are chlorine natural or humans made
Chlorine is generally found only in industrial settings. Chlorine enters the body breathed in with contaminated air or when consumed with contaminated food or water. It does not remain in the body, due to its reactivity. Effects of chlorine on human health depend on how the amount of chlorine that is present, and the length and frequency of exposure. Chlorine irritates the skin, the eyes, and the respiratory system. These effects are not likely to occur at levels of chlorine that are normally found in the environment. Human health effects associated with breathing or otherwise consuming small amounts of chlorine over long periods of time are not known. Water and wastewater treatment plants use chlorine to reduce water levels of microrganisms that can spread disease to humans (disinfection). Exposure to chlorine can occur in the workplace or in the environment following releases to air, water, or land. and some natural organochlorinated products exhibit potent antibacterial and anticancer properties; A large family. Organohalogens - organic compounds containing chlorine, bromine, iodine or fluorine - have been made by nature throughout the earth's history. Deposits have been found in lignite samples (woody textured rock) of 15 million years old and bituminous coal of 300 million years old. Chlorine-based compounds are made by marine organisms (sponges, corals, sea slugs, jellyfish and seaweeds), plants, seeds, fungi, lichens, bacteria, freshwater algae and insects. Seaweeds produce at least 400 organohalogens, and certain phytoplankton and seaweeds produce chlorinated metabolites tentatively identified as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, compounds well known as chlorinated solvents. Chlorine often imparts many desired properties in an organic compound when it is substituted for hydrogen (synthetic rubber), so it is widely use in organic chemistry, in the production of chlorates, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and in the bromine extraction. Chlorine in the environment Chlorine in Nature. Chlorine is a highly reactive element which practically does not exist by itself in nature, but only in combination with other elements. In some rare situations, such as in human tears, free chlorine as such can be detected. It is one of the most common elements in nature, where it is even more plentiful than carbon. Among the inorganic chlorinated substances, common salt is of course the best example. Chlorine in Nature Chlorine is a highly reactive element which practically does not exist by itself in nature, but only in combination with other elements. In some rare situations, such as in human tears, free chlorine as such can be detected. On land, some 300 natural chlorine-based compounds are known to be produced by terrestrial fungi and plants. These range from the chloromethane released by wood-rotting fungi to complex chlorinated polyacetylenes made by plants of the Aster family. This element is a part of the halogen series forming salts. It is extracted from chlorides through oxidation and electrolysis. Chlorine gas is greenish-yellow and combines readily with nearly all other elements. Applications. Chlorine is an important chemical in water purification, in disinfectants, in bleach and in mustard gas.
Chlorine is human made