In the series Breaking Bad violent scenes were accompanied by chemical processes that pulled the protagonists out of many tight spots. Are these processes scientifically accurate? In this article we will carefully review some of these processes.

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The American television crime drama Breaking Bad portrays Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. In order to finance his treatment and provide for his family after his death, he decides to use his extensive knowledge of chemistry to produce and distribute the drug methamphetamine.

The series has rightly earned abundant praise, yet its scientific accuracy, especially in depicting the manufacturing of the drug and associated chemical reactions, has received mixed reviews. Here we highlight some scientific inaccuracies in several well-known scenes.

Season 1 features a striking scene. White walks alone into the office of a violent drug distributor and tosses a small white lump of fulminated mercury (Hg(CNO)2), triggering a massive explosion [1]. While this chemical saves White in the show, it would not work that way in reality. Although fulminated mercury is explosive, such a small amount would not cause the extensive damage depicted in the show. At most, one might suffer from mercury salt inhalation and a ruptured eardrum, but not severe injuries. The breaking glass throughout the building, as seen on screen, would also be implausible with that quantity of fulminated mercury. A window-shattering explosion would generate a blast wave that would cause Walter internal injuries, preventing his escape. In addition, although fulminated mercury is a sensitive to impact, throwing it onto the floor with moderate force would not detonate it.
Scientific accuracy rating: 2/10.

In another scene, Walter White and his partner in crime Jesse Pinkman dissolve two drug dealers corpses in hydrofluoric acid (HF) in an attempt to dispose of them. White instructs Pinkman to buy polyethylene plastic tubs, so that the acid will not eat through the container [2], but Pinkman opts for a porcelain bathtub instead. The powerful acid dissolves not only the bodies, but also the tub and the floor.
Can HF dissolve bodies, but not plastic?
The answer is yes. Concentrated acids can digest skin, flesh, and bone, within a reasonable amount of time. However, using this chemical as shown in the series is inadvisable. HF is a weak acid, meaning it does not fully dissociate into H+ and F− ions. Nevertheless, HF is highly reactive toward organic matter (such as human tissue) and glass, thanks to the fluoride ion which competes with oxygen in glass. Concentrated HF solutions can dissolve a whole body, but the process releases copious amounts of toxic HF vapor. This small molecule can easily permeate the skin. Inside the body, fluoride ions react with bone calcium to form calcium fluoride, which is virtually insoluble in water. Particles of CaF2 can enter the bloodstream and trigger cardiac arrest. Therefore, laboratories that work with HF keep emergency kits containing calcium salt tablets. These tablets should be taken immediately after exposure while calling emergency services.
Scientific accuracy rating: 7/10.

In another scene, Walter and Jesse break into a warehouse using a thermite mixture that burns intensely and melts the lock [3]. Thermite is a blend of a metal oxide such as iron(III) oxide, and another metal such as aluminum, that burns at extremely high temperatures above 2,500 °C.  It is used for specialized welding, such as on railroad tracks. In the show, the thermite is produced using an unusual source of aluminum powder, a children’s Etch A Sketch board that Walter finds in Jesse’s driveway. It's a cool idea, but in reality, they would need roughly 200 such boards to obtain enough powder. It would be simpler to buy it in a hardware store.
Although the mixture can reach very high temperatures and, in principle, melt steel used in locks, weakening a lock enough to break it—or actually melting parts of it—requires concentrating the heat released by combustion. This is more difficult to achieve than it appears on the screen. Furthermore, one of the byproducts of classic thermite combustion is molten iron, which can flow around the lock, solidify, and then form an additional iron layer that hinders entry.
The intense flame also emits a lot of light, much of which is ultraviolet. Directly viewing it at close range, as depicted in the scene, can cause temporary blindness or even permanent retinal damage. Cooling the lock to a safe temperature for touching would also take time.
Scientific accuracy rating: 5/10.

Walter uses his knowledge of chemistry, first to captivate bored students, and later to commit murder. He uses a potent toxin, one of the most lethal poisons known. This poison, called ricin, is a protein extracted from the seed coat of the castor bean plant (mis-translated as “bean” in the subtitles). This protein is extraordinarily toxic: roughly 500 times more poisonous than cyanide. A minute amount can kill a person within days [4]. Ricin paralyzes the cell’s protein-synthesis machinery by binding to ribosomes and inhibiting their normal function.
Scientific accuracy rating: 10/10.

Using a mobile home as a lab can cause various problems, such as draining the battery in the middle of the desert. Enter chemistry to the rescue: Walter builds a battery by creating electrochemical cells that generate electricity via chemical reactions. This enables them to start the vehicle and drive off into the sunset [5]. Though it works on the show, it would not work in reality. Each cell can produce a maximum of 2.1 volts (V), and with only six cells on hand they could supply 12 V and 20–30 amperes (A). However, a trailer battery of that size requires roughly 400–500 A.
Scientific accuracy rating: 3/10.

Yet, the big question every viewer asks himself remains. Why do we hate Walter’s wife more than the violent criminals in the series? [6]

Another question is whether the drug recipes depicted in the series are accurate. While the complete procedures are never fully revealed, the cumulative details suggest that they are remarkably precise. One exception is the blue color of the drug and the claim that this color indicates exceptionally high chemical purity [7].
Scientific accuracy rating: 9.5/10.

Yes, the series is not entirely accurate, but probably for good reason. No one wants a TV show to provide a recipe for poison. However, the series shows the benefits of scientific knowledge and offers convincing reasons to stay on the right side of the law [8]. In any case, methamphetamine is a very dangerous drug that has devastating effects on users’ bodies and minds. (For more on psychoactive substances, listen to our podcast on the topic [9].)

Hebrew editing: Yinon Kachtan
English editing: Gloria Volohonsky

References:

[1] The explosion in Tuco Salamanca’s office

[2] The importance of polyethylene

[3] Warehouse break-in

[4] Ricin

[5] Building a battery

[6] Pitch Meeting

[7] Colorful molecules

[8] MythBusters

[9] TalkingScience podcast – Dr. Roy Zucker