Breaking Bad: Could Hydrofluoric Acid Really Dissolve a Human Body?

In Breaking Bad, Walter White instructs Jesse Pinkman to use hydrofluoric acid to dispose of a body, but Jesse makes a disastrous mistake involving an upstairs bathtub. The result is one of the series’ most unforgettable scenes, as the acid supposedly destroys human tissue, plumbing, and even the floor beneath it. But could hydrofluoric acid actually dissolve an entire human body, and is it as chemically destructive as the show suggests? We examine the chemistry of acids, the unusual toxicity of fluoride, the biology of chemical burns, and why the real dangers of hydrofluoric acid are considerably different from Hollywood’s depiction.