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Personal care products disrupt the human oxidation field

(www.science.org)
204 points XzetaU8 | 9 comments | 29 Jun 25 17:20 UTC | HN request time: 0.004s | source | bottom
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peanut_merchant ◴[29 Jun 25 17:51 UTC] No.44414951[source]▶
Not well versed in the field, what are the basic implications of this for health?
replies(3): >>44414976 #>>44415003 #>>44415304 #
PaulHoule ◴[29 Jun 25 17:58 UTC] No.44415003[source]▶
In the 1970s there was a lot of talk about ‘healthful negative ions’ and a fad for negative ion generators even though many of those also generated hazardous ozone.

Hydroxyl ions are a significant kind of negative ion in the atmosphere and they’re known to be good because they react with and clean out pollutants like methane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxyl_radical

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144358/detergent-li...

replies(3): >>44415174 #>>44415293 #>>44415452 #
1. thaumasiotes ◴[29 Jun 25 18:22 UTC] No.44415174[source]▶
How can something be a negative ion generator without simultaneously being a positive ion generator?
replies(2): >>44415219 #>>44417733 #
2. giantg2 ◴[29 Jun 25 18:28 UTC] No.44415219[source]▶
.
replies(1): >>44415296 #
3. rpnx ◴[29 Jun 25 18:37 UTC] No.44415296[source]▶
That isn't how chemistry works.
replies(1): >>44415457 #
4. wizzwizz4 ◴[29 Jun 25 19:04 UTC] No.44415457{3}[source]▶
Isosaccharinic acid has the same chemical formula (C6H12O6) as glucose, which isn't acidic. However, they both have the same net charge.
replies(1): >>44415516 #
5. xvedejas ◴[29 Jun 25 19:12 UTC] No.44415516{4}[source]▶
When something is an acid, it dissociates into both a positive ion H+ and negative ion (rest of the molecule)

HA ⇌ H+ + A-

6. gsf_emergency_2 ◴[29 Jun 25 23:52 UTC] No.44417733[source]▶
You're right but a lot of times the positive ion is far less reactive and/or more massive than the negative ion. Not so much for OH-. Charge is not the only thing that matters.
replies(1): >>44418738 #
7. thaumasiotes ◴[30 Jun 25 02:43 UTC] No.44418738[source]▶
Well, in a similar way to how you can't generate a negative ion without simultaneously generating a positive ion... how do you use the negative ion in a reaction without simultaneously using the associated positive ion in the same reaction?
replies(1): >>44421398 #
8. gsf_emergency_2 ◴[30 Jun 25 10:01 UTC] No.44421398{3}[source]▶
Here's one way

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion-exchange_membrane

Another, that you might be interested in, but it's more confusing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton-exchange_membrane

replies(1): >>44422258 #
9. gsf_emergency_2 ◴[30 Jun 25 12:07 UTC] No.44422258{4}[source]▶
See the figure

https://www.fuelcellstore.com/introduction-ion-exchange-memb...

Each ion of salt participates in a different reaction