Editing Potassium chloride (section)

==Toxicity==

The typical amounts of potassium chloride found in the diet appear to be generally safe.<ref>{{cite web | author = Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition|title=GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Database - Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Opinion: Potassium chloride|url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/SCOGS/ucm261000.htm|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20171031064321/https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/SCOGS/ucm261000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 October 2017|website=www.fda.gov|access-date=21 July 2019|language=en}}</ref> In larger quantities, however, potassium chloride is toxic. The {{LD50}} of orally ingested potassium chloride is approximately 2.5&nbsp;g/kg, or {{convert|190|g|oz}} for a body mass of {{convert|75|kg|lb}}. In comparison, the {{LD50}} of [[sodium chloride]] (table salt) is 3.75&nbsp;g/kg.

Intravenously, the {{LD50}} of potassium chloride is far smaller, at about 57.2&nbsp;mg/kg to 66.7&nbsp;mg/kg; this is found by dividing the lethal concentration of positive potassium ions (about 30 to 35&nbsp;mg/kg)<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bhatkhande CY, Joglekar VD | title = Fatal poisoning by potassium in human and rabbit | journal = Forensic Science | volume = 9 | issue = 1 | pages = 33–36 | date = 1977-01-01 | pmid = 838413 | doi = 10.1016/0300-9432(77)90062-0 }}</ref> by the proportion by mass of potassium ions in potassium chloride (about 0.52445&nbsp;mg K<sup>+</sup>/mg KCl).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.convertunits.com/molarmass/KCl|title=Molecular weight of KCl|website=www.convertunits.com|access-date=2018-11-04|archive-date=2018-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105012256/https://www.convertunits.com/molarmass/KCl|url-status=live}}</ref>