RE: W. on the Environment

[Ronn Blankenship]

At 12:27 PM 5/20/01 +0300, Charlie Bell wrote:

> > At 11:29 PM 5/19/01 -0500, Dan M. wrote:
> >
> > >You will also note the catagory "internal."  That's the body's natural
> > >radioactivity.  The radioactivity human bodies have had since
> > humans first
> > >existed.  Its from potassium, BTW.  That's why you would die if
> > you didn't
> > >intake radioactive material.
> >
> >
> > And of course let's not forget that potassium is one of the three
> > chemicals
> > used in the lethal injection mix.
>
>That's like saying you put sodium on your food. Metal salt compounds are
>totally different from elemental metal.


Potassium chloride.

It's sold as a salt substitute.

And, like thiopental sodium, it has legitimate medical uses.  In larger 
quantities, though, it stops the heart from beating, which is the intent in 
this case.

Thus tying in with the theme of this sub-thread: that some materials are 
harmless or even absolutely essential to life when used as directed, but 
carcinogenic or poisonous under other circumstances.


-- Ronn!  :)