Definitions

Electrolyte:

Anelectrolyteisasubstancecontainingfreeionsthatbehavesasanelectricallyconductive
medium.Becausetheygenerallyconsistofionsinsolution,electrolytesarealsoknownasionic
solutions,butmoltenelectrolytesandsolidelectrolytesarealsopossible.

Commonelectrolytes:

sodium(Na+),potassium(K+),calcium(Ca2+),magnesium(Mg2+),chloride(Cl),phosphate(PO43
),andhydrogencarbonate(HCO3).

Calcium:

CalciumisthechemicalelementintheperiodictablethathasthesymbolCaandatomic
number20.Ithasanatomicmassof40.078.Calciumisasoftgreyalkalineearthmetal,andis
thefifthmostabundantelementintheEarth'scrust.Itisessentialforlivingorganisms,
particularlyincellphysiology,andisthemostcommonmetalinmanyanimals.

Commonsource:

Theseincludeseaweedssuchaskelp,wakameandhijiki;nutsandseeds(likealmondsand
sesame);blackstrapmolasses;beans;oranges;amaranth;collardgreens;okra;rutabaga;
broccoli;dandelionleaves;kale;sardines;andfortifiedproductssuchasorangejuiceandsoy
milk.

Potassium:

Potassiumisachemicalelement.IthasthesymbolKandatomicnumber19.Thename
"potassium"comesfromtheword"potash",aspotassiumwasfirstisolatedfrompotash.
Potassiumisasoftsilverywhitemetallicalkalimetalthatoccursnaturallyboundtoother
elementsinseawaterandmanyminerals.Itoxidizesrapidlyinairandisveryreactive,especially
towardswater.Inmanyrespects,potassiumandsodiumarechemicallysimilar,although
organismsingeneral,andanimalcellsinparticular,treatthemverydifferently.

Commonsource:

avocados,potatoes,bananas,broccoli,orangejuice,soybeansandapricots,althoughitisalso
commoninmostfruits,vegetablesandmeats.

Sodium:

SodiumisachemicalelementwhichhasthesymbolNaatomicnumber11,atomicmass
22.9898g/mol,commonoxidationnumber+1.Sodiumisasoft,silverywhite,highlyreactive
elementandisamemberofthealkalimetalswithin"group1"(formerlyknownasgroupIA).It
hasonlyonestableisotope,23Na.Sodiumispresentingreatquantitiesintheearth'soceansas
sodiumchloride.Itisalsoacomponentofmanyminerals,anditisanessentialelementfor
animallife.Assuch,itisclassifiedasadietaryinorganicmacromineral.

Commonsource:

Sodiumchlorideorhalite,betterknownascommonsalt,isthemostcommoncompoundof
sodium,butsodiumoccursinmanyotherminerals,suchasamphibole,cryolite,sodaniterand
zeolite.,Hardsoapsaregenerallysodiumsaltofcertainfattyacids.

Magnesium:

MagnesiumisachemicalelementwiththesymbolMg,theatomicnumber12,andanatomic
massof24.31.Magnesiumistheninthmostabundantelementintheuniversebymass.It
constitutesabout2%oftheEarth'scrustbymass,anditisthethirdmostabundantelement
dissolvedinseawater.Magnesiumionsareessentialtoalllivingcells,andisthe11thmost
abundantelementbymassinthehumanbody.Thefreeelement(metal)isnotfoundinnature.

Commonsource:

Althoughmagnesiumisfoundinover60minerals,onlydolomite,magnesite,brucite,carnallite,
talc,andolivineareofcommercialimportance.IntheUnitedStatesthismetalisprincipally
obtainedbyelectrolysisoffusedmagnesiumchloridefrombrines,wells,andseawater:

Chloride:

Thechlorideionisformedwhentheelementchlorinepicksuponeelectrontoformananion
(negativelychargedion)Cl.ThesaltsofhydrochloricacidHClcontainchlorideionsandcan
alsobecalledchlorides.Anexampleistablesalt,whichissodiumchloridewiththechemical
formulaNaCl.Inwater,itdissolvesintoNa+andClions.
Thewordchloridecanalsorefertoachemicalcompoundinwhichoneormorechlorineatoms
arecovalentlybondedinthemolecule.Thismeansthatchloridescanbeeitherinorganicor
organiccompounds.Thesimplestexampleofaninorganiccovalentlybondedchlorideis
hydrogenchloride,HCl.Asimpleexampleofanorganiccovalentlybonded(anorganochloride)
chlorideischloromethane(CH3Cl),oftencalledmethylchloride.

Commonsource:

kelp(seaweed),ionictraceminerals,olives,rye,tomatoes,lettuce,andcelery

Nitrate:

Ininorganicchemistry,anitrateisasaltofnitricacidwithanioncomposedofonenitrogenand
threeoxygenatoms(NO3).Inorganicchemistrytheestersofnitricacidandvariousalcohols
arecallednitrates.Nitratefromfood,especiallyvegetables,isconvertedinthehumandigestive
tracttonitritewhichreactswithaminestoformcarcinogenicnitrosamines.

Commonsource:

Nitrateisawatersolublemoleculemadeupofnitrogenandoxygen.Itisformedwhennitrogen
fromammoniaorothersourcescombineswithoxygenatedwater.Nitrateisanatural
constituentofplantsandisfoundinvegetablesatvaryinglevelsdependingontheamountof
fertilizerappliedandonothergrowingconditions.AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization,
mostadultsingest2070milligramsofnitratenitrogenperdaywithmostofthiscomingfrom
foodslikelettuce,celery,beets,andspinach.Whenfoodscontainingnitrateareeatenaspart
ofabalanceddietthenitrateexposureisnotthoughttobeharmful.

Sulfate:

ThesulfateionisapolyatomicanionwiththeempiricalformulaSO42andamolecularmassof
96.06daltons;itconsistsofacentralsulfuratomsurroundedbyfourequivalentoxygenatoms
inatetrahedralarrangement.Thesulfateioncarriesanegativetwochargeandistheconjugate
baseofthebisulfate(orhydrogensulfate)ion,HSO4,whichistheconjugatebaseofH2SO4,
sulfuricacid.Organicsulfates,suchasdimethylsulfate,arecovalentcompoundsandestersof
sulfuricacid.

Commonsource:

Sulfatesareacombinationofsulfurandoxygenandareapartofnaturallyoccurringmineralsin
somesoilandrockformationsthatcontaingroundwater.Themineraldissolvesovertimeandis
releasedintogroundwater. Sulfatesoccurasmicroscopicparticles(aerosols)resultingfrom
fossilfuelandbiomasscombustion.Theyincreasetheacidityoftheatmosphereandformacid
rain.