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Asked by Nick bright twitchstar to Caroline, Derrick, Mark, Marta, Sammy on 11 Jul 2017.
Question: why is chlorine gas poisonous
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Marta Maia answered on 11 Jul 2017:
Chlorine gas poisoning is illness resulting from the effects of exposure to toxic levels of chlorine. The signs of acute chlorine gas poisoning are primarily respiratory, and include difficulty breathing and cough; listening to the lungs will generally reveal crackles. There will generally be sneezing, nose irritation, and throat irritation. There may also be skin irritation or chemical burns and eye irritation or conjunctivitis. A person with chlorine gas poisoning may also have nausea, vomiting, or a headache. Chronic exposure to relatively low levels of chlorine gas may cause pulmonary problems like acute wheezing attacks, chronic cough with phlegm, and asthma.
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Sammy Wambua answered on 11 Jul 2017:
Hi Nick,
I assume that you are asking about the mechanisms of chlorine’s biological activity. This is poorly understood. However, damage to respiratory tract is thought to result from chlorine’s intermediate water solubility and deep penetration. Cellular injury is believed to result from the oxidation of functional groups in cell components, from reactions with tissue water to form hypochlorous and hydrochloric acid, and from the generation of free oxygen radicals.
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Caroline Ogwang answered on 13 Jul 2017:
Hi Nick,
Chlorine poisoning occurs when someone swallows or breathes in (inhales) chlorine. Chlorine gas is a lung irritant with intermediate water solubility that causes acute damage in the upper and lower respiratory tract.
It is the chemical reactions /strong acid produced that damages tissue.
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