Exposure to Chlorine
Chlorine is a corrosive chemical with an irritating, pungent odor like bleach. Chlorine exposure occurs primarily through inhalation of chlorine gas from the environment as a result of a chemical spill or industrial accident. Because chlorine is about two and a half times denser than the air we breathe, when chlorine gas is released into the air, it stays low to the ground, which can prolong the amount of time one is exposed to it. Another danger from chlorine exposure is that the irritating nature of the chemical can cause fatigue of the olfactory senses; that is, one's nose literally gets worn out from chlorine, so after a while one may not smell it. This effect can increase the risk of chlorine exposure, because a person may not realize they are continuing to inhale chlorine.
Low exposure to chlorine causes throat, eye and skin irritation. With prolonged exposure, symptoms can progress to:
- Chest pain
- Chest tightness
- Burning sensations in the throat and sternum
- Tears in the eyes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Wheezing, as in asthma
- Dyspnea, or shortness of breath
- Choking
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Abdominal discomfort
- Bronchospasm, which may begin as coughing without being able to stop and progress to the inability to breathe normally
- Pulmonary edema, or liquid in the lungs resulting from inflammation
- Hoarseness
More severe incidents of chlorine inhalation can lead to pneumonia, multiple pulmonary thromboses, and ulcerative tracheobronchitis.
Children exposed to chlorine gas in the same area as adults are at greater risk because they have a greater lung surface area in comparison to their body weight, and are lower to the ground where larger concentrations of chlorine gas may linger.
Sources: Eli Segal and Eddy Lang, "Toxicity, Chlorine Gas," eMedicine.com, accessed October 6, 2006.
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