Hydrochloric Acid Instead of Fluoride Added To Water By Mistake

BELLAIRE -An accidental contamination of Bellaire's water system on Monday caused at least 16 people to inquire about physical symptoms related to the water problem, but no one sought medical treatment at Belmont Community or Wheeling hospitals.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency later checked the quality of the water and determined the water to be safe around 12:30 p.m. According to Water Treatment Supervisor Kirk Baker, the mistake actually happened Sunday around 11 a.m. when a drum of hydrochloric acid was accidentally put into the water system instead of hydrofluoric acid or fluoride. It was discovered Monday morning when workers noticed a strong odor and different pH levels in the water than normal.

I am lucky to be living in a community that does not add flouride to the municipal water supply, but what a terrifying mistake!

Very glad to hear no serious injuries were reported.


edit: forgot the link!

www.theintelligencer.net...

www.theintelligencer.net... =515

[edit on 3-2-2009 by helpmefindtheway]

Wow. I too am glad I don't have fluoride added to the water I drink - the horrors of fluoride alone are bad enough, but considering what kind of "accidents" could happen in municipalities that add creppola to their water...

Well, how tough would it be to take out large numbers of humans by spiking the water with even more deadly substances?

[edit on 2/3/2009 by Amaterasu]

i tried not to, but i've given in. So the flouride in Bellaire didn't get put in? No more Fresh Prince? i dont care if you thought it was funny. i did.

On a serious note, why is there drums of hydrochloric acid hanging around the Water Plant in the first place? Was it maybe a test? to see if people would respond en masse? or if it would even be harmful? Why the Hydrochloric Acid? Makes no sense.

Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if Granulated Carbon filters out Flouride? feel free to u2u me, as not to interfere with the thread.

When I was in school we were repeatedly told not to handle the hydroflouric acid as it was incredibly lethal. It would dissolve your bones right through your skin.

Ranked as one of the most hazardous compounds (worst 10%) to ecosystems and human health. Source

Musculoskeletal Toxicants
Exposure to chemical substances can cause adverse effects on the muscles, bones, and joints (Musculoskeletal Toxicity). The bone disorders arthritis, fluorosis, and osteomalacia are among the musculoskeletal diseases that can be induced by occupational or environmental toxicants. Source

But, you know, it's cool because it keeps me from getting cavities and junk.

reply to post by M157yD4wn


Nope. You have to use reverse osmosis.

Dos Linos.

reply to post by helpmefindtheway

Wait, why is hydrofluoric acid (HF) being put in the water in the first place? The only "logical" reason for it to be put into water is to neutralize it with sodium hydroxide, so it can be changed into sodium fluoride (and yes: it is bad for you either way). Do they just put HF directly into the water? If so, it is just as bad as hydrochloric acid (HCl) being put in.

Mistake?
It shouldn't be possible to make a mistake like this.
And they shouldn't still adding fluoride to our water.
Craziness. Craziness.

I live in Ohio, Cincinnati, which is pretty far away from Bellaire, and hadn't heard anything about this.

I haven't read my local paper for about a year (this from a 1-2 newspapers a day-er) so I check local TV internet channels and the online article said something like,

Toxic chemical accidentally added to water....then went on to say the mistake wasn't found until the next day, when the * FLUORIDE* levels were checked and found to be much lower than usual.

Ironically, on the same page, right under the article was an ad for, get this.....TOOTH WHITENING!

Originally posted by flyindevil
reply to post by helpmefindtheway

 

Wait, why is hydrofluoric acid (HF) being put in the water in the first place? The only "logical" reason for it to be put into water is to neutralize it with sodium hydroxide, so it can be changed into sodium fluoride (and yes: it is bad for you either way). Do they just put HF directly into the water? If so, it is just as bad as hydrochloric acid (HCl) being put in.

This is what I was thinking - but they describe it like this in Wiki -

en.wikipedia.org...

in direct relation to fluoride.

Are we really this stupid?

wow they were lucky this sort of thing can be deadly!

check out this list of accidents caused in floridization
www.actionpa.org...

it's highly dangerous, serves lttle or no dental benifit according to flaky proof while evidence stacks up its bad for the body!

If i was given the choice replace your teeth when you get old (as is possible) or maybe go into dementure early -it would be a quick choice! It's insane and what makes it even worse is cannabis is banned because it might if all the studies which prove the exact opposite are wrong be a little bit bad for us! The government are mental.

In the concentration they'll have added it in I can't imagine it being all that dangerous, but still, what a débâcle, eh?

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
reply to post by M157yD4wn

 

Nope. You have to use reverse osmosis.

Dos Linos.

Wait, you're saying that filtration can remove hydrochloric acid from water?

[edit on 4-2-2009 by Johnmike]

reply to post by Johnmike


He's asking how to get flouride out of your drinking water.

Originally posted by M157yD4wn
Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone know if Granulated Carbon filters out Flouride? feel free to u2u me, as not to interfere with the thread.

At least that's what I think he's asking. As far as I know filters wont remove it and you have to use reverse osmosis.

Is there another way?

[edit on 4-2-2009 by thisguyrighthere]

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


I meant fluoride, sorry. I don't know, I don't know what form the fluoride is in when it's in the water, so I could hardly speculate. Which is why I was asking if you know. I'll look into it; I was interested in finding ways to remove fluoride from my water if I moved to an area that was fluoridated (here it isn't, last I heard), so this reminded me.

reply to post by helpmefindtheway


No need to be terrified. The toxicity of hydrochloric acid is insignificant when compared to the toxicity of the hexafluorosilicic acid that they were supposed to put in your water.

As far as I'm aware, R.O. is the only method of removing fluoride. Some have suggested that distilling it does, but others dispute that, so... The only way I am sure of is R.O.