Water ionizer
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A water ionizer is an appliance that claims to ionize water. Its effectiveness and legitimacy are disputed.
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[edit] Function
It is claimed that water in an electric field will self ionize. Pure water at room temperature and pressure always self-ionizes to 10-14 M, and it is impossible to force water permanently into a higher state of ionization without the addition of other chemicals (for example, by creating an acidic or basic solution). Some manufacturers of water ionizers often claim that their products can break these laws of equilibrium. Others claim that the ionized water forms a metastable state.
[edit] Claimed Properties
These manufacturers also make various claims about the chemical properties of ionized water. A common claim is that in non-ionized water, water molecules form tightly bound clusters, and that ionizing water breaks up those clusters. Manufacturers claim that ionized water is more readily absorbed by the body than ordinary water, and that minerals in ionized water are more readily available to the body. There is an element of truth to the first part; water molecules are held together by hydrogen bonding, and (especially in the presence of cations) can form clusters (see chelation).
[edit] Criticism
Critics argue that water ionizers almost certainly have no permanent effect on water. Water spontaneously self-ionizes with an equilibrium constant of 10-14 under normal conditions. If the concentration of these ions is increased (hydroxide and hydronium), then they will react with each other to restore the original concentration. The reaction is very rapid (strong acids and strong bases completely react with each other in seconds, so hydronium hydroxide (or ionized water) should have a half life measured in fractions of a second (or, at best, a few seconds)). If the water is removed from normal conditions (ie. heated) the concentrations may be increased slightly, but not very much, and are reversed when the water is returned to standard conditions. Therefore, water ionizers cannot increase the concentrations of these ions for a significant time.
However, even if it were possible to ionize water, the claim that such water would be free of these clusters is illogical; it would be more logical to expect more of these clusters in ionized water. Many claims about the chemical properties of ionized water are made to support claims about the health benefits of consuming such water, and are often made without scientific basis. Hence, most chemists would consider these claims as pseudoscience.
A link is often made between consumption of non-ionized water and a sensationalized medical condition known as chronic cellular dehydration. Another claim is that ionized water is an antioxidant. Water ionizer makers claim their product treats chronic diarrhea, Indigestion, Gastrointestinal abnormal fermentation, and Acidosis. These claims are, again, not usually based on empirical evidence, but rather testimonials about individual health benefits.
