To clarify:
As posted a few months ago, the heavy isotope of oxygen: O-18
(18O) is far more ubiquitous in nature than many realize. It is
15 time more prevalent in natural water than is deuterium, for
instance but the interesting part is that it is eneriched
naturally in biological life (osmosis in plants will enrich).
One in every 6000 molecules of sea water is HDO instead of H2O. It
is erroneous to call this molecule "heavy water" however which
technically is a double substituion, or DDO: and nonexistent in
seawater for all practical purposes.
Five in every thousand molecules of sea water (.5 %) has an 18O
oxygen isotope instead of 16O. That is rather extraordinary
considering the nuclear stability of 16O. Surface water has less
as the lighter isotope evaporates first and is retained in any
osmotic process. The mass difference is substantial.
The water in some fruits and plants is enriched, reportedly, to a
full 1 percent 18O. Otherwise it is very expensive to buy it from
an isotope distributor.
Jones
BTW, to show how far afield this kind of "grasping at straws"
reasoning, often resorted-to in the endless search for
energy-alternatives can get you...
Eucalyptus tree leaves are said to be especially enriched in 18O,
and this is the preffered food of the Koala. The leaves are
undigestible to other animals and of very low nutritional quality.
Bacteria hosted by the Koala however, apparently convert this
non-food item into energy for the host. Ergo: some might be
tempted to suggest that the extra 18O could be playing a role...
now how crazy is that <g>
Not this crazy: A Koala walks into a restaurant, sits down and
orders the veggie special. After he has finished eating, the
waiter brings him his bill. The koala then shoots the waiter, and
departs. The fearless restaurant owner runs over and stops him at
the getaway gum-tree. "You can't come into my restaurant, eat my
food, shoot my waiter and then walk out like you own the place!
Who do you think you are?"
The Koala says... "Hmm...a Koala? look it up, pops"
The owner pulls out his pocket dictionary and looks up koala. It
say, "Marsupial. Eats shoots and leaves".
