Why is chlorine important to the body

What happens to chlorine in the body? What are the immediate health effects of chlorine exposure? Following chlorine exposure, the most common symptoms are: Airway irritation Wheezing Difficulty breathing Sore throat Cough Chest tightness Eye irritation Skin irritation The severity of health effects depend upon the route of exposure, the dose and the duration of exposure to chlorine.

What can you do if you think you may have been exposed to a release of chlorine? If you have been exposed to a release of chlorine, take the following steps: Quickly move away from the area where you think you were exposed.

If the release was indoors, go outdoors. If you are near a release of chlorine, emergency coordinators may tell you to either evacuate the area or to "shelter in place. While indoors, shut and lock all doors and windows, turn off air conditioners, fans and heaters, and close fireplace dampers.

Quickly remove any clothing that may have chlorine on it. If possible, clothing that is normally removed over the head like t-shirts and sweaters should be cut off the body to prevent additional contact with the agent. Place your clothing inside a plastic bag and seal the bag tightly. Do not handle the plastic bag, and wait for instructions on proper disposal. Disposing of your clothing in a sealed bag helps protect you and other people from additional exposure.

Store the bagged clothing in a secure location away from people, especially children. Quickly wash any chlorine from your skin with large amounts of soap and water, and flush your eyes with large amounts of water. Remove and dispose of contact lenses. Wash eyeglasses with soap and water before wearing. If needed, seek medical attention right away.

How is chlorine exposure treated? Will laboratory tests assist in making treatment decisions if someone has been exposed to chlorine? How can I get more information about chlorine? Call the following numbers, or visit the websites listed among the "Sources".

August 5, Although chloride sounds similar to chlorine, the two should not be confused! Chloride is a mineral needed for many bodily functions, whereas chlorine is mainly used to keep swimming pools clean. Chloride is one of the major minerals, which our bodies need in relatively larger amounts to keep healthy. Chloride is involved in many of our bodily functions. Similar to sodium and potassium , chloride creates specific channels in the membranes of our cells which help to carry different vital tasks.

For example, chloride channels are key in controlling the amount of water and the type of compounds and nutrients that go in and out of cells. Chloride is also important to help the muscles and heart contract and to help our nerve cells carry messages nerve impulses between the brain and the body. More so, this mineral is needed to help red blood cells exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide in both the lungs taking up oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide and other parts of the body delivering oxygen and taking up carbon dioxide.

Lastly, chloride also plays a role in the digestion of foods, by supporting the production and release of hydrochloric acid HCl in the stomach, without which foods could not be properly digested and absorbed. Following your country's dietary guidelines on a healthy and balanced diet, particularly in regard to salt intake, will help you meet your needs for chloride without risking exceeding the recommended amounts.

They should not be interpreted as nutrient goals. Most Americans probably get more chloride than they need from table salt and the salt in prepared foods. Too little chloride in the body can occur when your body loses a lot of fluids. This may be due to heavy sweating , vomiting , or diarrhea. Medicines such as diuretics can also cause low chloride levels. DRI is a term for a set of reference intakes that are used to plan and assess the nutrient intakes of healthy people.

These values, which vary by age and sex, include:. Markell M, Siddiqi HA. Vitamins and trace elements. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Nutrition: laboratory and clinical aspects.