CHLORINE
Also known as: Chlorine gas, Bertholite, Caswell No. 179
Chemical reference number (CAS): 7782-50-5
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WHAT IS CHLORINE?
Chlorine is a poisonous, greenish-yellow gas described as having a choking odor. It is
a very corrosive, hazardous chemical. Usually combined with other chemicals, it is used to
disinfect water, purify metals, bleach wood pulp and make other chemicals.
Household bleach, used to whiten fabrics or remove mold from surfaces, is a 5% solution
of a stabilized form of chlorine.
Do Not Mix household bleach with acid-containing or ammonia-containing
cleaners. Dangerous levels of a very harmful gas can be released.
Most of the chlorine that enters lakes, streams, or soil evaporates into the air or
combines with other chemicals into more stable compounds. Chlorine-containing chemicals
that seep through soil down into groundwater can remain unchanged for many years.
HOW ARE PEOPLE EXPOSED TO CHLORINE?
Exposures to chlorine gas are usually due to industrial processes or accidental spills.
Chlorine is added in small amounts to some municipal water supplies when bacteria
contamination threatens public health. When chlorine combines with lake or river water, a
class of chemicals that includes chloroform can be formed. (See chloroform fact sheet)
Breathing: Most high-level exposure occurs in workplaces where
chlorine is used. People may inhale chlorine by using chlorine bleach or by living near an
industry that uses chlorine.
The smell from treated drinking water or swimming pools may be irritating but
isn’t usually harmful.
Drinking/Eating: Low level exposure can occur when water containing
chlorine is used for drinking or for food preparation.
Touching: The body does not absorb chlorine well. However, small
amounts can pass through the skin when people are exposed to chlorine gas, chlorine
bleach, or bathing in water with high levels of chlorine. Lower levels of exposure can
occur when people handle soil or water containing chlorine.
DO STANDARDS EXIST FOR REGULATING CHLORINE?
Water: The proposed federal drinking water standard for chlorine is 4
parts per million (ppm). Many city water supplies are treated with chlorine to reduce the
possible spread of bacterial disease. The system operators are required to maintain a
detectable level of chlorine in the piping system. We suggest you stop drinking water that
contains more than 4 ppm of chlorine on a regular basis.
Air: No standards exist for the amount of chlorine allowed in the air
of homes. We use a formula to convert workplace limits to home limits. Based on the
formula, we recommend levels be no higher than 0.01 ppm of chlorine in air. Most people
can smell chlorine when levels reach 0.02-3.4 ppm. If you can smell chlorine in your home,
the level may be too high to be safe.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regulates the amount of chlorine that can
be released by industries.
WILL EXPOSURE TO CHLORINE RESULT IN HARMFUL HEALTH EFFECTS?
Short-term, high-level exposures:
- Immediately or shortly after exposure to 30 ppm or more of chlorine gas, a person may
have chest pain, vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing, or excess fluid in their lungs.
Exposure to 430 ppm in air for 30 minutes will cause death.
- The health effects of breathing air that has less than 30 ppm of chlorine are the same
as listed below for inhaling liquid bleach vapors.
- Liquid chlorine bleach and its vapors (at levels of 3-6 ppm in air) are irritating to
eyes. At levels of 15 ppm in air people experience nose and throat irritation. Touching
liquid chlorine bleach can cause skin irritation. Drinking levels over 4 ppm can cause
throat and stomach irritation, nausea and vomiting.
Long-term, low-level exposure (e.g. several years of exposure to chlorine):
Organ Systems: The main effects of exposure to chlorine gas include
diseases of the lung and tooth corrosion. People with previous lung disease, smokers, and
those with breathing problems are more sensitive to chlorine.
Cancer: There is no information currently available about whether
chlorine causes cancer.
Reproductive Effects: No reproductive effects from chlorine exposure
have been reported.
In general, chemicals affect the same organ systems in all people who are exposed.
A person's reaction depends on several things, including individual health, heredity,
previous exposure to chemicals including medicines, and personal habits such as smoking or
drinking.
It is also important to consider the length of exposure to the chemical; the amount of
chemical exposure; and whether the chemical was inhaled, touched, or eaten. People with
preexisting lung or heart disease may be particularly sensitive to the effects of
chlorine.
CAN A MEDICAL TEST DETERMINE EXPOSURE TO CHLORINE?
By testing lung function and examining your skin and teeth, your doctor can evaluate
the health effects of chlorine exposure.
Seek medical advice if you have any symptoms that you think may be related to chemical
exposure.
(PPH 4756 Revised 3/2000)
This fact sheet summarizes information about this chemical and is not a complete
listing of all possible effects. It does not refer to work exposure or emergency
situations.
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