Dangers of Ubiquitous Chemical Exposed By '60 Minutes'

04.01.06 'Special' Edition: Once, no one took the DHMO threat seriously. While great precautions were made to keep the chemical out of avgas and Jet A -- after all, it's noted for its corrosive properties  -- DHMO was widely used as a solvent. For many years it was believed that it was less damaging, for example to plexiglas windscreens, than ammonia or other solvents.

Nowadays, this simple but deadly molecule has insinuated itself into nearly everything on earth. It's found in the air almost everywhere, and in every ocean. When it snows in Antarctica, DHMO is there. And for ages, no one worried about it.

Mechanics used to wash their hands in it, blissfully unaware of DHMO's deadly properties. Laboratory tests have confirmed what environmental activists have long suspected -- you can die simply from inhaling the stuff. Prolonged topical exposure wrinkles and peels the skin. So the EPA has hit airfields as a first step towards a general ban on the substance some time in the future.

The amelioration measures, such as impermeable containment barriers and special DHMO-safe shop vacuum cleaners, will cost millions. "I'm not concerned about that," said Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) Stephen L. Johnson.

"If it saves even one life it will be worth it."

AOPA and the other membership organizations vowed to fight what they called "burdensome over-regulation."

AOPA's Phil Boyer said, "Our pilots fly complicated machinery every day, and they've been dealing with the problem for years without such drastic measures. DHMO is nothing new to us. Heck, seventy years ago Charles Lindbergh had to deal with DHMO, too, and he lived to die in bed after a long life."

DHMO, Dihydrogen monoxide, sounds like something out of Star Trek, but is produced by natural as well as industrial processes. Despite that, it is such a remarkable solvent that many containers can't hold it, and trying to get control of all quantities of it on a busy airfield is nearly impossible.

The DHMO hazard was the subject of a shocking expose on the CBS-TV news magazine "60 Minutes" Sunday night. While critics have questioned the authenticity of some documents used in the heavily-promoted segment, CBS stands behind the documents. The show got its highest ratings in years, which CBS insiders credit to the return of dynamic producer Mary Mapes.

EPA spokesmen denied that the CBS documentary influenced their Emergency Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

"Actually, we thought it was phonier than wrestling. But we can't resist the opportunity to ban something, especially something useful. I mean, why else join the EPA?" 

"You should be grateful," an EPA chemist, who asked not to be named, told Aero-News.

"This is the worst stuff ever to have around airplanes. It causes corrosion, it promotes carb icing, and if it gets in your fuel, forget about it -- it's curtains. It can fog your windows, or make it impossible for you to see anything. You guys worry about carbon monoxide, but there have probably been more pilots killed by DHMO than all other chemical hazards combined. And to add insult to injury the accidents are usually reported as pilot error."

FMI: www.DHMO.org, www.waterbyanyothername.org