Chlorine Poisoning Symptoms

Chlorine is a yellowish green colored gas at room temperature with a unique pungent odor. Chlorine is widely used as a water disinfectant and as a bleaching agent in the production of paper and cloth. Besides these, chlorine is also used in household bleach and in the manufacturing of chlorides, pesticides, polymers, synthetic rubbers and refrigerators. Though chlorine is widely used in chemical industries and in households, still, exposure to large doses of chlorine can be extremely poisonous to the body. Chlorine is slightly soluble in water and reacts with moisture to form hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), two extremely poisonous compounds.

Chlorine Poisoning or Exposure
It can occur due to direct and indirect exposure to chlorine gas. Chlorine is one of the largest volume gases produced in the United States. Since its widespread use in industries, its exposure can occur due to accidental spills or releases, or in the worst case, even from terrorist attacks. Chlorine exposure can also result from coming in direct contact with bleach products that are used in our daily household chores. It is worst when the gas enters the body through the respiratory passage. Chlorine poisoning from swimming pool is often due to the uncontrolled addition of chlorine tablets in the swimming pool. Besides these, food or water contaminated with chlorine can be accidentally consumed by some people leading to severe poisoning from this lethal gas.

Signs and Symptoms of Chlorine Poisoning
Some of the signs of chlorine poisoning have been discussed below.

Respiratory Problems
Chlorine gas has a pungent and irritating odor. It is extremely difficult to breathe in an area where chlorine gas has leaked accidentally. Many people may also develop sore throat, that can cause breathing difficulties. In severe cases of chlorine poisoning, the lungs may experience pulmonary edema. Pulmonary edema is a condition of the lungs in which there is a fluid accumulation in the lungs, due to impaired gas exchange. In pulmonary edema the person may face difficulty in breathing accompanied by excessive sweating, pale skin and anxiety.

Blood and Other Facial Parts
Chlorine poisoning can lead to drastic changes in the pH level of the blood which is dangerous for various other organs of the body. For eyes and other facial parts, it can lead to loss of vision and there can be severe burning sensation in the ears, throat and nose.

Effect on the Gastrointestinal Tract
It leads to burns in the esophagus and causes severe pain in the abdomen. Ingestion of chlorine can also lead to excessive vomiting and blood in the stool.

Skin Irritation
Skin is the most sensitive organ in the body and exposure to chlorine gas is easily evident on the skin. Skin irritation with burns and rashes are also some common signs.

Chlorine Poisoning Treatments
If there is any incident of chlorine poisoning, then instead of panicking one should follow the following tips.

• Seek medical help and follow the first aid instructions immediately.
• If the symptoms are on the skin or in the eyes, flush a lot of water on the affected area for 10 - 15 minutes.
• If the person has inhaled the poisonous gas, move him / her to a fresh air environment, immediately.
• If one experiences leakage of the gas from some factory or some place, immediately move away from the place and inform the concerned authorities. Call the emergency co-coordinators who will ask you to evacuate the area or seek shelter indoors, so that the exposure to chemical is avoided, possibly to a large extent.

As such, there is no particular antidote for chlorine treatment, however, chlorine poisoning symptoms can be controlled and many people recover from it after receiving hospital care.