Questions tagged [chemistry]

The science of matter and the changes it can undergo.

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Will storing plastic water containers on concrete cause contamination?

Several preppers make the claim that storing plastic containers with water on concrete floors is bad because chemicals from the floor can leak into the plastic and then end up in the water. Here are ...
John Doe's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
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Can a dead mouse sealed in a can of soda dissolve into a jelly-like substance in one year?

A soft-drink company argued in a "dead mouse in a can of soda" case that an intact body of a dead mouse is unlikely to be found inside a can of soda because the dead mouse would have been dissolved by ...
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10 votes
0 answers
282 views

Do vacuum wine stoppers help preserve wine?

Vacuum wine stoppers are very popular, but I don't know how effective they actually are. I've been unable to find any scientific results. I have found plenty of people who have bought the products and ...
golmschenk's user avatar
8 votes
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320 views

Do covered [drinking water] reservoirs cause health risks compared to open-air reservoirs?

Bull Run Waiver.org is a political group opposed to covering drinking water reservoirs in Portland, Oregon. They making a number of claims that closed reservoirs introduce greater health risks than ...
Evan Siroky's user avatar
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Does baking soda eliminate a cockroach infestation?

My questions concerns a population, more significant than simply exterminating an individual cockroach. Claim: http://pest.tips.net/T003494_Kill_Roaches_with_Baking_Soda_and_Sugar.html If you're ...
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8 votes
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1k views

Would baking soda and vinegar clean hair, and how?

There's a popular hair cleaning regime circulating in the 'green' blogs called the "no 'poo method." Rather than using shampoo, one rinses the hair with a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water, ...
Maia's user avatar
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8 votes
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Do the water filters in Pure & Clear filters work?

Dr Mercola advertises Pure & Clear Filters: Pure & Clear filters use a “selective filtration” process rather than a mechanical one for a couple of very important reasons. This advanced ...
Jack's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
670 views

Does wetting your toothbrush have health effects?

Today I read a tweet from @Funny_Truth: "Don't wet your toothbrush after you put toothpaste. Water will reduce the healthy benefits of toothpaste." Is it true? If it is what does actually ...
Four Seasons's user avatar
7 votes
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721 views

Are angel food cakes cooked in tube pans because they need support?

According to Cooks Illustrated: There’s a good reason angel food and chiffon cakes are always baked in tube pans, and it’s not just aesthetics. These specialty vessels actually help delicate cakes ...
user's user avatar
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6 votes
0 answers
217 views

Does commercially-produced cotton cloth contain unhealthy chemicals that cause fertility problems?

The article Czy Twoje ubrania Cię trują? "Wchłaniamy chemię przez skórę. Stąd np. problemy z płodnością" (Do your clothes poison you? "We absorb chemicals through the skin, hence, for example, ...
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Is water with extra oxygen tastier, healthier, or otherwise desirable for humans?

In Japan, it is apparently common to add oxygen to bottled water. But this isn't standard H20. It's a new mix containing 12 to 15 times as much oxygen as regular water. (...) "It's totally ...
gerrit's user avatar
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Is Paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) in cosmetics dangerous?

Paraffinum liquidum can be found in a lot of cosmetic products. Some articles say it is harmless but the other half said it causes harmful effects such as the premature aging of the skin. Examples of ...
Adam Arold's user avatar
5 votes
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Did (someone in) Turkey ship 16 tons of "explosive materials" to Hamas, disguised as gypsum?

FDD: Israeli customs authorities revealed on September 14 [2023] that their agents intercepted 16 tons of explosive material on its way from Turkey to the Gaza Strip in July. [...] According to the ...
the gods from engineering's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
539 views

Does fluoridation and chlorination in the US cause thyroid issues?

From an answer in Travel.SE with a net score of 10: Mains water is typically laced with chlorine and fluoride by law, to the point that you step out of the shower smelling [like] you just stepped ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
4 votes
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Is biochemical transmutations of elements possible?

According to a recent press conference Russian scientists have made a breakthrough so astounding it could change the universe as we know it in fundamental ways. The essence of this discovery and ...
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Does "liquid-injection damp-proofing" work to water-proof walls?

There are technologies for sale, especially in Germany, to drill holes in the walls of a cellar, and inject into the concrete or masonry a liquid, such as Sodium Silicate The manufacturers promise ...
Jonas Stein's user avatar
4 votes
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741 views

Is typical indoor concentration of VOC correlated to concentration of CO₂?

A vendor of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) sensor claims the VOC concentration correlates highly to CO₂ concentration in a typical conference room: Figure 2 illustrates the correlation of true CO₂ ...
Suma's user avatar
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3 votes
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Is there any scientific basis to this "catalytic converter" to treat hard water?

I came across this product called Softer Water Conditioners. It includes a lot of scientific sounding mumbo-jumbo to explain how it works, which raises my skepticism. Is there any scientific basis to ...
Masked Man's user avatar
3 votes
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250 views

Are the chemical compounds BPA, BPS and BPF harmful to humans?

According to the following article by Time, and the study that it cites, several compounds of the chemical bisphenol - used in commonly-handled products like shopping receipts and plastic containers ...
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569 views

Are bleaching powders effective cleaning agents?

The claim from the manufacturer: Have you seen a stain on your clothes that you can't seem to remove? Don't fear! Vanish Oxi Action Powder contains Oxi Powerlift which removes all types of stains, ...
Jack's user avatar
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2 votes
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Will plant-life on Earth end due to too little CO2?

According to a 2013 Daily Mail article : greater evaporation and chemical reactions with rainwater will take away more and more carbon dioxide. In less than a billion years, its levels will be too ...
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Is vinegar dangerous for dishwashers?

This post claims that putting vinegar in rinse aid reservoir of a dishwasher leads to damage (similar claims can be found here and here): on newer dishwashers, the rinse aid compartments have ...
Dmitry Grigoryev's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
1k views

Does chlorine in water harm soil bacteria?

This article claims that both chlorine, and chloramine, which are added to many municipal water supplies to kill harmful bacteria, can also harm the good bacteria in soil, necessary for a healthy ...
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2 votes
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233 views

Are plastics making us fat and giving us diabetes?

A recent widely reported news story (example report from the Independent) suggested that one explanation for the modern rise in obesity was not too much food or two little exercise but many of ...
matt_black's user avatar
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