Pros And Cons Of Chlorine Some people are bitterly opposed to the addition of chlorine to tap water, even if they concur with its use in swimming pool water, but there those who oppose using it in pools as well. However, the government must have its reasons for adding chlorine to our general water supply, so in this piece, we will look at the pros and cons of chlorine. Chlorine is an element and its name in Ancient Greek means 'light green'. It has been known for millenia and in its most common guise it is encountered as sodium chloride, which is better known as common salt. We eat it in and on our food every day. It is a food taste enhancer, but in excess, it is blamed for corpulence because of water retention and high blood pressure. Chlorine can be smelled and in its gaseous form, chlorine was used to poison soldiers in the trenches of the First World War. However, chlorine comes in many compounds and even compounds of compounds and so is simple to become baffled. It is an oxidizer and so can be utilized as a bleach and therefore as a disinfectant. Hence, its use in swimming pools and toilets. However, it has also been blamed for getting into the upper atmosphere and thinning the ozone layer. The fact of the matter is that, in its most native, pure, elemental form, chlorine is extremely toxic, but on the other hand, it is crucial to most types of life including human life. In short, it is a hazardous but necessary chemical. Hydrochloric acid is one of the most hazardous acids on the planet but has numerous industrial uses, such as the production of some plastics and food additives, good and bad. Without hydrochloric acid in your stomach, you would have a hard time digesting your food because it is a small but crucial percentage of your stomach acid. Chlorine binds with most things to form compounds and so it is no shock that it forms compounds with minerals leached from the soil by rivers and finds its way down to the sea. Chlorine is responsible, in compounds, for the salty taste of the sea and thereby the hygiene of the sea despite all the natural waste that is deposited it in by fish and mammals. It maintains their environment in a condition that can sustain life. Humans have lived off the fruits of the sea for tens of thousands of years. Chlorine is used in our drinking water in the guise of hypochlorous acid. As a killer of bacteria, chlorine is six times more effective than iodine. Having said that, it reacts badly with proteins like human skin and hair, because it is a strong oxidizer. Being such a strong oxidizer also means that it may be used to form explosive mixtures which is why people are usually recommended on the containers not to mix bleaching compounds at home.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several topics, but is currently involved with Insect Exterminator issues. If you would like to know more, go over to our website at Bugs Infestation.