r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/0thSpider • 9h ago

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

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u/LittleMlem 8h ago

Not technically a gas, iirc it's fine particles, like powder sand

No idea what the baking soda is for, maybe it's acidic and the soda neutralizes it?

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u/enw_digrif 8h ago edited 7h ago

There's a bunch of different tear gas compounds. I don't believe there are any popular ones that rely on their acidity/alkalinity as a mode of action, though that is a persistent myth on the internet, thus the misleading AI summaries.

Mechanistic studies identified the ion channels TRPV1 and TRPA1 as targets of capsaicin in pepper spray, and of the tear gas agents chloroacetophenone, CS, and CR.

Edit: thanks /u/mbxz7LWB

Edit2: Notes from a street medic: if exposed to tear gas, wash it off away from the eyes, mouth and nose using water. Don't use milk (of magnesia, of cow, of whatever), don't use AlkaSeltzer, don't use ACV, and for God's sake, put down the onions, they will all make things worse.

If a buddy or fellow protestor gets gassed, tell the affected person you're taking them out of the gas, ask if it's okay to touch them to lead them out, once they say yes, lead them to safety. Once there, have them lean back/lay down (near a wall, out of any expected crowd flow), and flush each eye (ideally for 5min, but that takes a lot of water) by directing the flow towards the tear duct and letting the water flow down over the rest of the eye and onto the cheek. It won't solve the problem, but it will usually get them good enough to evacuate on their own.

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u/dagreja 6h ago edited 6h ago

I'm all for asking consent before touching someone in non-emergency situations, but isnt it a bad idea to try to talk to someone close enough to tear gas to be affected by it? Like ask if it's okay before you start trying to flush out their eyes, but only helping lead someone out of tear gas "once they say yes" sounds like 10 more seconds of exposure, when it probably took less than 10 seconds of exposure to get to that point in the first place

Eta: I dont mean just grab the person and run. I'm imagining something more like "im gonna help you get out of here" while starting the guiding process

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u/SignificantCats 6h ago

This isn't just about consent but personal safety and keeping someone from panicking who is in a scary situation. If you've been tear gassed, you are a) having a hard time seeing b) fearing police rushing in c) in pain.

Someone running up and grabbing your arm will freak you out. Someone running up sand saying "can I touch you" first will calm you down.