• Potassium cholrate is used in the production of matches.matches image by Sergey Yakovenko from Fotolia.com
  
  Potassium chlorate is a chemical compound used in a variety of scientific applications. While the supplement is not typically used in human nutrition--it should not be present in anything but trace amounts in the food or water supply--there is a chance that humans may come into contact with the compound through a scientific or industrial use and, as such, should be aware of the dangers of potential exposure.
  
  

Dangers of Ingestion

• One of the reasons public health officials are so wary about potassium chlorate is the potential for the compound to find its way into the water supply. The compound is commonly used in the water treatment process and must be carefully filtered out before reaching public reservoirs. Studies performed on rats reveal that excessive exposure to potassium chlorate produced a loss in body and organ weight, changes to the composition of the blood and damage to pituitary and thyroid glands.
  
  

Dangers of External Exposure

• External exposure to potassium chlorate can result in skin irritation. Exposure to the eyes or mucus membranes may cause further irritation, and the compound should be flushed immediately.
  
  

Flammability

• Potassium chlorate is a key ingredient used in the manufacture of matches and other explosives, largely due to the compound's ease of flammability. Much care must be taken to avoid heat or pressure when working with potassium chlorate, because the substance can easily explode. In addition, the gas given off by potassium chlorate burning is poisonous as well, so clean air must be provided in environments where potassium chlorate is burned.
  
  

Reactivity

• Potassium chlorate is a strong reactive chemical. A common experiment with potassium chlorate is to expose a gummy bear to the substance in order to cause an explosion. Potassium chlorate reacts explosively with glucose (common table sugar) and a number of other compounds, so it should be kept isolated from other chemicals in order to prevent unpredictable reactions.