The most searched! This "pet" that is popular among children is very dangerous →

Review expert: Peng Guoqiu, deputy chief physician of the Fourth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army

If you see a child acting mysteriously recently, hiding a bottle and refusing to let you snatch it, you'd better not snatch it, because the chances are that they are holding the most popular "liquid pet" - stinky water .

An alternative hobby of raising stinky water has quietly emerged among primary and secondary school students recently. The so-called raising stinky water is to mix cockroaches, stinky tofu, rotten vegetable leaves, saliva, raw pork... all kinds of disgusting ingredients into liquid, put it in a plastic bottle to ferment, and wait for the bottle to explode, and the filthy liquid will spray directly onto the ceiling of the classroom, stinking to the sky.

Image source: social platform

On social media platforms, searching for "stinky water recipe" will bring up a large number of "secret sharing" with childish handwriting describing all kinds of bizarre raw material ratios, with no worst, only worse. Some even conducted in-depth "academic" analysis of the loudness, smell, and speed of the recipe "explosion", and the uploaded pictures are enough to make you swear at a glance.

Image source: Screenshot of Weibo hot search

The issue of smelly water has also attracted widespread attention. People are increasingly worried about the health and safety risks behind it, and related topics have even topped the Weibo hot search list.

Why do stinky water bottles explode?

The reason why the stinky water bottle explodes is closely related to fermentation. Fermentation is the process of using microorganisms to mass produce or accumulate biological cells, enzymes and metabolites under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, and converting raw materials into products needed by humans through specific metabolic pathways.

The children put various organic substances that are easy to ferment, such as fruit peels, meat, starch, etc., into bottles and added appropriate amounts of water. When these organic substances meet microorganisms including yeast, and at a suitable temperature, the bacteria will multiply rapidly and begin to decompose substances such as protein, fat and sugar in the organic substances . In this process, a large amount of corruption gas will be produced, such as carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

Image source: social platform

Image source: social platform

When these gases are in a sealed environment such as a plastic bottle, they have nowhere to escape, which will cause the pressure inside the container to gradually rise. When the pressure accumulates to a certain critical point, the container can no longer withstand it and will naturally explode (and splash all over your walls, floor, and even ceiling...).

In addition to the physical damage that may be caused by the explosion, the corrupt gases produced during the fermentation process, including various harmful substances such as hydrogen sulfide, not only have a bad smell, but may also have a certain impact on human health.

The odorous water explosion is very harmful

Tan Xingyu, deputy chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Peking University People's Hospital, said that there are a large number of microorganisms, including bacteria, in the smelly water. Once an explosion occurs, "droplets" will be formed. If they enter the respiratory tract with air flow, they will cause respiratory tract infection, and in severe cases may induce pneumonia.

In addition, if the smelly water accidentally splashes into the eyes and contacts the mucous membrane, it will also cause local infection. If it is swallowed by mistake, it will cause intestinal infection.

Some formulas circulating online contain raw materials such as rats and cockroaches. These raw materials come from animals and may contain a large number of bacteria. The droplets formed after the explosion may also induce asthma.

If you accidentally come into contact with smelly water, you should first clean the skin surface, then disinfect it with alcohol, etc. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital for medical treatment.

Change to a more meaningful fermentation method

According to relevant reports, there have been many cases of foul water causing trouble. Experts call on schools and parents to control such behavior of minors, because once foul water bursts or explodes in classrooms and other places, causing casualties and property losses, schools and guardians need to bear corresponding civil compensation liability.

If children are curious about the fermentation process of organic matter, you can let them experience this magical process in a different way. The best way is composting.

Composting is the process of turning organic waste into fertilizer. Compost materials mainly include kitchen waste such as vegetable leaves and fruit peels, as well as yard waste such as fallen leaves and weeds. Fermentation is the core process of composting, which decomposes organic matter through microorganisms and releases nutrients needed by plants.

Temperature and humidity are both crucial in the composting process. The right temperature can promote the activity of microorganisms and accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, while the right humidity can ensure the normal activity of microorganisms and the effective release of nutrients. To maintain the fermentation effect, the compost needs to be turned regularly to ensure the supply of oxygen. In addition, successful composting requires a suitable carbon-nitrogen ratio, which can be adjusted by adding different materials.

After a period of decomposition, the original waste will become nutrient-rich fertilizer, which can be used to nourish plants and promote their healthy growth.

Composting not only allows children to observe the entire process of microorganisms decomposing organic matter, but also turns kitchen waste into treasure and avoids the harm caused by smelly water. It can be said to kill three birds with one stone.

Home brewing is not recommended

In addition to composting, fermentation is used in many other ways in life. Among them, using fermentation to make various foods seems to have become a new trend. Homemade wine, homemade yogurt - these seemingly simple operations are attracting more and more families to try.

Although it may seem interesting to do "fermentation projects" at home, they actually involve multiple complex biochemical processes and potential risks. The home environment often lacks the necessary sterile conditions and professional equipment, making it difficult to ensure the safety and controllability of the microbial fermentation process, and quality testing is usually not possible at home.

More importantly, incorrect fermentation operations may not only cause food to spoil or lose nutritional value, but may also produce toxic substances, posing a potential threat to human health. Therefore, in the absence of professional knowledge and equipment, it is strongly recommended that you do not perform this type of "fermentation project" at home.