Barium nitrate fighters, such as the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, during the Battle of Britain. It is also used in the manufacturing process of barium oxide, the vacuum tube industry and for green fire in pyrotechnics. Like all soluble barium compounds, barium nitrate is toxic by ingestion or inhalation. Solutions of sulfate salts such as Epsom salts or sodium sulfate may be given as first aid for barium poisoning, as they precipitate the barium as the insoluble (and non-toxic) barium sulfate. Inhalation may also cause irritation to the respiratory tract. While skin or eye contact is less harmful than ingestion or
Sodium chlorate herbicides in aqueous solution is possible to some extent, so long as they are not susceptible to oxidation. The sale of sodium chlorate as a weedkiller was banned in the European Union in 2009, with existing stocks to be used within the following year. Chemical oxygen generators, such as those in commercial aircraft, provide emergency oxygen to passengers to protect them from drops in cabin pressure. Oxygen is generated by high-temperature decomposition of sodium chlorate: Heat required for this reaction is generated by oxidation of a small amount of iron powder mixed with the sodium chlorate, and the reaction consumes