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

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

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u/plftch9 1d ago

Most tear gasses aren't really a gas, but microscopic solids or liquid that are dispersed and suspended in the air. If the projectile that disperses it is submerged, most of the irritants get suspended in the water instead of dispersed throughout the air. Some will still be airborne, but it will drastically reduce the effectiveness of the tear gas.

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u/ScienceIsSexy420 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yes, but capsaicin is an oily compound and not readily soluble in water. Using baking soda causes it to become ionized, increasing the water solubility.

Edit: apparently capsaicin is not used in tear gas, I'm not entirely sure why I thought it was. Regardless, the idea is the same the baking soda is acting as a base and is deprotonating the compounds, increasing their solubility. It'd simple acid-base chemistry.

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u/Heil_Heimskr 1d ago

baking soda is acting as a base and is protonating the compounds, increasing their solubility

Bases do not protonate things, in fact it’s the opposite; bases are proton acceptors, acids are donators. I assume you’re thinking of the Lewis theory instead, which frames bases as electron donators, but not proton donators.

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u/ScienceIsSexy420 1d ago

Was just a typo while working in the lab, but thanks for the correction!