With different colors, chemical properties and commercial uses, potassium permanganate and sodium nitrite have very little in common, other than they are both reagents sold in bulk by chemical manufacturers. Neither has any value as a nutritional supplement or is widely used in modern medicine. However, both are valuable chemicals with many applications.
Potassium Permanangate Chemistry
Potassium permanganate is an inorganic salt made from the positively charged potassium ion and the negatively charged permanganate group. Its purple-black crystals dissolve easily in water, producing an intense purple solution. The National Fire Protection Association classifies potassium permanganate as a class 2 oxidizer, which means that it increases the burning rate or causes the "spontaneous ignition of combustible materials with which it comes in contact."
Potassium Permanganate Uses
As of 2011, medical uses of potassium permanganate continue to dwindle. In the late 1800s and early part of the 20th century, it was commonly used to treat gonorrhea, although this use was abandoned when antibiotics were developed. Modernly, it is occasionally used to treat exuding wounds, after all other treatments have failed. Writing in the "Nursing Times Net" in August, 2003, Irene Anderson warns that potassium permanganate should never become a long-term treatment in wound care. Potassium permanganate is also used as a disinfectant.
Sodium Nitrite Chemistry
Sodium nitrite is a whitish-yellow solid at room temperature. It is a salt made from the positively charged sodium ion and the negatively charged nitrite moiety, made from one nitrogen and two oxygen atoms. Industrial uses of this chemical include color fixation, dye manufacture and photography. Sodium nitrite is used widely in preserved meats because it prevents botulism and preserves the flavor and color of meat.
Sodium Nitrite Toxicology
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program reviewed studies in mice and rats in which animals were supplied with sodium nitrite dissolved in drinking water for varying times. Female mice showed a higher incidence of squamous cell papillomas and carcinomas. Both male and female mice showed increased incidence of epithelial hyperplasia. The National Toxicology Program reported that there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity when rats were exposed to 750, 1,500, or 3,000 ppm of sodium nitrite in drinking water. The concentration of sodium nitrite in these studies was far higher than used in the food industry. The USDA says that sodium nitrite is acceptable when used on concentrations lower than 200 ppm.
References
- Texas A and M University: Oxidizing Materials
- International Programme on Chemical Safety: Potassium Permanganate
- Nursing Times Net; Should Potassium Permanganate be Used in Wound Care?; Irene Anderson; August, 2003
- "Gonorrhea, its Diagnosis and Treatment"; Frederick Baumann; 1908
- National Toxicology Program: Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Sodium Nitrite
- ScienceStuff.com: Material Science Data Sheet - Sodium Nitrite
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