Potassium Permanganate crystals

USES

Disinfectant and water treatment
As an oxidant, potassium permanganate can act as a antiseptic. For example, dilute solutions are used to treat canker sores (ulcers), disinfectant for the hands and treatment for mild pompholyx, dermatitis, and fungal infections of the hands or feet.Potassium permanganate is used extensively in the water treatment industry. It is used as a regeneration chemical to remove iron and hydrogen sulfide , is also obtainable at pool supply stores, is used additionally to treat waste water. Historically it was used to disinfect drinking water.It currently finds application in the control of nuisance organisms such as Zebra mussels in fresh water collection and treatment systems.Biomedical
Related to the use of KMnO4 for water treatment, this salt is often employed as a specialized disinfectant for treating human and animal ailments. In histology, it is used to bleach melanin which obscures tissue detail. Potassium permanganate can also be used to differentiate amyloid AA from other types of amyloid pathologically deposited in body tissues. Incubation of fixed tissue with potassium permanganate will prevent amyloid AA from staining with congo red whereas other types of amyloid are unaffected.Permanganate washes were once used to treat gonorrhea and are still used to treat candidiasis.Organic synthesis
Aside from its use in water treatment, the other major application of KMnO4 is as a reagent for the synthesis of organic compounds. Significant amounts are required for the synthesis of ascorbic acid, chloramphenicol, saccharin, isonicotinic acid, and pyrazinoic acid.Fruit Preservation
Addition of potassium permanganate substrated to banana shipments adsorbs the ethylene and doubles the fruit ripening period.

Survival kits
In the past potassium permanganate was included in survival kits: as a  water sterilizer and for creating distress signals on snow.