Sodium

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Sodium is a silvery white alkali metal.[1] In the Periodic Table, its symbol is Na and its atomic number is 11. Sodium, the fourth most common element on earth,[2] is frequently found in the form of sodium chloride, or table salt.

Uses

Sodium is frequently used in the form of sodium chloride, or table salt.[3] Metallic sodium is used to manufacture esters and in the preparation of organic compounds.[4]

= In the Environment

In Sewage Sludge

In the Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey, a 2009 test of 84 samples of sewage sludge from around the U.S., the EPA found sodium in every sample in concentrations ranging from 154 to 26,600 parts per million.[5]

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. WebElements: Sodium, Accessed August 31, 2010.
  2. Sodium, Accessed August 31, 2010.
  3. WebElements: Sodium, Accessed August 31, 2010.
  4. Sodium, Accessed August 31, 2010.
  5. Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey Report, US EPA website, Accessed August 28, 2010.

External resources

External articles

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