Microwaved water

[brockw69]

Before my aunt died of cancer, she performed an experiment with geraniums and water boiled using a jug and a microwave. A control plant was used also which was watered with tanked rain water.

1. Control watered with rain water from a poly tank grew with signs of distress.
2. Same water as above only boiled in a jug, allowed to cool then used to water plant 2
3. Same water as for control, only this time it was boiled in a microwave oven, used to water plant 3.

Plant 1 and 2 grew normally, plant 3 showed signs of distress within 2 days and was dead by day 7.

Conclusion: unable to draw a conclusion as the experiment has not been repeated, the death of plant 3 could have been for any number of reasons.

 

If anyone is interested, please repeat the above experiment as I shall do, using a common plant that grows easily in your area.

 

My aunt did it to see if microwaved water is toxic or 'dead' water. She was inspired to do the experiment following radiography for cancer on her liver.

[hypervalent_iodine]

My aunt did it to see if microwaved water is toxic or 'dead' water. She was inspired to do the experiment following radiography for cancer on her liver.

 

 

Not sure what you mean by 'toxic' or 'dead' water. Water that's been in a microwave is still just water. Depending on how much you heat it, you may end up killing some microorganisms. Though if you were using tap water, water-born microorganisms shouldn't be a problem and even if they were, you'd achieve the same thing by boiling it. As you say, the plant could have died for any number of reasons. I am quite sure however, that the reason is not because of any intrinsic difference in the water as a result of it having been in the microwave.

[John Cuthber]

The water molecules in all the samples are continuously emitting and absorbing microwaves naturally.

 

It is difficult to see how this experiment could show any real effect.

[chadn737]

The only thing I can think of really has nothing to do with microwaves. Rather, the possibility that a chemical like BPA was released into the water from a plastic container. However, this seems to me to be completely unlikely as well. I actually conducted experiments growing arabidopsis on BPA-containing plates and you had to have fairly high concentrations to have much of an effect, and even then it was not lethal. I was adding strait up BPA to the media. You would never have such high concentrations from microwaved water, nor would the observed effect be such quick death.

 

I would say its a fluke.

Edited January 29, 2014 by chadn737

[Acme]

Before my aunt died of cancer, she performed an experiment with geraniums and water boiled using a jug and a microwave. A control plant was used also which was watered with tanked rain water.

 

1. Control watered with rain water from a poly tank grew with signs of distress.

2. Same water as above only boiled in a jug, allowed to cool then used to water plant 2

3. Same water as for control, only this time it was boiled in a microwave oven, used to water plant 3.

 

Plant 1 and 2 grew normally, plant 3 showed signs of distress within 2 days and was dead by day 7.

 

Conclusion: unable to draw a conclusion as the experiment has not been repeated, the death of plant 3 could have been for any number of reasons.

 

If anyone is interested, please repeat the above experiment as I shall do, using a common plant that grows easily in your area.

 

My aunt did it to see if microwaved water is toxic or 'dead' water. She was inspired to do the experiment following radiography for cancer on her liver.

We can thank the quacks and con artists who sell 'water energizers' for the concept of 'dead' water. They love no one more than those ill and vulnerable.

 

Here's a listing of dozens of such pseudoscientific bamboozles. Dead Water, Lies or Fiction? >> http://liesorfiction.blogspot.com/

[jmcnell]

Yeah microwaved water is still just H2O with the chance of a few killed microbes. Which wouldn't really even have a pronounced effect on a plants health. Although microogranisms are crucial for root systems they don't really get that via water. It has to be something else.

[brockw69]

Thanks for the replies. I erroneously wrote that plant 1 grew with signs of distress, I meant to say, no distress. I tend to agree that there would hardly be enough radiation in microwaved water to kill a plant, especially a geranium as such a plant could figuratively grow in a pot of crushed concrete and be watered with urine and still grow. I'd say the plants were grown as cuttings and the 3rd plant simply never developed a root system to support it's life.

[Acme]

Thanks for the replies. I erroneously wrote that plant 1 grew with signs of distress, I meant to say, no distress. I tend to agree that there would hardly be enough radiation in microwaved water to kill a plant, especially a geranium as such a plant could figuratively grow in a pot of crushed concrete and be watered with urine and still grow. I'd say the plants were grown as cuttings and the 3rd plant simply never developed a root system to support it's life.

Just to be clear, microwaving adds no 'radiation' to anything if by that you mean 'radioactivity'.

[chadn737]

Thanks for the replies. I erroneously wrote that plant 1 grew with signs of distress, I meant to say, no distress. I tend to agree that there would hardly be enough radiation in microwaved water to kill a plant, especially a geranium as such a plant could figuratively grow in a pot of crushed concrete and be watered with urine and still grow. I'd say the plants were grown as cuttings and the 3rd plant simply never developed a root system to support it's life.

 

Helpful information that last bit.....

[Sensei]

Conclusion: unable to draw a conclusion as the experiment has not been repeated, the death of plant 3 could have been for any number of reasons.

 

Repeating multiple times the same experiment is essential.

 

Just yesterday I received shocking results that were quite senseless.

And after repeating experiment, I found where error in measuring apparatus happened.

 

Does water always was from the same source?

 

Is it water from waterpipe?

 

They can have additional small amount of Chlorine in gas form

Cl₂ + H₂O -> HClO + HCl

or others NaOCl, Ca(OCl)2, CaClOCl, or Chloramine.

 

If water was not perfectly clear, after heating it, there could be additional reactions between Chlorine and other molecules present in dirty water, or container.

 

Water was heated in plastic, metal or glass cup?

 

I suppose so aunt was waiting until water has at least room temperature before giving it to plant?

That's quite essential question.

Temperature of water that we can stand putting hand inside, plant might not tolerate.

[dimreepr]

The best explanation, I’ve seen, of how microwaves interact with water can be found in this thread:
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/77489-how-dangerous-are-microwaves/page-2

 

Particularly the last post.

Edited February 1, 2014 by dimreepr