Calcium Peroxide

A white, yellowish, or grayish odorless powder, Calcium peroxide is used as an antiseptic, rubber stabilizer, seed disinfectant, and a food additive. It breaks down at slow controlled speed once in contact with hydrous liquid. Moist air allows it to break down slowly, and it is water insoluble for every practical purpose, but will melt in acid, forming hydrogen peroxide. Calcium peroxide is also a compound that's an ecologically unadulterated substance.

Its being an ecologically pure material allows it to be used in various sectors of agriculture and industry. Calcium peroxide is utilized for groundwater biomediation and decontamination of soil. Agriculturally, it is applied as oxygen fertilizer, as well as used in rice seed pre-sowing treatments. This compound has also found use in aquaculture industry for oxygenating and disinfecting water.

The most important characteristic of hydrogen peroxide is its ability to break down into oxygen and water, hence not forming any constant, toxic residual amalgams. It is generally used in methods of oxidation, reduction, epoxidation, and hydroxylation. The oxidizing factor of hydrogen peroxide is utilized in deodorizing and bleaching of textile, paper manufacture, and hair. Medicinally, it used as an antiseptic.

Its function entails the manufacture of chemicals such as perhydrates, in addition to organic peroxides where a number of organic substituents replace both or one of the hydrogen. Several metals create peroxides within air sodium, zinc, or barium. These metal peroxides discharges oxygen gradually in contact with moisture in the atmosphere. It is also used as a disinfectant in detergents, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and toothpaste as well as used in deodorizing and bleaching, plus it functions as an oxygen-releasing supply in agricultural industry to generate polluted lakes and soils.

Organic peroxides are potent agents for oxidizing which releases oxygen, which are broadly used in the manufacturing industry of plastics, plus they also serve as chemical intermediates, cleaning and drying agents, and bleaching agents. They are also utilized as disinfectants, medical germicides for cosmetics, antiseptics, toothpaste, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. Organic peroxides comprise benzoyl peroxide, peroxyacetic acid, tert-butyl and cumyl peroxides.

Calcium peroxide however, has its hazards to health. Exposure to this chemical compound through inhalation can have severe effects such as nose, lungs, and throat irritation that can cause wheezing, coughing, and/or breath shortness. When exposed through contact, calcium peroxide can harshly burn and irritate the eyes and skin with probable damage.
If one is severely exposed to calcium peroxide, they should immediately consult a doctor so that further complications can be prevented. Too much exposure to calcium peroxide as well as long-term exposure to the product is believed to have cancer-risk effects, reproductive-risks, and other long-term effects.