Sulphur

UsesOrganic sulfur compounds occur in garlic, mustard, onions, and cabbage and are responsible for the odor of skunks. Sulfur occurs in living tissue and is part of some amino acids. Unlike many other inorganic elements, sulfur itself is relatively nontoxic. Sulfur and some of its salts have been used medicinally. Organosulfur compounds, such as diallyl disulfide, exhibit antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. The consumption of sulfur is a measure of national industrial development and economic activity. Sulfur is most often used as a chemical reagent, rather than as part of a finished product. In the United States,about 90% of sulfur consumed was in the form of sulfuric acid. Agricultural chemicals (primarily fertilizers) comprised about 62% of sulfur demand; petroleum refining, 26%; and metal mining, 5%.