Chlorine gas is a toxic industrial compound used in the synthesis of many chemicals, disinfecting drinking water, and bleaching paper and textiles. It is highly reactive and can cause severe eye and lung irritation. Chlorine dioxide is another disinfectant used in laboratory equipment and to treat the aftermath of terrorist attacks. It is also used to disinfect drinking water and bleach pulp fibers. Both chlorine gas and chlorine dioxide can be dangerous to humans and require caution when handling.
Chlorine gas is a commonly used industrial form of elemental chlorine. It is also a highly toxic gas. This compound was the first poisonous gas to be used during World War I.
At atmospheric pressure and room temperature, elemental chlorine is a gas. It is yellow-green and has the characteristic smell of bleach. Chlorine gas has a higher density than air, so it tends to settle near the ground. Once cooled and pressurized, the compound becomes a liquid, which makes it easy to transport and store. If released, it turns back into a gas that rapidly diffuses near the ground.
One reason this gas is so toxic is that it is highly reactive with the water in the mucous membranes of the lungs and eyes. This leads to the production of hydrochloric acid and hypochlorous acid, which together act as an irritant to the eyes and lungs, corroding tissue. If you are exposed to chlorine gas, you should seek immediate medical attention. There is no antidote for exposure to this gas, so prompt treatment is key.
Aside from industrial chlorine exposure, a very common method of chlorine exposure is the mixing of household bleach with other acid-containing cleaners or ammonia. This can produce toxic gas and lead to many visits to poison control centers. In addition to chlorine gas, ammonia gas and chloramines can also be produced. Household bleach by itself is not toxic to humans.
The deliberate use of chlorine gas in warfare was introduced in France in 1915 by the German Army, and was devastating as the troops lacked gas masks. Its use was superseded later in the war by poisonous gases which had different modes of action. More recently, chlorine bombs have been used in the Iraq war.
Elemental chlorine has the chemical formula of Cl2 and is a member of the halogen group of elements. The weak bond between the two atoms makes the molecule very reactive. It is a strong oxidizing agent and causes oxidation by accepting electrons from a compound. May cause combustion with organic compounds, such as ammonia, turpentine and natural gas.
This reactivity leads to its use as one of the most common industrial chemicals produced in the United States and around the world. It is used as an intermediate in the synthesis of many chemicals, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), pesticides and household cleaning products. It is also used in the bleaching of paper and textiles. Chlorine compounds are commonly used to disinfect drinking water, swimming pools and in wastewater treatment plants.
Another frequently used chlorine compound that is used in liquid and gaseous forms is chlorine dioxide, ClO2. As a gas, it is highly unstable at room temperature and prone to explosion, so it is not allowed to be transported to the United States and many other countries. For this reason it is generated on site, when necessary, by the chemical reaction of sodium chlorite.
Chlorine dioxide is used as a disinfectant for laboratory and production equipment, clean rooms and instruments. Disinfection takes place in a sealed area. After several hours, the gas is treated with sodium bisulfite to neutralize it. One use of chlorine dioxide has been to treat the aftermath of terrorist attacks. After a series of anthrax attacks in the United States, this gas was used to disinfect government office buildings and mail contaminated with the anthrax biological agent.
Chlorine dioxide gas is also dangerous to humans, acting as a severe eye and lung irritant. Chronic exposure can cause emphysema and bronchitis. Also, the decomposition of chlorine dioxide can release chlorine gas.
Like chlorine, chlorine dioxide is used to disinfect drinking water. It is used as a step before chlorine disinfection to remove trihalomethanes, the possible carcinogenic by-products of chlorine produced by its reaction with organic matter. The most common use of chlorine dioxide is to bleach the pulp fibers produced by wood.
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