April 2002 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Chlorine |
(Cloro) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about chlorine. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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HIGHLIGHTS: People working
in facilities that use chlorine to manufacture other chemicals
have the highest risk of being exposed to chlorine. Chlorine
gas can cause irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory
tract. Exposure to high levels can result in corrosive
damage to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tissues, and
could lead to pulmonary edema and even death in extreme
cases. Chlorine gas has been found in at least 60 of the
1,591 National Priorities List sites identified by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). |
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What
is chlorine? |
At room temperature, chlorine is a yellow-green
gas that is heavier than air and has a strong irritating odor.
It can be converted to a liquid under pressure or cold temperatures.
Chlorine is mainly used as a bleach in
the manufacture of paper and cloth and to make a wide variety
of products.
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What
happens to chlorine when it enters the environment? |
- When released to air, chlorine will react with water to
form hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid, which are
removed from the atmosphere by rainfall.
- Chlorine is slightly soluble in water. It reacts with
water to form hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid. The
hypochlorous acid breaks down rapidly. The hydrochloric
acid also breaks down; its breakdown products will lower
the pH of the water (makes it more acidic).
- Since chlorine is a gas it is rarely found in soil. If
released to soil, chlorine will react with moisture forming
hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid. These compounds
can react with other substances found in soil.
- Chlorine does not accumulate in the food chain.
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How
might I be exposed to chlorine? |
- The general population is probably not exposed to chlorine
gas, but may be exposed to products which are made from
chlorine like sodium hypochlorite which is used as a disinfectant
in public drinking water and swimming pools and as a common
household bleach.
- Cigarettes and other tobacco products, gas cookers, and
open fireplaces are sources of formaldehyde exposure.
- Chlorine gas is used to synthesize other chemicals and
to make bleaches and disinfectants. Therefore workers employed
in occupations where these products are made may inhale
chlorine gas or get it on their skin.
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How
can chlorine affect my health? |
Chlorine gas is irritating and corrosive
to the respiratory tract, eyes, and skin. The effects depend
on how much you are exposed to and for how long. Exposure
to low concentrations of chlorine gas (1 to 10 ppm) may cause
sore throat, coughing, and eye and skin irritation. Exposure
to higher levels could cause burning of the eyes and skin,
rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue
coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs,
and pain in the lung region. Exposure to even higher levels
can produce severe eye and skin burns, lung collapse, and
death.
Some people may develop an inflammatory
reaction to chlorine. This condition is called reactive airways
dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma caused by some
irritating or corrosive substances.
If you were to come into skin contact
with liquified chlorine, you could experience frostbite.
If you swallow a product that contains
sodium hypochlorite, corrosive chlorine gas could be produced
in your stomach and cause serious corrosive injury.
We do not know if exposure to chlorine
can result in reproductive effects.
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How
likely is chlorine to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
and the EPA have not classified chlorine as to its carcinogenicity.
There is no additional information to determine whether exposure
to chlorine might cause cancer.
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How
does chlorine affect children? |
Children can be affected by exposure
to chlorine in the same ways as adults. We do not know whether
children differ from adults in their susceptibility to chlorine.
In general, children may be more vulnerable to corrosive agents
than adults because of the smaller diameter of their airways.
We do not know if exposure to chlorine
can result in birth defects or other developmental effects.
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How
can families reduce the risk of exposure to chlorine? |
Most families will not be exposed to
high levels of chlorine gas.
Household products containing substances
such as sodium hypochlorite (which may release chlorine gas)
should be stored in safe locations, out of the reach of children.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to chlorine? |
Specific tests for the presence of chlorine
in the blood or urine are not generally useful. If a severe
exposure has occurred, blood and urine analyses and other
tests may show whether damage has occurred to the lungs and
gastrointestinal tract. Some of these tests can be performed
in a doctor's office. Some testing may require hospital facilities.
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Has
the federal government made recommendations to protect human
health? |
The EPA has set a limit for drinking
water of 4 milligrams of chlorine per liter of water (4 mg/L)
and also recommends that levels of chlorine in lakes and streams
be limited to 10 mg/L to prevent possible human health effects
from drinking water or eating fish contaminated with this
chemical.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a permissable exposure limit for chlorine of
1 parts per million (ppm) for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) set a ceiling limit of 1 part of chlorine per million
parts of workplace air (1 ppm). The American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends a time-weighted
average (TWA) threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.5 ppm of chlorine
for an 8-hour per day, 40-hour work week, and a short-term
exposure level (STEL) of 1 ppm of chlorine.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 2002. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents.
Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute
Chemical Exposures: Chlorine. Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service. |
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Where can I get
more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns.
For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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