Used in many industrial applications such as pulp and paper, water treatment as an oxygen scavenger agent, reducing chlorine levels in pools, product of sulfur dioxide scrubbing, a part of the flue-gas desulfurization process, textile industry as a bleaching, desulfurizing and dechlorinating agent and in the chemical manufacturing as a sulfonation and sulfomethylation agent, including froth flotation of ores, oil recovery, making dyes and in foods as a a preservative to prevent dried fruit from discoloring and for preserving meats.