Sodium thiosulfate (sodium thiosulphate) is an inorganic compound with the formula . Typically it is available as the white or colorless pentahydrate, . The solid is an efflorescent (loses water readily) crystalline substance that dissolves well in water. Sodium thiosulfate is used in gold mining, water treatment, analytical chemistry, the development of silver-based photographic film and prints, and medicine. The medical uses of sodium thiosulfate include treatment of cyanide poisoning and pityriasis. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Uses Sodium thiosulfate is used predominantly in industry. For example, it is used to convert dyes to their soluble colorless forms, which are called leuco. It is also used to bleach "wool, cotton, silk, ...soaps, glues, clay, sand, bauxite, and... edible oils, edible fats, and gelatin." Medical uses Sodium thiosulfate is used in the treatment of cyanide poisoning. Other uses include topical treatment of ringworm and tinea versicolor, and treating some side effects of hemodialysis and chemotherapy. Photographic processing Silver halides, e.g., AgBr, typical components of photographic emulsions, dissolve upon treatment with aqueous thiosulfate.This application as a photographic fixer was discovered by John Herschel. It is used for both film and photographic paper processing; the sodium thiosulfate is known as a photographic fixer, and is often referred to as 'hypo', from the original chemical name, hyposulphite of soda. Ammonium thiosulfate is typically preferred to sodium thiosulfate for this application. Neutralizing chlorinated water It is used to dechlorinate tap water including lowering chlorine levels for use in aquariums, swimming pools, and spas (e.g., following superchlorination) and within water treatment plants to treat settled backwash water prior to release into rivers. The reduction reaction is analogous to the iodine reduction reaction. In pH testing of bleach substances, sodium thiosulfate neutralizes the color-removing effects of bleach and allows one to test the pH of bleach solutions with liquid indicators. The relevant reaction is akin to the iodine reaction: thiosulfate reduces the hypochlorite (the active ingredient in bleach) and in so doing becomes oxidized to sulfate. The complete reaction is: Similarly, sodium thiosulfate reacts with bromine, removing the free bromine from the solution. Solutions of sodium thiosulfate are commonly used as a precaution in chemistry laboratories when working with bromine and for the safe disposal of bromine, iodine, or other strong oxidizers. Structure Two polymorphs are known as pentahydrate. The anhydrous salt exists in several polymorphs. In the solid state, the