.
 Major employers, such as Sandia National Laboratories,
a national security laboratory operated by the Sandia
Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Co., for the U.S.
Department of Energy, have begun notifying their
workers of the DHMO issue.
 With efforts such as those at Sandia, the proliferation of
DHMO may one day be minimized.
Public Response
 The biggest problem is lack of public awareness. When the public
is aware, however, the response is close to unanimous.
 As early as 1989, research conducted by Patrick K. McCluskey
and Matthew Kulick found that nearly 90 percent of the citizens
participating in their study were willing to sign a petition to
support an outright ban on the use of Dihydrogen Monoxide in
the United States.
 A similar study conducted in 1994 by award-winning U.S.
researcher Nathan Zohner concluded that at least roughly 86
percent of the population supports a ban on dihydrogen
monoxide.
 Since then, hundreds, perhaps thousands of petitions have been
signed urging the government to ban DHMO.
Strategy for a Safer Environment
 While earlier petitions against DHMO have failed,
there are signs that the political climate may be
changing.
 One obvious change is that governments are becoming
increasingly sensitive to environmental issues.
 At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Cancun, Mexico last December, the Committee For A
Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) passed around a
petition urging a global ban of the substance.
 Every delegate approached by CFACT signed
it.
Strategy for a Safer Environment
 Toronto Citizens for a Safer Environment feel that the
key is to focus on particular uses.
 Presently a petition is being prepared to urge Toronto
City Hall to refuse contracts to on-site food providers who
use DHMO in their products.
 While the new mayor is not generally receptive to
environmental concerns, there is strong reason to believe
that he would back the our organisation’s purpose.
 One domino is often all it takes.
Thank You
Discussion
 Is the information complete enough for you to form
an opinion?
 Is there information you would like to have seen
included?
 How understandable was the information?
 Are there any questions that were not addressed
What is Dihydrogen Monoxide?
 It sometimes helps to understand chemical and
physical debates if we have an understanding of the
actual chemical makeup.
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Mono = One
Oxide = Oxygen
Di/bi = Two
Hydrogen = Hydrogen
2
HO
Good intentions vs. rationality
 The original hoax was created by Eric Lechner, Lars Norpchen
and Matthew Kaufman (housemates while attending UC Santa
Cruz in 1989) and revised by Craig Jackson.
 It came to national attention in 1994 when Nathan Zohner, a
14-year-old student, gathered petitions to ban "DHMO" as the
basis of his science project, titled "How Gullible Are We?” 86%
signed it.
 Zohner received the first prize at Greater Idaho Falls Science
Fair for analysis of the results of his survey.[1] In recognition
of his experiment, conservative journalist James K. Glassman
coined the term "Zohnerism" to refer to "the use of a true fact
to lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a
false conclusion.”
 The DHMO site also states: “Zohner believes people need to pay closer attention
to the information presented to them regarding Dihydrogen Monoxide. He adds
that if more people knew the truth about DHMO then studies like the one he
conducted would not be necessary.” This is all too true.
 A follow-up experiment by Patrick K. McCluskey and Matthew Kulick showed
similar results.
 In 2004 the city councilors of Aliso Viejo in Orange County, California, came
perilously close to passing a law banning DHMO.
 The lesson, of course, is simple:
• Don’t jump on bandwagons.Don’t be too quick to ban things just
because somebody tells you they’re bad.
•Don’t accept the word of people who want your support.
•Check, check and recheck your facts.
•And perhaps most important: Just because a vast majority of
people are willing to sign petitions about something doesn’t mean
it’s a pressing social or health issue.
Think about it
 And yes – every one of the “climatologists”
approached by CFACT at the United Nations Climate
Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico signed the
petition for a global ban on DHMO.
 They also all signed a petition to destabilise the
North American economy.
Entitled “Petition to Set a Global Standard,” the petition sought to
isolate and punish the United States for refusing to sign onto the
Kyoto Protocol. It encouraged the UN to impose tariffs and trade
restrictions on the U.S. in a scheme to destabilize the nation’s
economy. Specifically, the scheme seeks to lower the U.S. GDP by
6% over a ten year period, unless the U.S. signs a U.N. treaty on
global warming.