Thread: Pure Water

I read that pure water is toxic to humans, including to the point of death. So my question is, how and why is this?

Originally Posted by Chemboy

I read that pure water is toxic to humans, including to the point of death. So my question is, how and why is this?

It doesn't have any ions in it, so eventually you will throw the ion concentrations in your body off too far. But you have to drink a lot of it before it became a problem.

Side note: pure water tastes very strange.

yepp, but even pure water is ionized fast by the present of CO₂ turning to H₂CO₃

Originally Posted by Chemboy

I read that pure water is toxic to humans, including to the point of death. So my question is, how and why is this?

I know that some people drink distilled water (pure) for years.
Though it was discovered recently that it may lead to some health problems. As far as I recall it was something with bones.
But you should drink it for a really long time to get hurt.

Side note: pure water tastes very strange

perhaps its the no ions which give it very little taste....? think bout it?

Originally Posted by goodgod3rd

Side note: pure water tastes very strange

perhaps its the no ions which give it very little taste....? think bout it?

yeah, it is the ions that give it its taste, so no ions = no taste.

Something I thought of... Is pure water more or less concentrated than "regular" water? And if so, would it be possible that it would push more ions into or out of a cell than were supposed to be, and this would mess things up? By osmosis I mean. Just a thought, I'm not sure about that...

Even if the water does not have ions it is still a polar molecule and will react with other things. For example you could have pure water and eat a peice of toast. So I guess, ya like they said it could throw things off balance if that was like all you drank (and ate) for a while. Also, you could drown in it.

By pure water do you mean distiled water, because even then I think there are still other minerals in it.

distiled is acidy becuase of the present of H2CO3

I think that drinking pure or (distilled) water is not a problem if you ingest somehow the needed minerals by eating vegetables or so. It will not get all the minerals (electrolytes) out of your cells because the water will not flow in its own in your veins replacing the blood or something. So drinking pure water is not an issue.

On the other hand, there is something known as water intoxication which occurs when much water is ingested in a short period without replinishing electrolytes.





references:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_water
http://www.erowid.org/culture/health...oisoning.shtml

really pure water is H2CO3?

Originally Posted by iLOVEscience

really pure water is H2CO3?

nope, but Zelos means that when CO2 in the air dissolves in water it can form carbon acid according to the equilibrium: CO2+H2O <--> H2CO3. This reaction is not so effective since there is not so much CO2 in the air.

Pure water is simply H2O

haha i c i c

Usually when people say "pure" water they mean water that has a resistance above 18 mega ohms/cubic cm and has had all neutral suspended particles removed. There's nothing in it - no ions, no minerals, nothing. You have to store it in an air-tight container to keep atmospheric gasses from dissolving into it.

yepp that is what i meant, sorry should have written more. sorry my misstage. but all he said after is correct

Originally Posted by monaro_waky

By pure water do you mean distiled water, because even then I think there are still other minerals in it.

By pure I mean a bunch of H2O molecules. Nothing else.

Oh, and sorry if that's messed up at all in any way, it won't let me preview...

There probably wouldn't be much, if not any damage from small ammounts pure water. There wouldn't be anything in the water but water. It would be missing some minerals the body uses, but as long as not alot is induced, it wouldn't through off the balance.

yeah, that makes sense. i couldn't really figure out how pure water would actually harm you, which is why i asked in the first place, so i guess all of these answers really make sense. it IS just water after all, so i guess there's nothing specifically about it that harms, just the fact that it lacks the minerals and stuff that most water has... thanks everyone

ok, resurrecting this topic. the reason pure water is dangerous is because it messes up your concentration gradients. the pure water would be hypotonic to your cells and thus would diffuse into the cells, causing them to lyse. still don't know if small amounts would be dangerous or not. someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i think it definitely makes sense

I tried drinking the water that comes out of my fuel cell... not very tasty. And as for the ions bringing the taste I always thought it was the minerals that brought the taste. Or are they the same thing?

Originally Posted by The P-manator

I tried drinking the water that comes out of my fuel cell... not very tasty. And as for the ions bringing the taste I always thought it was the minerals that brought the taste. Or are they the same thing?

what is this fuel cell for? i believe the minerals are where the ions come from... for example, CaCl2, which is in some bottled water, will give you Ca+2 and 2Cl-.....

Originally Posted by The P-manator

I tried drinking the water that comes out of my fuel cell... not very tasty.

Is that what you youngsters call it these days! - it just used to be a called a 'todger'.

Hydrogen for the future. I have been experimenting with a model fuel cell car.