Pure oxygen is simply oxygen gas (O₂) in its unadulterated form, free from other gases like nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide typically found in the air we breathe. It's a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas under normal conditions, composing approximately 20.94% by volume of the Earth's atmosphere. [^1] Its density is slightly heavier than air, measuring 1.429 g dm−3 at 273 K and 1.0 atm. [^1]
Uses of Pure Oxygen
Pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air finds wide application in numerous industrial processes. [^2] However, its use extends far beyond industry:
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Medical Applications: Pure oxygen is crucial in medicine, particularly in:
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT): Patients breathe 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber to treat various conditions like wounds that aren't healing properly, infections, and decompression sickness. [^3, ^4, ^5, ^8, ^9]
- Supplemental oxygen therapy: Used to treat individuals with lung diseases or breathing difficulties to ensure adequate oxygen intake. [^6]
- Wound healing: Pure oxygen promotes faster wound healing. [^5]
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Industrial Applications: Many industrial processes leverage pure oxygen for its enhanced reactivity, boosting efficiency and sometimes reducing costs. [^2]
Important Considerations Regarding Pure Oxygen
While vital for life, breathing pure oxygen for extended periods can be harmful. [^7] Inhaling 100% oxygen can trigger damaging chemical reactions within the body. [^4] Oxygen concentrators, medical devices that separate nitrogen from the air, can deliver oxygen with purity levels of up to 95%. [^8]
In Summary
Pure oxygen is essential for life and has widespread applications in medicine and industry, but it is crucial to be aware of the potential dangers associated with prolonged exposure to high concentrations of pure oxygen.
[^1]: O2 is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas under normal conditions. Its content in the atmospheric air is 20.94% by volume or 20% by weight. The density of pure oxygen is 1.429 g dm−3 at 273 K and 1.0 atm, which is slightly heavier than air.
[^2]: Pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air is used in many industrial applications. Because it is present in air it is tempting to take oxygen for granted.
[^3]: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established treatment for…
[^4]: Breathing pure oxygen sets off a series of runaway chemical reactions. That's when some of that oxygen turns into its dangerous, unstable cousin…
[^5]: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a painless treatment where a patient breathes 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Hyperbaric oxygen is used to…
[^6]: What is oxygen therapy? Oxygen therapy helps people with lung diseases or breathing problems get the oxygen their bodies need to function. This oxygen is…
[^7]: …to breathe and begins dispensing pure oxygen. Yet growing research suggests that inhaling straight oxygen can actually harm the brain.
[^8]: An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that separates nitrogen from the air around you so you can breathe up to 95% pure oxygen.
[^9]: It is also used for infections in which tissues are starved for oxygen. For this therapy, you enter a special chamber to breathe in pure oxygen in air pressure…
