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Effects of Household Chlorine Bleach in Wastewater

Household bleach with chlorine often contains about 5 percent chlorine. It is used to remove mold or clean various surfaces. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the amount of chlorine in waste-water treatments. Waste-water treatment plants use low levels of chlorine to disinfect drinking water, but chlorine that enters the waste-water or groundwater can mix with other chemicals and reciprocate into drinking water, which can produce hazardous effects to human and animal health in addition to the environment.

  1. Human Health Effects

    • Exposure to chlorine through ingestion can cause immediate health effects such as vomiting, chest pain and difficulty breathing. Long-term health effects, which are more common for exposure through household chlorine bleach ingestion, include damage to the gastrointestinal tract or corrosive tissue damage. Acute health effects can occur in as little as a few seconds to a few minutes. These health effects are mostly because of the corrosive properties of bleach.

    Animal Health Effects

    • According to the EPA, chlorine exposure, even in small amounts, can be hazardous to organisms living in water and soil. There have not been significant studies on the effects of chlorine to animals through ingestion, but several studies measured exposure through inhalation. One study by Clayton and Clayton (1981-1982) measured chlorine inhalation exposure on animals for 15 to 193 days. Results indicated emphysema associated with pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Another study by Kutzman (1983) indicated that rats that exposed to chlorine experienced loss of cilia and epithelium in their trachea's. Another study (Wolf et al. 1995) indicated that rats and mice exposed to chlorine for two years experienced respiratory and nasal lesions, septal fenestration (in the blood) and reproductive tumors (squamous metaplasia). These studies measure the chronic effects and concluded that animals may experience adverse effects related to their respiratory system, immune system, heart and blood.

    Environmental Effects

    • According to The Chlorine Institute, chlorine may enter natural waters and combine with other chemicals to create acid rain. The EPA concludes that it can form chloride salts when mixed with inorganic materials in water and form chlorinated organic chemicals when mixed with organic materials in water. Chlorine also will bleach the leaves of plants causing them to turn brown. Some may recover but the growth of others will be inhibited.

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