Sodium nitrate

Sodium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula NaNO3. It was first synthesized in 1820 or 1825, when it was brought to England. It didn't sell, so it was dumped at sea. Over time, it became a profitable business, as a war was started over it. Chile fought against Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) and took over the richest deposits. Its crystal structure was determined by Ralph Walter Graystone Wyckoff in 1919.

Occurrences & Synthesis
Sodium Nitrate is a natural compound, but it can be made, it can be made by neutralizing nitric acid with sodium carbonate or it can be found. This salt is also known as Chile or Peru saltpeter so that people would be able to tell it apart from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. The mineral form has many names like: nitratine, nitratite or soda niter. Accumulations of naturally containing sodium nitrate are found in Chile and Peru, they are kept within mineral deposits called caliche ore. Nitrates spread throughout land through fog precipitation and sea-spray oxidation followed by the settling of NaNO3 in the desert atmosphere.

Uses
Sodium nitrate has been used worldwide in a number of jobs ranging from agriculture to the fireworks industry. For the agricultural purposes, Sodium nitrate is used to create fertilizers. As one of the fertilizer’s ingredients, sodium nitrate is the substance that increases the amount of nitrogen contained in the soil. It is also used to make pesticides, pests that can ruin the plants like mice, and bugs can be overcome by pesticides that contains sodium nitrate.It's also used to make fireworks as one of its important ingredients. Sodium nitrate's reaction to other chemicals in the firework, results in the colors firework's make. As the combustion takes place, the atoms of sodium nitrate and the other two chemicals create different colors. The colors reflect the amount of energy released during the combustion.

Health Concerns
Studies have shown that because of increased levels of nitrates, diseases have increased deaths including: Alzheimer's, diabetes and Parkinson's, it might be because of the effect of nitrosamines has on DNA, but practically nothing done is being done to control other causes in the epidemiological results. Nitrosamines, formed in cured meats containing sodium nitrate, has been linked to gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer. Sodium nitrate are associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer. Also meat that contains Sodium nitrate (processed meat) increases the chances of heart disease, because its content of nitrate. Processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami and virtually all red meat used in frozen prepared meals.

Video
A sodium nitrate explosion. JurjxUd3HmM