From swimming pools to poison gas, chlorine is used throughout lives of many, but many people do not realize the toxicity that chlorine can have at certain levels. This paper will explore the uses, structure and properties, routes of exposure, source, toxic effects, and metabolism of chlorine. As well as give precautions and tips to protect you from the toxic effects of chlorine.
The uses of chlorine vary greatly and it is often found in many items around the house. Chlorine is used every summer in pools due to its effectiveness in killing bacteria, and many pools use chlorine in its liquid state. In plastics chlorine is used in the formation of Polyvinyl chloride. PVC is used throughout much of our construction industry, such as for doors, flooring, window frames, and panels. In medicine and safety, chlorine is often used in pharmaceuticals in the synthesis of an active ingredient or by making organic compounds water soluble. Chlorine also has high tech uses. Chlorine is used in the making of many car parts, as well as CDs and DVDs. The titanium airplane parts utilize chlorine in their production. Commercially chlorine is in thousands of products used to clean around the house. For cleaning, chlorine is used to disinfect by the process of disassociation. When mixed with water two acids form hypochlorous acid and hydrochlorous acid. The hypochlorous acid is the active acid and reacts with bacteria by breaking down their cell walls, this in turn leaves the enzyme unprotected and cell death ensues. The chlorine levels in the mixture are then changed into chloramines, which results in a decrease in chlorine levels as microorganism and bacteria are killed. With many of the uses of chlorine, special precautions should be taken. Durin...
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... plastics and rubbers. If there is a gas leak people should move to well ventilated areas and if significant inhalation occurs, then oxygen should be administered. Chlorine is a heavy gas and will move closer to the ground and collect in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas (Department of Health, 2014).
In conclusion chlorine is an amazing molecule, which is utilized in so many things that enhance our daily lives. Even with all its amazing properties, chlorine should be handled with care and special precaution should be taken whenever using and working around this chemical. This report showed that the uses of chlorine are not always for good, that the toxicity can be great and detrimental to the lungs, as well as skin and eyes. With proper precautions, chlorine can continue to be used as a chemical that helps disinfect, as well as be formed in to even better compounds.
These applications include pesticide, herbicide, defoliating agent such as Agent Orange, cleaning agent and electrical insulation. Consequently, human exposure to dioxin is not a recent phenomenon and the dangers of dioxin are not unknown. Only in recent years, especially after the Vietnam War, has the media concentrated on the dangers and impact of dioxin. The physical effect of exposure to dioxin was first seen in skin diseases developed by chemical plant workers in 1895. Exposure to dioxin results in a type of skin disease like acne called "chloroacne," since its cause was initially and incorrectly linked to chlorine gas.
The United States Enrichment Corporation (Producer). (2013). USEC issues WARN act notices to Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant workers [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.usec.com/news/usec-issues-warn-act-notices-paducah-gaseous-diffusion-plant-workers
As hydrochloric acid is a corrosive substance there are safety concerns, any hydrochloric acid concentrated above 25% is classified as a toxin be the US EPA as it can cause major corrosive damage to the lungs, eyes and skin if hydrochloric acid come into contact with them. Hydrochloric acid can also turn into the toxic gas chlorine if combined with chemicals such as bleach (NaClO) and potassium permanganate (KMnO4). Chlorine gas is a principle material used in chemical weapons (e.g. world war
"Chemical Warfare Agents - Resources on the health effects from chemical weapons, emergency response & treatment, counterterrorism, and emergency preparedness.au.af." Specialized Information Services - Reliable information on toxicology, environmental health, chemistry, HIV/AIDS, and minority health. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010.
Hydrochloric acid is a strong and corrosive acid that is often used as a reagent in laboratories.
Also, MSDS had given how to protect equipment, the condition necessary to stabilize Thallium (I) chloride, toxicological information, how to treated waste of Thallium(I) chloride after used and procedures by Radiation Safety Officer or by a consult with the state, local, or federal regulation for appropriate disposable. If I workers in an in a warehouse, I would a wear equip safety suit as advised in MSDS to avoid Thallium (I) chloride ever contacted in my ingestion system, skin, eye and Chronic exposure. The MSDS also advise should store Thallium(I) chloride in 20-25 C. The handling of Thallium(I) chloride needs a syringe shields and tongs are recommended. As a fireman, Thallium (I) chloride is disregarded as a fire hazard or explosive hazards. In the case of fire, firemen were advised wear protective suit that can withstand high-pressure mode. If I work as a medical person treating someone, MSDS has first aid techniques to treat if Thallium(I) chloride contract skin or eye by use water to wash it off. However, MSDS doesn’t have a method to treat if Thallium(I) chloride get inside your
HOCl is a much stronger disinfectant than hypochlorite but their relative distribution depends upon pH. At pH > 4 dissociation of Cl2 is almost complete whereas at pH values greater than 5, HOCl starts dissociating and there is an increase in concentration of OCl-. The effect of pH on chlorination is shown in fig 1.1(a).
Green Chemistry is not only used in the lab when handling dangerous chemicals, but is also used in everyday life. Some areas where green chemistry may be applied is in medicine, biodegradable plastic, and paint. Pharmaceutical companies are always looking for better ways to make medications have less side effects by making them produce less toxic waste. Also, more and more companies are trying to create products that use compostable or biodegradable materials. Paints usually have toxic fumes that go along with them. Some painting companies are trying to create a product that emits less toxins to better human health and environmental
Saturated sodium chloride solution, also known as brine solution, is used to wash the distillate mixture. The distillate mixture is the phosphoric acid the co-distilled with the product. The brine solution also removes most of the water from the 4-methylcyclohexane layer. When six drops of 4-methylcyclohexene were added with two
5. Aoki, T., Munemori, M.. Continuous Flow of Free Chlorine in Water. Journal of Analytical Chemistry. 1983, 55, 209-212.
... should be used to reduce the risk of injury to people and the environment. Gasoline should be stored in an approved container and lids should be secured on paint cans and stored in an appropriate storage container. All containers with chemicals should be properly labeled and identified in case of emergency. All chemicals should be disposed of properly and taken to the appropriate recycle or disposal facility.
Hydrochloric acid is a strong and corrosive acid that is often used as a reagent in laboratories.
In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between TCE and congenital cardiac malformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminant that is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment.
The RNAO states “World Health Organization data suggests that environmental factors account for 24 per cent of the world’s burden of disease and 23 per cent of all deaths” (2012). Environmental determinants of health is mainly centered on whether not the area has clean air and water. This is because air and water are used in every person’s daily life, and if these are contaminated, the health of these persons can be compromised. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the records dating back from 2005 show that the water is safe for all persons, with no pollutants causing illnesses or diseases (Air System Facilities, 2015). In addition, the agency tested the water to see if it had any abnormal microbial levels. In the area there were no disinfectants or pollutants compromising the water. To further determine the environmental determinants, the air was also researched. Today, on September 11, 2015 the UV index was considered to be very high. The agency states “Protection against sun damage is needed” (UV Index, 2015). Since the UV index ranked to be in the very high category, people in this area need to take caution and were sun screen if outdoors. It is recommended that people stay in cool, air conditioned facilities between 1 pm and 4 pm. To continue, the AFS showed that there are no facilities producing air emissions (Air System Facilities, 2015). When there are no facilities producing air
It is time, at last, to speak the truth about toxic chemicals behind personal care and beauty products. The daily products of an average person consists of face wash, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner, floss, toothpaste, and deodorant. Surprisingly, all of these products listed contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to our body. If we use these products to maintain our hygiene, does that mean we are not clean without these products? For example, a common shampoo many people use is Head and Shoulders. However, do we know if the shampoo is cleaning our hair from beginning to end or is it damaging our hair? How often do you read the ingredients labeled on your personal care products and wonder if they are safe to use? More importantly, if you