Yavelle Journal  · At Home  · 5 min read
Deuterium is a naturally occurring heavy isotope of hydrogen, measured in parts per million (ppm). Ordinary water sits at roughly 150 ppm, and deuterium-depleted water has that level reduced, to 25 ppm in Yavelle's case. A fair question, if you like fizzy water, is whether carbonating it changes any of that. The short answer is no, and the reason is simple chemistry.
Carbonation Does Not Add Deuterium
Carbonation works by dissolving carbon dioxide into cold water under pressure. That is what creates the bubbles and the familiar tang of sparkling water. The key point is what carbon dioxide is made of: carbon and oxygen, and no hydrogen at all. Deuterium is a heavy form of hydrogen, so if there is no hydrogen going in, there is no deuterium going in either.
The water keeps exactly the deuterium level it started with. Carbonate a bottle of 25 ppm deuterium-depleted water and it is still 25 ppm, now with bubbles. Carbonating is a physical change to the water, not a change to its isotope content.
Why a SodaStream Suits This Well
A SodaStream is a countertop machine that carbonates plain water by injecting carbon dioxide from a small cylinder. It is a practical match for deuterium-depleted water for a few reasons:
- You control the water. Ready-made sparkling water is ordinary water, sitting at the usual level of around 150 ppm. Carbonating your own means the sparkling water in your glass is the deuterium-depleted water you chose to put in.
- It is affordable and reusable. The bottles are refilled again and again, and the carbon dioxide cylinders are exchanged or refilled, so there is very little waste.
- It is quick. Carbonating a bottle takes only a few seconds, so there is no real effort barrier to having sparkling deuterium-depleted water whenever you want it.
How to Do It, Step by Step
- Chill the water first. Cold water holds carbon dioxide far better than warm water, so start with deuterium-depleted water straight from the fridge.
- Fill the SodaStream bottle to its line. Do not overfill past the maximum mark, or the machine can foam and spill.
- Carbonate the plain water. Fit the bottle and press to add fizz, in short bursts, until it is as sparkling as you like.
- Add flavour afterwards, in the glass. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a few mint leaves, goes in after carbonating, never into the machine.
- Drink it fresh, or seal it. Cap the bottle promptly to keep the bubbles, and enjoy it cold.
A Note on Flavour
Carbonation gives water a slightly sharper, more refreshing character thanks to the carbon dioxide, which is exactly why people enjoy sparkling water. It does not otherwise change the water. If you have read that deuterium-depleted water tastes much like clean, ordinary water, the same holds once it is carbonated: it simply tastes like sparkling water.
The Bottom Line
If you want sparkling water that stays low in deuterium, a SodaStream is a simple and reusable way to make it at home. Because carbon dioxide contains no hydrogen, carbonating adds no deuterium, so your 25 ppm deuterium-depleted water stays at 25 ppm, just with bubbles. Chill it, carbonate the plain water, flavour it in the glass, and you have sparkling deuterium-depleted water whenever you like.
Where to Go Next
For more on the water itself, see our guide to how deuterium-depleted water is made, and our article on what deuterium-depleted water tastes like.
Yavelle 25ppm Deuterium-Depleted Water is a packaged drinking water, sold as a food or beverage. It is not a medicine and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information on this page is general and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition or are undergoing treatment, please speak with a qualified health professional.