# Heavy Water poisoning **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 27, 2000, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898 "2000-08-27T04:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898/1 "2000-08-27T04:09:27Z")
I have read that heavy water, or deuterium oxide (D[sub]2[/sub]O) is poisonous. What exactly would the symptoms of deuterium poisoning be? I’ve been thinking it might be the basis of a murder mystery in which someone is poisoned this way, and the cause of death is so esoteric that no one realizes it was murder. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898/2 "2000-08-27T04:29:22Z")
It is poisonous because it will have slower kinetics than water (H2O). So, in effect, it slows your metabolism down. If you body incorporates enough, you will die due to your body to carry on its normal functions. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898/3 "2000-08-27T06:42:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Steve-o \* > \*\*It is poisonous because it will have slower kinetics than water (H2O). So, in effect, it slows your metabolism down. If you body incorporates enough, you will die due to your body to carry on its normal functions. \*\* What?!? Kinetics?? Do you mind elaborating on that? Heavy water would have a different atomic weight, but I don’t understand how that would affect cellular structures in the body. Doesn’t heavy water emit radiation? Wouldn’t that be a bigger risk? ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898/4 "2000-08-27T08:08:02Z")
The isotopes of hydrogen are protium (“normal” hydrogen), deuterium (one neutron in the nucleus) and tritium (two neutrons in the nucleus.) Deuterium oxide isn’t radioactive, and is what is we normally understand by “heavy water.” Tritium is radioactive but rare - it isn’t found in nature but is formed when neutrons are allowed to irradiate lithium. The larger atomic weight of the deuterium affects many things - diffusion rates through membranes for example, and some chemical reaction rates. I searched the web on this a while back (for the same reason!) and didn’t come up with too much, except a claim that a gradual increase in exposure will allow an organism to adapt until it is fully deuterated, after which normal water is poisonous to it. (Can’t remember the link I’m afraid.) ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898/5 "2000-08-27T09:06:51Z")
deuterated… I think you guys are pulling my leg… ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2000, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heavy-water-poisoning/30898/6 "2000-08-27T20:01:06Z")
**deuterated… I think you guys are pulling my leg…** As if I would! Here’s an abstract of a research paper which contains some information, AND they use the word deuterated… [http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/journals/cjpp/y99-005.html](http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/journals/cjpp/y99-005.html) The actual paper would be more useful, but you need a password for access. Anyone out there who can read papers in the Canadian NRC online journals? Here’s a not-very-authoritative site claiming that the toxicity is low [http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/journals/cjpp/y99-005.html](http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/journals/cjpp/y99-005.html) Here’s a cold-fusion discussion forum where the question came up… accuracy is not guaranteed. [http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/academic/physics/Cold-fusion/fd-latest/thruFD3589](http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/academic/physics/Cold-fusion/fd-latest/thruFD3589) And here is some info from an Aldrich-Sigma (chemical suppliers) Product Safety Data Sheet on deuterium oxide: \*\*SECTION 11. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION - - ACUTE EFFECTS MAY CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION. MAY BE HARMFUL IF ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN. MAY CAUSE EYE IRRITATION. MAY BE HARMFUL IF INHALED. MATERIAL MAY BE IRRITATING TO MUCOUS MEMBRANES AND UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT. MAY BE HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED.TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THE CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL, AND TOXICOLOGICAL PROPERTIES HAVE NOT BEEN THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED SECTION 13. - - DISPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS - - - - - - - - - DISSOLVE OR MIX THE MATERIAL WITH A COMBUSTIBLE SOLVENT AND BURN IN A CHEMICAL INCINERATOR EQUIPPED WITH AN AFTERBURNER AND SCRUBBER. OBSERVE ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.\*\* From the “interesting” disposal technique, I’d have to guess that this datasheet is pure “cover your ass” stuff, and all “hazards” must be regarded as highly suspect. Incinerate your water indeed!