Chlorides

The most commonly encountered chlorides are sodium, potassium and calcium chlorides. Chloride is an essential nutrient for plants and animals, including humans, but high concentrations can be harmful. The chloride salts mentioned above are white crystalline solids that dissolve readily in water. Hydrogen chloride, the acid from which these salts are derived, is a choking, irritant gas. It is highly soluble in water. Solutions of hydrogen chloride are called hydrochloric acid.