Muurahaishapoksi

Muurahaishapoksi, also known as formic acid, is the simplest carboxylic acid with the chemical formula HCOOH. It is a colorless liquid at room temperature and has a pungent, acrid odor, which is characteristic of ant stings, as the name suggests ("muurahainen" is Finnish for ant, and "happo" means acid).

Formic acid occurs naturally in the venom and secretions of ants and stinging insects, serving as a defense mechanism and a signaling pheromone. It can also be produced industrially through various chemical processes, most notably the carbonylation of methanol.

Its properties include being a strong reducing agent and a good solvent. Due to its acidic nature, it can be corrosive. Formic acid has a variety of applications. It is used in the leather tanning and dyeing industries, as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed, and in the production of rubber. It also finds use in chemical synthesis and as a de-icing fluid.

While naturally occurring and having industrial utility, formic acid can be irritating and corrosive to skin and mucous membranes. Ingestion can be harmful. Its presence in certain food products, albeit in trace amounts, is a result of natural processes.