Baby Safety / Compounds / Potassium oxide

Is Potassium oxide safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Potassium oxide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is potassium oxide?

The IUPAC name is dipotassium;oxygen(2-).

Also known as: dipotassium;oxygen(2-), Dipotassium oxide, Dipotassium monoxide, Potassium monoxide.

IUPAC name
dipotassium;oxygen(2-)
CAS number
12136-45-7
Molecular formula
K2O
Molecular weight
94.196 g/mol
SMILES
[O--].[K+].[K+]
PubChem CID
9989219

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Potassium oxide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Potassium oxide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Potassium oxide.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
GHS—Danger classification. Skin hazard.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter potassium oxide

  • Industrial — Glass manufacturing, Ceramics, Fertilizers

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Potassium oxide:

  • Enzyme or biocatalysts where applicable
    Trade-offs: Temperature/pH sensitivity. Higher cost for some applications.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain potassium oxide?

Potassium oxide appears in: Glass manufacturing (Industrial); Ceramics (Industrial).

See Potassium oxide in the baby app

Look up products containing potassium oxide, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 9989219 — database
  2. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID3049754 — epa
  3. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 12136-45-7 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →