Why is H2O(Water)perfectly safe but H2O2(Hydrogen Peroxide)extremely toxic?
In: 0
The extra oxygen molecule in H2O2 will leave the H2O bond and bind to other molecules- this creates oxidation in the body by which damages those molecules. Kinda like adding too much water to hot cocoa…ruining the taste.
Pure O2 to breathe is actually poisonous for long term for that very reason. https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-does-breathing-pure-oxygen-kill-you/
H2O is a VERY stable molecule, actually astoundingly so. H2O2, however, is not very stable. The extra oxygen breaks away from the molecule easily and reacts with nearby molecules, oxidizing them. This can cause the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species [species=molecule in this case], or ROS, in your body. If you’ve ever heard people talking about anti-oxidants, this is what the prevent: the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species. Interestingly, breathing a pure oxygen environment can, over a long period of time, cause the formation of the same ROS!
As a fun fact, your H2O2 is so reactive that your cells actually use it to destroy waste products and other dangerous molecules they don’t want. However, the peroxide is dangerous to the cell and has to be tightly controlled ,it is kept in a special organelles called the peroxisome.
H2O2 is not very stable and quickly breaks down into H2O and a free O radical. This O is like a supervillain, it wants to hind to things so badly that it will force it’s way into other molecules, often damaging them. The end result is oxidation, and just like steel oxidises and turns to rust, your body doesn’t like being oxidised at all. As you age, some molecules will naturally oxidise, but too many free O’s can accelerate that process. That’s why you see so many ads for antioxidant this or that: they contain stuff that can capture the O’s before they can cause too much damage to your body and make you look wrinkly for example
The good side of H2O2 is that the O’s don’t care what they oxidise, so putting it on a contaminated surface allows the O to destroy bad bacteria for example, therefore cleaning it for us.
Latest Answers