/oss/taxonomy/term/1286/all en /oss/article/medical-you-asked/go-goggles-risks-opening-your-eyes-underwater <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em> <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-facts-and-fiction-of-physiological-phenomena-volume-ii/"><em>The Skeptical Inquirer.</em></a></p> <hr /> <p>If you’ve ever forgotten your goggles and decided to make like a fish and open your eyes underwater, you may have been putting yourself at greater risk than you realize. Indeed, opening your eyes underwater increases the risk of a few types of eye irritation and damage.</p> Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9690 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history/vinyl-chloride-and-ohio-train-derailment <p>The recent Ohio train derailment and subsequent fire that released vinyl chloride into the environment has been a terrifying experience for the nearby population. The accident rekindles memories of the 1979 train accident in Mississauga, Ontario, when over 200,000 people had to be evacuated after a wheel bearing overheated and caused a propane tanker to burst into flames. The fear was that a car close to the fire and loaded with liquid chlorine would overheat, vapourize the chlorine and cause an explosion.</p> Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:01:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9395 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/why-should-cleaning-products-contain-ammonia-not-be-mixed-hypochlorite-bleach <p>When hypochlorite-containing bleach is mixed with ammonia containing products, such as window cleaners, chloramine gas is formed. And even though chloramine is slightly less damaging than chlorine, it still is hazardous. Fumes can cause immediate watering and burning of the eyes, a runny nose, sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Inhaling too much chlorine or chloramine can lead to chemical pneumonia.</p> Thu, 29 Nov 2018 17:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7466 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/peeing-pool <p>You know those stories about some sort of chemical being added to swimming pool water that changes colour if someone uses the pool as a pee pot? Well, they are not true. There is no such chemical. But what is true, is that people pee in the water. The average person will leave behind about 50 Ml, which doesn’t sound too appetizing when we consider that every time you swallow a bit of pool water you are dosing yourself with some pee from all the other people in the pool.</p> Mon, 27 Mar 2017 18:38:29 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 2372 at /oss /oss/article/news-quackery/only-magic-out-there-stage <p style="text-align:justify">Magical Mystery Cures" with Bob McDonald on "Doc Zone," the excellent CBC program looked at the 'anti-aging" industry. We were treated to a spectacular array of quacks outdoing each other with nonsense piled on nonsense. Bob did an excellent job going to anti-aging trade shows, exposing the various types of snake oil they peddle although he should have been more confrontational with the quacks.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">One promoter of Kangen water, dressed in a white lab coat bearing a symbol very similar to the symbol of snakes wrapped around a staff used by the medical profession, had the gall to state that the water cures cancer. His gibberish filled spiel about fractured water clusters was absurd beyond belief. He was matched by the quack who was peddling an "ionic" foot bath, described below, claiming that the rust generated by the hidden electrodes were toxins being removed from the liver, and the clumps of brown guck were pesticide residues being eliminated. Bob did the right thing and showed that the same thing happens without feet being placed in the water, but unfortunately he didn't do it in front of the quack. Would have loved to see the charlatan's face and hear what explanation he would have come up with.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">And then there was the woman who had some crystals attached to a laptop and muttered incomprehensible claptrap about quantum physics and had the nerve (or mental deficiency) to refer to Superman's success with crystals. Bob properly castigated the quacks with their lotions, potions and useless electronic gizmos and concluded that the only real anti-aging regimes were exercise, eating right and selecting one's parents properly. He should have added that the charlatans taking advantage of people who lack the scientific knowledge to see through their absurd schemes should be jailed like the thieves that they are.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Let's elaborate on the foot bath scheme  mentioned above. The victim of this scheme is told that the special electrically-powered footbath can remove toxins from the body and improve health. And there is proof. As the subject sits with his or her feet in the bath, a rust colored scum forms, supposedly the accumulated toxins being released from the body.</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/11/12/the-only-magic-out-there-is-on-a-stage">Read more</a></p> Tue, 12 Nov 2013 19:15:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2033 at /oss