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Re: Could a human survive on D2O?



Just to correct Charles Meyer's statement about D20.

Charles Meyer writes "After all your only adding one neutron to a molecule
that already has 18."  when changing from H20 to D20.
Well, that is not that right.
1. H20 molecule has 8 neutrons coming from oxygen (0+0+8).
2. D2O molecule has 10 neutrons (1+1+8).
Therefore, it is not a 5% (1/18)  increase but a 20% change.

Best regards,
JMMure


 At 15:49 05/05/1997 -0500, you wrote:
>> Date:          Mon, 5 May 97 13:11:52 -0500
>> Reply-to:      radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
>> From:          JOE BIANCONI <UMTRAHP@concentric.net>
>> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>> Subject:       Re: Could a human survive on D2O?
>
>> 
>> >Can anyone enlighten me?  If i drink heavy water all the time i suppose my
>> >weight would eventually increase from 70gk to 75, but will anything else
>> >happen?
>> >
>Are you talking purely hypothetically?  If not then when recovering 
>D2O one will also collect tritium.  Perhaps is sufficient quantities 
>to cause some radiaiton hazard, if D2O is the only source of drinking 
>water.  Otherwise, if no tritium present, I don't think there would 
>be much difference.  After all your only adding one neutron to a 
>molecule that already has 18.
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>            
><>    Charles R. (Russ) Meyer                  <>
><> Email: cmeyer@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us           <> 
><>     Phone:(512)834-6688                       <>
><>        Fax:(512)834-6654                        <>
><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>
>
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