Buong transkripsyon ng Breaking Bad: Could Hydrofluoric Acid Really Dissolve a Human Body?

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.379 --> 00:00:06.179 We're heading back to Breaking Bad. One of the most 2 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.609 memorable scenes in Breaking Bad involved Jesse Pinkman, a bathtub, 3 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:14.150 and a spectacular misunderstanding of chemistry. Walter Wright has instructed 4 00:00:14.210 --> 00:00:17.089 Jesse to use hydrofluoric acid to dispose of a body. 5 00:00:17.170 --> 00:00:20.329 Jesse ignores the warning about choosing an appropriate container and 6 00:00:20.410 --> 00:00:25.469 uses an upstairs bathroom instead, or bathtub. Later, the ceiling collapses, 7 00:00:25.510 --> 00:00:28.870 sending a grotesque mixture of debris and biological material crashing 8 00:00:28.890 --> 00:00:33.890 into the hallway below. It's horrifying, dark, comedic, and apparently 9 00:00:33.909 --> 00:00:39.340 a demonstration of hydrofluoric acid's incredible power. But how much 10 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:43.640 of it is actually true or scientifically accurate? First, hydrofluoric 11 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:47.280 acid is a generally dangerous chemical. However, the danger comes 12 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:50.380 from some unusual properties that distinguish it from more familiar acids. 13 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:53.329 Most people associate the acid's strength with how aggressively a 14 00:00:53.350 --> 00:00:57.369 substance damages tissue. But in chemistry, acid strength describes how 15 00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:02.229 readily an acid releases hydrogen ions in solutions. Hydrofluoric acid 16 00:01:02.270 --> 00:01:04.609 is technically classified as a weak acid because it is 17 00:01:04.670 --> 00:01:08.349 not completely disassociated in water. Now, it doesn't make it 18 00:01:08.409 --> 00:01:12.159 safe either. Unlike many other corrosive substances, hydrofluoric acid can 19 00:01:12.189 --> 00:01:16.680 penetrate deeply into tissue. Fluoride ions can interfere with essential 20 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:21.739 biological processes, including those involving calcium and magnesium. This can 21 00:01:21.780 --> 00:01:26.079 produce several local injuries and serious exposures, potentially fatal disturbances. 22 00:01:27.030 --> 00:01:31.489 A person exposed to hydrofluoric acid may initially experience surprisingly 23 00:01:31.510 --> 00:01:36.000 little pain depending on the concentration and circumstances. What about 24 00:01:36.030 --> 00:01:40.219 dissolving an entire human body? Human tissue is not a 25 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:45.060 uniform substance. It contains water, proteins, lipids, connective tissue, and 26 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:49.400 mineralized structures such as bones and teeth. Different chemicals interact 27 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:53.930 with these components in different ways. Hydrofluoric acid can cause 28 00:01:53.950 --> 00:01:57.950 severe cancer. tissue destruction, but the rapid, nearly complete disappearance 29 00:01:57.989 --> 00:02:01.469 of a body is not a realistic representation of the 30 00:02:01.510 --> 00:02:05.530 chemical behavior. How about the matter of the bathtub? Hydrofluoric 31 00:02:05.609 --> 00:02:09.300 acid is famous for attacking glass and certain silica-containing materials. 32 00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:12.639 This is one reason it requires specialized handling in industrial 33 00:02:12.659 --> 00:02:16.780 and lab environments. However, a household bathtub is not necessarily 34 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:20.199 made from the same materials as lab glass. Bathtubs may 35 00:02:20.259 --> 00:02:25.539 contain acrylic, fiberglass composites, porcelain, or other materials. The show's 36 00:02:25.580 --> 00:02:29.080 dramatic destruction of the bathtub and supporting floor, therefore, cannot 37 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:32.500 be explained simply by saying that hydrofluoric acid dissolves everything. 38 00:02:33.379 --> 00:02:36.379 The chemical is highly selective in its reactions, and that's 39 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:39.659 what makes this scene such an interesting example of Hollywood chemistry. 40 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:44.569 The writers correctly identified a substance with unusually dangerous toxicological properties, 41 00:02:45.310 --> 00:02:48.349 but exaggerated the ability to rapidly destroy large amounts of 42 00:02:48.409 --> 00:02:54.060 biological and structural material. There are also limitations to evaluating 43 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:57.939 the scene. The fictional chemical concentration, exposure, and construction materials 44 00:02:57.990 --> 00:03:02.509 are not established precisely enough to reconstruct the event. The 45 00:03:02.550 --> 00:03:06.729 broader scientific conclusion is clear, though. Hydrofluoric acid is very, 46 00:03:06.810 --> 00:03:09.330 very hazardous, but not because it behaves like a universal 47 00:03:09.389 --> 00:03:14.349 solvent capable of dissolving everything. Its most frightening properties involve 48 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:18.379 its ability to penetrate tissue and disrupt essential biochemical processes. 49 00:03:19.819 --> 00:03:22.120 The real chemistry could be more disturbing than the fictions.