Normal subgroups generated by a single pure element in quaternion algebras

Let D be a quaternion division algebra whose center is an arbitrary infinite field K of characteristic ≠2, and let e∈D be a pure quaternion. Hence, by definition, e∈D∖K and e2∈K. We show that if the characteristic of K is >2, then D×/〈eD×〉 is abelian-by-nilpotent-by-abelian. Note that by [A.S. Rapinchuk, L. Rowen, Y. Segev, Nonabelian free subgroups in homomorphic images of valued quaternion division algebras, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc., in press] this result is false in characteristic zero. As a consequence we show that the Whitehead group W(G,k), where G is an absolutely simple simply connected algebraic group of type defined over a field k of odd characteristic and of k-rank 1, is abelian-by-nilpotent-by-abelian.