Tag: Caliche

Millions of years of specific geological and climatic conditions in a single location on Earth created the primary natural source of sodium nitrate. For decades, the world's commercial supply of sodium nitrate, known as Chile saltpeter, was mined almost exclusively from these deposits before the development of synthetic alternatives.

An essential trace element that the human body cannot produce naturally, iodine is vital for thyroid hormone synthesis. While the oceans serve as its largest reservoir, the question of what is iodine derived from commercially reveals a fascinating tale of geology, chemistry, and human ingenuity.