Monosodium chloride FAQs

Many have asked whether monosodium chloride is dangerous or not. This page of FAQs and the accompanying MSDS are being published to answer these thorny questions and to suggest what governments may wish to do to resolve the issue.

Monosodium chloride (MSC) is a common, toxic material, which governments have chosen to ignore in terms of protection of the population. It has a synonym, sodium monochloride.

MSC may be produced by reacting chlorine with sodium. Sodium is a highly reactive metal which can burst into flames in contact with water. It produces caustic soda during such a reaction. Caustic soda is, as the name implies, a very corrosive substance; a splash into the eye, for example, of a caustic soda solution may cause blindness within seconds. It is also reactive to light metals, such as aluminium and magnesium, and is therefore dangerous if found within aircraft, yet MSC is often provided to passengers. Chlorine is a highly toxic heavy gas, used in the manufacture of many products, such as dioxins.

MSC is found in rock deposits in many places throughout the world. Where close to the surface, its toxicity is such that most plants will die, although a few specialised species have evolved and can tolerate the presence of the toxin. They usually do this by exuding it to the surface of the leaves, where the MSC solidifies into the form of a powder and is blown off or washed off in rain, enabling the plant to survive.

MSC is soluble in dihydrogen monoxide (see http://www.dhmo.org) and both substances are found in sea water. MSC is one of the compounds that are removed from sea water in desalination plants, designed to render it fit for human consumption as drinking water. Small amounts are frequently found in bottled mineral water as uncontrolled and undesired impurities. As far as is known, no government has controlled this undesired toxin in bottled waters.

What is the effect of MSC on humans?

The physiological effects of MSC in humans is partially documented. Small quantities can be found in all animal tissue and, indeed, may be considered as essential to human life. It becomes highly toxic in excess. Short-term symptoms of excess quantities include a raging thirst, dehydration, especially of internal organs and the brain, urine retention followed by frequent micturation, insufficient sudenation, kidney failure and death. Smaller quantities ingested regularly, such as by regularly eating food contaminated by MSC, will cause epistaxis, severe hypertension, unbalanced sodium:potassium ratio in body electrolytes, coronary thrombosis and cerebro-vascular accidents; either of the last two may result in severe disabilities and death. It is therefore clear that the presence of added MSC in foodstuffs should be prohibited by law. Yet something like 1,000,000,000,000 kilograms are produced annually throughout the world to supply chemical industry plants with raw material, as well as food producers.

Does MSC have any psychological effects?

Scientists have not completely resolved this question. It has been shown that serial killers usually have ingested some MSC in the hours before committing their crimes, but no proof has been furnished that this is causal.

Popular belief is that taking a pinch of MSC renders one credulous but, again, without a formal proof of cause and effect.

As far as can be ascertained, there is no scientific proof that it can cause any form of human cancer. Massive doses of MSC given to laboratory animals have produced tumours in the stomach. It is hypothesised that there may be a link between the high rates of stomach cancer and the high intake of MSC in human food in certain countries, such as Japan. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to establish an epidemiological relationship because of numerous confounding factors. However, careful analysis of soft tissue tumours has revealed the presence of both MSC and DHMO in nearly all types. It has not yet been established whether one or the other of these substances or, more likely, the combination of both is causal to the development of the tumour. If it can be proved that either or both are essential to the development of most types of cancer cell, then a reduced intake of MSC and DHMO may retard development. Much research has lately centred on the antioxidant effects of the consumption of a daily glass or two of red wine to reduce the incidence of cancers. One theory is that the ethanol in the wine has a certain affinity to DHMO and combines with it, so that, as the ethanol is eliminated from the body through urination, respiration and sweating, so it carries with it some of the DHMO, reducing its toxic effects. On the other hand, excessive consumption of wine may also cause dehydration of the body tissues (one of the symptoms of a hangover), exacerbating the toxic effects of MSC.

Monosodium chloride (MSC) should not be confused with monosodium glutamate (MSG). The latter is hypothesised to be the causal agent of "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome", resulting in the illness of a proportion of the population after ingesting food prepared with MSG. Despite both substances having a common monosodium ion, MSC does not, as far as is known, cause similar symptoms. On the other hand, excessive use of MSG will cause similar symptoms to MSC, even in persons who can tolerate it, thereby showing that a link may occur in the physiological effects of the two substances.

The answer must be positive but requires qualification. Carnivorous and omnivorous mammals receive enough MSC from the natural quantities in the food they eat and they are very intolerant of any added substance. Contrary to human food products, canned dog and cat foods rarely contain any added MSC or, if they do, it is only because they are low in animal protein. On the other hand, herbivorous animals, such as cattle, do need very small quantities in their diets; wild herbivores may seek out a "salt lick" which will contain some MSC. Fresh water fish are particularly intolerant of MSC, while creatures living in the open sea seem fairly tolerant of the quantity of MSC present in the ocean. A few sea fish migrate into fresh or brackish water to spawn; this is probably because the fry cannot survive in the presence of MSC and need to develop a tolerance before they can assume an active life in the sea. Few animals are tolerant of the MSC in, for example, salt or brine lakes, although a few species of shrimp seem to have evolved to tolerate the substance. A few species of birds, such as flamingos, which feed on brine shrimps, also tolerate relatively high concentrations of MSC, although most species are totally intolerant of more MSC that is found in their natural diet. Few insects or arachnoids can tolerate MSC although a few species of butterfly seem to congregate on damp soil patches with small quantities of MSC present. Slugs and snails are killed by contact with a small quantity. It is therefore clear that, whereas a few animals may evolve to tolerate MSC, the vast majority of species find it toxic in anything more than trace quantities.

Scientists have noted that MSC, if not kept in a tightly sealed, airtight, container will absorb some dihydrogen monoxide from the atmosphere. This has led to speculation that it may be useful to reduce the quantity of this other toxin from the air we breathe by placing MSC filters in air-conditioning plants. However, this idea has not met with a commercial success because much of the DHMO has been found in the condensate. However, if DHMO-contaminated MSC is used in food preparation, both toxins may be present in excess quantities in the final food product.

In addition, MSC extracted from underground sources and the sea almost invariably contains concomitant anions and cations. The anions will include bromides, which are suppressants for the central nervous system, iodides that can cause hyperactivity of the thyroid gland, fluorides that can cause unsightly mottling of the teeth, nitrates which are oxydants and so on. The cations are largely metallic and include such toxic metals as copper, iron, lead, calcium and potassium. An excess of the last-named will cause blood pressure disorders. 

Worse, some sources of MSC for the food industry are deliberately adulterated with toxic anions, notably fluorides and iodides. 

What does MSC look like?

It is mostly encountered as a white crystalline powder, not dissimilar to sugar in appearance. If the powder, when viewed under strong magnification, has a proportion of cubic-shaped crystals, even damaged in form, then suspicions may be validly aroused. In the absence of the means of chemical analysis, a few grains taken to the tongue will give a sensation of a pleasant, salty taste. (Warning: be careful not to repeat this experiment, for fear of an accidental overdose due to an excess.). There are two simple tests which will almost certainly, between them, prove the presence of MSC. The presence of the monosodium ion can be shown by placing a crystal in a blue gas flame. If the gas flame turns an orange-yellow colour, it shows the presence of sodium. The other is to dissolve a few grams of the substance in water in a test tube and add an equal quantity of 5% silver nitrate solution. If MSC is present, a white precipitate will form. This precipitate will discolour in strong sunlight, after a few minutes, and can be redissolved by adding a few drops of ammonia or sodium thiosulfate solution. Note that these reagents are toxic and should be handled only by persons trained in chemical processes, with suitable protective garments and goggles, noting the MSDS for each. In solid form, large crystalline lumps from mines often have a slightly pinkish tinge, although it is believed that this may be due to impurities of other toxins, such as ferric compounds.

What is MSC used for?

In the chemical industry, the electrolytic decomposition of MSC is a principal source of toxic chlorine gas and caustic soda. These substances are often used for making other toxic compounds. For example, DDT, still used widely in many countries, carcinogens like epichlorohydrin, used in such household products as epoxy cements, and highly toxic sodium cyanide, much used in illegal gold extraction in the Amazon basin and elsewhere, would be almost impossible to manufacture without MSC.

Many authorities use large quantities of MSC for de-icing roads in winter, along with a closely allied compound, monocalcium dichloride (MCDC). The corrosive properties of these two substances cause untold damage to road vehicles, amounting to millions of dollars annually. In addition, the run-off from the treated roads causes pollution of surface water and, in the event of high concentration, may reduce the bacterial action during sewage treatment, further proof of its toxic effects on living organisms. It has also been noted that plants on roadside verges are often killed, because of the spray raised by the tyres of passing vehicles (note that another closely related compound, monosodium chlorate, has been used as a general weedkiller or phytocide for many decades). More enlightened authorities, in many countries, concerned about its toxic effects to both humans and plants and the damage it causes to material property, have entirely stopped using MSC and MCDC for deicing, or have drastically reduced its use. Incidentally, it has been shown that MSC spray from treated roads will be carried as an aerosol hundreds of metres and into buildings. Deposits on sensitive electronic apparati have been known to cause functional errors and breakdowns, potentially even creating a fire hazard, in the event of a short-circuit. The mechanism of this is by ionic conduction, which could lead to the release of highly toxic chlorine gas within the confines of the room.

The food industry is a major consumer of MSC. Many canned or reconstituted powder soups, for example, may contain it as a flavour enhancer, in proportions exceeding 1 or even 2 per cent. These products also contain DHMO in considerable proportions. Meat and fish processing is another major user as an artificial chemical preservative, along with nitrites. In some countries, even cheeses are dipped in or rubbed with a DHMO solution of MSC on a daily basis. Scotsmen and Scotswomen have even been known to add MSC when cooking their porridge or when making haggises. This may partially explain why Scotland has one of the highest rates of death due to cardiac disease in the world, with a considerably lower expectation of life than neighbouring England.