Heavy Water
Since the first experiments of H.L. Crespi and H.F. Daboll in 1940-ies till late 1990-ies established sustainable idea that heavy water is incompatible with life and that high concentrations of heavy water can lead to inhibition of many vital mutations, including the blocking of mitosis at the stage of prophase, and in some cases can even cause spontaneous mutations..
Heavy water inhibits vital functions of growth and development of many microorganisms [1]. Some bacteria can stand 70% and higher concentration of heavy water in the environment [2], whereas plant cells can develop normally in concentrations of heavy water no more than 50-75% [3] and animal cells - not more than 35% of heavy water [4]. However, subsequently it was shown that despite biostatic effect of heavy water in the cell, many cells of bacteria, plants and animals can be adapted to heavy water.
Survival of various organisms in the water with different deuterium concentrations
Obviously heavy water plays an important role in various biological processes; however the systematic study of its effects on animals and plants was started relatively recently.
Experimental dogs, rats and mice drank water, one third of which was replaced with heavy water. After a short time began dysbolism of animals, the kidney destroyed. Animals died if the proportion of heavy water increased.
Heavy water has a depressing effect on development of higher plants; if they pour with water half consisting of heavy water, the growth stops. Pouring of tomato seedlings with water containing 30, 50 and 60% heavy water inhibits plant growth.
Tomato seedlings: 30, 50 and 60% heavy water inhibits plant growth [2]
Serious changes in the biochemistry of cell are connected with its ability for division in the presence of heavy water. Heavy water slows the rate of cell division (mitosis) in the prophase stage, and this effect is particularly pronounced for the rapidly dividing cells. This effect is proportional to the concentration of heavy water in the environment [3].
In the process of cell growth on heavy water inside cells are synthesized macromolecules, in which the hydrogen atoms in the carbon skeleton are completely replaced by deuterium. Such deuterated macromolecules undergo adaptive modifications necessary for normal functioning of cells in heavy water. Their activity and biological properties may be quite different than their corresponding protonated analogues. But these changes are not unique; physiology, morphology, cytology as well as the genetic apparatus of cells also getting affected in heavy water and undergo modifications.
The ability to adapt to the heavy water for various genera and species of bacteria are different and can vary within a taxonomic group [4]. Adaptation to heavy water is defined by the taxonomic specificity of organisms and features of their metabolism, the functioning of various pathways of assimilation of substrates as well as the evolution level of the studied object. At the same time lower the level of evolutionary development of the organism, the better it adapts to the presence of deuterium in the medium. For all organisms, the growth in heavy water was accompanied by decrease in growth characteristics [5-8], and besides adapted to the heavy water cells retain the capacity for growth and biosynthesis in heavy-hydrogen environment.
The most characteristic isotope effects of heavy water in living organisms are [9]:
- inhibition of vital processes (biochemical processes, physiological reactions);
- morphological, cytological changes;
- increasing duration of the periods of biological rhythms;
- changing acting nature of pharmaceutical products;
- changes in the characteristics of excitable membranes;
- inhibition of the contractility process of muscles;
- change in resistance to some external physical factors (UV, X-ray irradiation);
- increased resistance to influence (effects) of hydrostatic pressure and temperature.
An important feature of the isotope effects of heavy water as a solvent is fast exposure of its effect and the reversibility of the observed phenomena. The rate of catalytic (enzymatic) reactions, which play a crucial role in the normal life of the organism, in heavy water are up to 6 times slower than in the light water.
By chemical properties deuterium atom is identical to light hydrogen atom and when ingested can replace him in all vital compounds, including in RNA and DNA chains. This may lead to an increase in the number of genetic defects during cell division and disrupt the work of finely tuned body systems, because biologically this substitution is not equivalent.
The heavy water content in the freshwater sources is usually about 330 mg/L (calculated for HDO molecules), and the content of heavy oxygen water (H2 17O and H2 18O) is about 2 grams / liter. Unfortunately, the biological effects of heavy-oxygen water were obviously studied not enough. Based on several studies, at present it is accepted that by its properties it occupies an intermediate position between heavy and light water.
What’s the behavior of higher organisms, if they drink “light” water? The answer to this question gave the study of Academician V.I. Badin et al. “Investigation of the behavior of water with negative isotopic shift of deuterium in the body of calves” [10]. Scientists have measured the dynamics of reducing the amount of deuterium in the body of 4-month old calves, which are watered with low deuterium containing water.
Here are the conclusions from this study:
- the isotopic composition of water in urine changed;
- concentration of calcium in the urine is reduced;
- registered the reduction of Ca, Mg and Cd in the hairline;
- there was an increase in the concentration of creatinine in urine and blood serum, while maintaining the concentration ratio of blood / urine;
- calves, fed with depleted deuterium water, exhibited more agility and high mobility, compared to the normal calves.
In other similar experiments [11] it was shown that if animals receive water with 25% decreased deuterium content (from natural level) then it was beneficial to their development: the pigs, rats and mice gave offspring in higher numbers and with larger size than usually they do, chicken laid eggs twice more from their average.
Not surprisingly there were a number of suggestions in favor of complete withdrawal of deuterium from the consumption waters. This would lead to higher rates of metabolic processes in the human body, and, consequently, to increase his physical and intellectual activity. But soon it raised some fear that full exemption of deuterium from the water would reduce the overall length of human life. It is known that our body is almost 70% of water and in this water 0,015% is deuterium.In quantitative content (in atomic percents), it occupies 12-th place among the chemical elements that make up the human body. In this regard it should be classified as from series of micronutrients. From this point of view deuterium immediately gets the first place: the content of trace elements as copper, iron, zinc, molybdenum, manganese in the body is tens or hundreds of times smaller than the content of deuterium. So what can happen if we delete all of deuterium?
To this question science has yet to give the answer. In the meantime, there is no doubt that by changing the quantity of deuterium in plant or animal organism, we can speed up or slow down the vital processes.
However, until we didn’t accumulated primary information in the field of deuterium toxicology, to explore its effect on humans must be done very carefully. As a first step in the practical use of deuterium depleted water can be considered use of it in the diet for staff in the heavy water production plants (see more in [12]).
1. Crespi H.L. Biosynthesis and uses of per-deuterated proteins. in: Synt. and Appl. of Isot. Label. Compd. // Ed. R. R. Muccino. - Elsevier. - Amsterdam, 1986 - P. 111-112.
2. Katz J.J., Crespi H.L. // Pure Appl. Chem. - 1972. - V.32. - P. 221-250.
3. Daboll H. F., Crespi H. L., Katz J. J. // Biotechnology and Bioengineering. - 1962. - V. 4. - P. 281-297.
4. Мосин О. В., Карнаухова Е. Н., Пшеничникова А. Б., Складнев Д. А., Акимова О. Л. // Биотехнология. - 1993. - N 9. - С. 16-20.
5. Мосин О. В., Складнев Д. А., Егорова Т. А., Юркевич А. М., Швец В. И. // Биотехнология. - 1996. - N 3. - С. 3-12.
6. Мосин О. В., Складнев Д. А., Егорова Т. А., Юркевич А. М., Швец В. И. // Биотехнология. - 1996. - N 4. - С. 27-35.
7. Складнев Д. А., Мосин О. В., Егорова Т. А., Ерёмин С. В., Швец В. И. // Биотехнология. - 1996. - N 5. - С. 25-34.
8. Мосин О. В., Складнев Д. А., Егорова Т. А., Швец В. И. // Биоорганическая химия. - 1996. - Т. 22. - N 10-11. - С. 856-869.
10. Бадьин В. И., Дробышевский Ю. В. и др. “Исследование поведения воды с отрицательным изотопическим сдвигом дейтерия в организме телят” в Отчете о НИР «Разработка препарата и способа его получения для стимуляции жизнедеятельности организма», Фирма «Мед-Чернобыль», 1993 г.
This water is the Life Angel
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