Part of a classic test of the scientific gullibility of the general populous, Hydroxylic Acid is often attached with the statement:
Hydroxylic acid is a vital component of acid rain. It is well known to cause diarrhea and vomiting, and even sometimes inhibits brain development in embryos. It causes skin to become weak, and was found in tumors. And yet it is a rather common chemical. Its production is a multi-billion dollar business. It is used in paint, glue, and even personal care products and food. Also, it is known that this acid is often disposed of directly into rivers and seas.
These surveys often (as can be found at http://www.dhmo.org/)
exploit people's fear of science and the unknown to make fools of
them. These surveys are often the topic of high school science projects that endevor to display the ignorance of chemistry.
There is no such thing.
Or rather, hydroxylic acid is an incorrect name for for water. For something to truly be called an 'acid' it must have hydrogen ions (H+). This can clearly be seen in a more popular acid HCl (hydrochloric acid) which dissociates into H+ and Cl- ions.
When water (H2O) dissociates, the reaction is
2 H2O = H3O+ + OH-
The equalibrium for this reaction is very far to the left - on the order of 1014 molecules of water per pair of H+ OH- ions.
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