Chlorine Advertisement

Each element on the periodic table has its own properties. This makes chlorine different from any other element. Chlorine is a greenish-yellow gas, which is why it gets its name from the Greek word for “greenish-yellow.”

Many of chlorine’s properties come from its being a halogen. A halogen is in Group 7A, which means that it has seven outer electrons. It only needs one more electron to become stable. To become stable, it must combine with another element in a compound. Since it is only stable in a compound, chlorine is never found in nature in its elemental form. It is only found in compounds, many of which have practical, beneficial uses for people.

One of its benefits was first used in London in the mid-1800s. London’s sewage system was not a good one, and it fed the sewage back into the nearby rivers. That was a major problem because it was contaminating the drinking water. Sickness came, and this soon turned into an epidemic, killing over 25,000 people. Research was done, and it was found that water treatment based on the use of chlorine made the water safer to drink. Chlorine is still used as a disinfectant in water sources today. It is especially used after a natural disaster comes, which increases the need for safe, reliable water.

A related benefit is chlorine’s usefulness in cleaning products. Bleach, the stain remover, contains chlorine. Both powdered calcium chlorate and sodium chlorate are used in the bleach that people use for laundry. Fortunately, both compounds are cheap and easy to produce, which means a cheap price for the consumer. In addition, chlorine is used in common dry cleaning solvents.

Chlorine has many industrial uses. Chlorine-based compounds are often used in manufacturing and often help to produced things, even when the final product does not end up containing chlorine. For example, chlorine is used in the automotive industry since many of the car parts can be made more efficiently if it is used. The manufacture of jet engines even requires chlorine. On a more personal note, many household items are made with the help of chlorine.

The medical field often relies on chlorine. Many medicines need it. In fact, it is estimated that 85% of pharmaceutical drugs are either manufactured with or contain chlorine. Chlorine is also used in the production of plastics that hospitals use for blood bags, x-ray film, and prosthetics.

Although chlorine offers many benefits and practical uses, there are also some hazards and drawbacks of this element. People are very sensitive to the presence of chlorine because it irritates the nose’s membranes. It causes damage to body tissue and unpleasantly draws fluids out of the body into the lungs. A person exposed to this could die after a few minutes. Since the gas is so poisonous to breathe, transporting it is risky and dangerous. Chlorine is also found in some pesticides, which can become dangerous if used improperly or in excess.