Chlorine Effects on the Environment & People

Chlorine is a widely used and heavily produced chemical that is common in gas and liquid forms. People most commonly use it for purifying water and as a part of household cleaners. Chlorine is toxic to humans and the environment, especially when in concentrated doses.

What is Chlorine?

• Chlorine is a chemical used in industry and in many common household cleaners. In the United States, it is one of the top 10 produced chemicals. Chlorine is normally a gas but it is often pressurized into a liquid form that is a yellow-greenish color and has a strong smell similar to bleach. People use chlorine in many ways, but one very common use is for water purification and disinfecting. Most swimming pools use a chlorine chemical system to keep the water clean.

Chlorine's Effects on the Environment

• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, chlorine can be very harmful to any living organisms in the soil or water that is contaminated by it. The Volcano Information Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara describes the negative effects of chlorine gas on the environment. Chlorine in the atmosphere contributes to destruction of the ozone layer. Naturally, volcanic emissions of chlorine gas (as hydrochloric acid) are beyond our control; we can only deal with the chlorine and chlorine gasses people create.

Chlorine's Effects on People

• The effect on a person depends on just how much chlorine he is exposed to. Tap water is chlorinated, swimming pools are also chlorine purified, and household cleaners utilize chlorine to do their job, so obviously exposure to some amounts of chlorine are not are threatening as heavy doses. Contact with small amount of chlorine, either as a liquid or a gas, could just irritate the skin or make breathing difficult. Larger doses and levels of exposure could require hospitalization.

Symptoms of Chlorine Exposure

• Typical symptoms on exposure to chlorine are difficulty breathing (the airway is irritated), wheezing, sore throat, coughing, eye irritation and skin irritation. The EPA says that repeated exposure to chlorine is shown to have effects on breathing, the blood, the heart and the immune system in laboratory animals. Breathing chlorine vapors can be far more damaging than exposure to liquid chlorine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chlorine, in all its forms, instantly damages the cells that it contacts. Breathing chlorine gases will irritate and damage the cells and lining in the throat and lungs, making breathing difficult. Prolonged exposure can lead to water building up in the lungs.