foxyrick
British Pork
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2006
- Messages
- 2,254
Chemically, magnesium is a strong reducing agent, meaning it is strongly reactive with anything that can give it oxygen (or any other ion that will accept electrons). That includes many chemicals in us humans. Burning magnesium can even continue to burn in carbon dioxide - it is reactive enough to split the oxygen out of the CO2. Don't try to put it out with a CO2 extinguisher! This is easily shown by burning a candle in a jar until it goes out - jar now full of CO2. Then, lower in some burning magnesium ribbon. It dims, but carries on burning and leaves black soot (the displaced carbon from the CO2) in the jar.
As far as it being a dietary mineral goes, it is one of the required elements. However, that doesn't mean you can eat it pure. It must be in a compound with other things. In the pure state, it is poisonous if swallowed or inhaled (dust), is a severe irritant and a vesicant (causes blistering/tissue damage).
The 'smoke', magnesium oxide, is also a respiratory and eye irritant.
Having said all that, as a science teacher I have burned, and allowed pupils to burn, a great quantity of magnesium over the years, even collecting the magnesium oxide that remained for further experiment. It hasn't done me any harm in any way. Unlike the concentrated hydogen peroxide and concentrated ammonia. Now they are nasty!
In short, provided you don't eat it or breath too much smoke, it probably won't do you any harm at all.
In my (somewhat limited) experience of using the magnesium blocks for fire starting, I much prefer vaselined cotton balls. In their absence though, finding dry tinder in the (wet, cold) UK is harder than shaving some magnesium and using it to light some thin wood shavings.
Rick.
As far as it being a dietary mineral goes, it is one of the required elements. However, that doesn't mean you can eat it pure. It must be in a compound with other things. In the pure state, it is poisonous if swallowed or inhaled (dust), is a severe irritant and a vesicant (causes blistering/tissue damage).
The 'smoke', magnesium oxide, is also a respiratory and eye irritant.
Having said all that, as a science teacher I have burned, and allowed pupils to burn, a great quantity of magnesium over the years, even collecting the magnesium oxide that remained for further experiment. It hasn't done me any harm in any way. Unlike the concentrated hydogen peroxide and concentrated ammonia. Now they are nasty!
In short, provided you don't eat it or breath too much smoke, it probably won't do you any harm at all.
In my (somewhat limited) experience of using the magnesium blocks for fire starting, I much prefer vaselined cotton balls. In their absence though, finding dry tinder in the (wet, cold) UK is harder than shaving some magnesium and using it to light some thin wood shavings.
Rick.
