Potassium Permanganate

Potassium permanganate is used for a number of¿¿skin conditions.^[6]¿¿This includes¿¿fungal infections of the foot,¿¿impetigo,¿¿pemphigus, superficial¿¿wounds,dermatitis, and¿¿tropical ulcers.^[2][6]¿¿It is on the¿¿WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic¿¿health system.^{[7]
Potassium permanganate is used extensively in the water treatment industry. It is used as a regeneration chemical to remove¿¿iron¿¿and¿¿hydrogen sulfide¿¿(rotten egg smell) from¿¿well¿¿water via a "Manganese Greensand" Filter. "Pot-Perm" is also obtainable at¿¿pool¿¿supply stores and is used additionally to treat waste water. Historically it was used to disinfect drinking water[8][9]¿¿and can turn the water pink.[10]¿¿It currently finds application in the control of nuisance organisms such as¿¿zebra mussels¿¿in fresh water collection and treatment systems.[11]
Called¿¿Baeyer's reagent¿¿after the German organic chemist¿¿Adolf von Baeyer, KMnO₄¿¿is used in¿¿Qualitative organic analysis¿¿to test for the presence ofunsaturation. The reagent is an alkaline solution of potassium permanganate. Reaction with double or triple bonds (-C=C- or -C¿¿¿C-) causes the color to fade from purplish-pink to brown.¿¿Aldehydes¿¿and¿¿formic acid¿¿(and formic acid¿¿esters) also give a positive test.[13]¿¿The test is antiquated.¿¿}