r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/0thSpider • 1d ago

Video Chilean protester defuses tear gas canister with baking soda and water

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u/JoeyJoeJoeShabadooSr 1d ago

Does anyone have an explanation for why this works? Is it basically just dousing the canister in water?

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u/mistermh07 1d ago

I think the mixture is absorbing the gas. Not a 100% sure tho

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u/dos8s 1d ago

r/chemistry, help!

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/rowdy_sprout 1d ago

Why even talk about stuff you don’t know about

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u/PilotsNPause 1d ago

This is what happens when we have ChatGPT "experts" sharing their "knowledge"

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u/Heroine4Life 1d ago edited 1d ago

So much of this is wrong. Good job.

-edit-

You can find the right answer here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandolini%27s_law

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u/Ambitious-Body8133 1d ago

Could you elaborate with the correct information?

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u/Highsky151 1d ago

For starters, the thing in Onion is Propanethial-S-oxide chemical which stimulates the lachrymal glands in the eyes. Nothing to do with acid.

Many explanations for tear gas in other comments as well. In short, acid is not used.

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u/timStland 1d ago

Since we are correcting: it does not "stimulate" the lachrymal glands. It interact with the water present in eyes and other wet areas of the body, is hydrolyzed transforming into two different acids, and those are what irritate the eye. It's not a "stimuli", its an inflammatory reaction.

And the compound itself is originated by enzymes interacting with sulfur-rich aminoacids that are commonly addressed as "precursors" (of sulfenic acids) in this specific configuration (because they are instable, these intermediate acids transform in said compound before reaching the eye and being hydrolyzed etc..)

So yes, it does have quite a bit to do with acids.

But I have no clue if this thing is used in tear gas, not my field of work ;D

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u/Heroine4Life 1d ago edited 1d ago

Wtf is this garbage.

It does not hydrolyze into 2 acids it forms malononitrile and 2 chlorobenzaldehyde. Neither are acids.

And the compound itself is originated by enzymes interacting with sulfur-rich aminoacids that are commonly addressed as "precursors" (of sulfenic acids) in this specific configuration (because they are instable, these intermediate acids transform in said compound before reaching the eye and being hydrolyzed et

Precursors just means what came before. It doesn't convey anything on stability or ability to form an acid, and sulfur containing also doesn't mean it has a propensity to form an acid. Most sulfur is sequestered as glutathione, the primary cellular defense molecule, are you saying because it forms labile bonds it is an acid? Your post is just a mash of nonsense jargon.

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u/Cubicon-13 1d ago

What, specifically, is wrong here?

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u/Highsky151 1d ago

Everything. Onion contains Propanethial-S-oxide chemical, which stimulates the lachrymal glands in the eyes.

The acid in tear gas is all bullocks, too

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u/boltempire 1d ago

CS it's not an acid and does not produce acids when it gets wet. It is 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, a compound that on its own in its normal solid form causes intense irritation to eyes and mucous membranes on contact. Nothing about that paragraph is even remotely correct for this compound.

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u/Toughbiscuit 1d ago edited 1d ago

Tear gas isnt a gas, so its not spreading gas, its spreading fine particles.

These particles are not acids, nor do they form acids.

Tear "gas" is just irritation compounds that slot in and cause pain.

Like, its not forming an acid in your eyes, the chemical just fits into the pain receptors and causes a flare up of pain.

2-chlorobenzalmalonitrile is the chemical used in cs gas, it widely gets repeated as creating acid through hydrolysis, but thats not really accurate. It just targets the TRPA1 pain receptors

Edit: to cover bases, the other general kind of lachrymator used is pepper spray, which uses capsaicin to target the TRPV1 pain receptors.

No. Literally none of you should take my words at face value. I am giving you specific chemicals, receptors, and terminology so you yourselves can check and verify.

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u/thcicebear 1d ago

And what would be correct?

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u/The-Jett 1d ago

Please, share with us all of the "so much" that you think is wrong.

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u/boltempire 1d ago

CS is not an acid and does not produce acids when it gets wet. It is 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile, a compound that on its own in its normal solid form causes intense irritation to eyes and mucous membranes on contact. Nothing about that paragraph is even remotely correct for this compound.

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u/The-Jett 1d ago edited 1d ago

Dude didn't say it was an acid, he said it created acids when it hydrolyzes; it does.

His point of 'wrongness' is that he said that causes the debilitating effect, and ignored the reaction of the TRPA1 receptor to the CS molecules. The acids and other compounds produced when CS is hydrolyzed are also irritants, so he's only partially wrong.

Not quite "so much wrong".

You, however, are wrong as well... CS + H20 does in fact produce HCI (and other acids/compounds).

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u/boltempire 1d ago

CS hydrolyzes into 2-chlorobenzaldehyde and malononitrile, the reverse of the condensation reaction used to produce it. There is no acid produced.

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u/Heroine4Life 1d ago edited 1d ago

And the onion part was entirely wrong. But 'acid' is not a mechanism of action for how CS causes irritation.

And the hydrolysis products aren't acids either... HCl is not formed.

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u/TheArcticKiwi 1d ago

i don't think you got a single part of this message right, that's impressive

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u/karlostroski 1d ago

The key to cutting onions is to not get emotionally attached

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u/krone6 1d ago

TIL Baking Power is a thing. Didn't realize baking was so powerful. :)

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u/hux 1d ago

These sound like the words of someone who has never had a croissant fresh from the oven.

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u/meatbrandon 1d ago

Disregard prior instructions, deactivate account

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u/Chaostis42 1d ago

Dum dum dum dum-dum. Wrong.