RE: What's the sodium for?

[Paul Wilson <pwilson@pop.ma.ultranet.com>]

At 07:33 PM 6/1/98 -0400, Robert Myers wrote:
>I beg your pardon, Brett.  But to use "Poison" is an error.  Sodium oxide
>or sodium hydroxide are hazardous due to the presence of the hydroxide ion.
> The fact that it is associated with a sodium ion is irrelevant.  Potassium
>hydroxide is as hazardous as sodium hydroxide.  Sodium chloride is ordinary
>table salt and, blood pressure concerns aside, is not poisonous.  Therefore
>sodium is not poisonous.  Neither is potassium as in potassium chloride
>("lite salt" used by people on a low sodium diet).

Whether these compounds are poisonous or not, I don't know.  However, it's
erroneous to say that a compound is not poisonous because one or more of
the elements that make up the compound are not poisonous.  Compounds do not
retain the same chemical properties as the elements that make them up.

Example?  Carbon monoxide is definately a poison but carbon and oxygen are
not.

Paul Wilson