Sulfurous Acid

Sulfurous Acid is a weak and unstable inorganic acid, which is considered an aqueous solution of sulfur dioxide in water. It is formed theoretically by burning sulfur to produce sulfur dioxide, which is then reacted with water. However, there is no evidence that sulfurous acid exists in solution, while the molecules of which has been detected in the gas phase, since the reaction is reversible and the acid readily decomposes back into the reactants. Sulfurous acid is not usually available in its acid form, but more commonly prepared as its sodium or potassium salts.
Sulfurous acid and its salts are commonly applied as powerful reducing agents and disinfectant agents due to its strong reducibility. It is also considered as a mild bleaching agent especially for applications having chlorine sensitive materials. Besides, Sulfurous acid is a food additive listed on the EAFUS food Additive Database (Jan. 2001).