The chemical element chlorine is a halogen that is used to make a wide range of products that many of us use every day. Chlorine is pronounced as KLOR-een or as KLOR-in and it has many uses in the world today. It is used in commercial manufacturing of chlorides, polymers, pesticides, chlorinated solvents, refrigerants and synthetic rubbers. In many cases chlorine is put together with other elements to help create different sorts of products that we all use. It can be used in liquid form and as a compressed gas.
Chlorine is not found naturally in water such as streams, lakes, rivers, ponds and oceans. However, one of the main uses of chlorine is using it to disinfect water in pools, sewage and even drinking water. Chlorine is added to drinking water to kill harmful bacteria. If you want to sanitize water then using chlorine is the most effective way of doing it. Chlorine is the most commonly used drinking water disinfectant and it is also commonly used as an antiseptic.
Governments will often use chlorine to disinfect water for use by the general public as it kills the microorganisms that can cause diseases. It can kill potentially fatal diseases like legionnaire’s disease that is common in water sources. Chlorine is added to drinking water as either a gas or after having been already dissolved in water. Adding a toxic gas to water might sound incredibly dangerous to your health but small doses of chlorine are harmless.
When it comes to swimming pools and spas, chlorine is by far the most used of all the swimming pool chemicals available. Chlorine is used to disinfect swimming pools to prevent algae and bacteria from building up in the water. Most swimming pool chemicals that contain chlorine also include a mix of acids and alkalines. People who use chlorine-based laundry bleach and swimming pool chemicals are not exposed to chlorine itself. There is a danger of being exposed to chlorine gas if you make these mistakes with swimming pool chemicals. Individuals may also be exposed to it if swimming pool chemicals are accidentally mixed with acids or too much sodium hypochlorite is added to the water over a short period of time. If enough acid is added to lower the pH of the hypochlorite solution to below 4, chlorine gas will be released.
Algae are adapted to a given environment, just as other organisms are. Algae often makes natural toxins, that are released when the algae dies and starts breaking down in the water. Algae can be smelly and unsightly as well as being toxic to humans, pets, and livestock. The algae can support the greater biomass of the next trophic level only because they can reproduce as fast as they are eaten. There are a number of different types of algae, these are called brown, red and blue green algae. They are named after the different colours they are. Blue-green algae can be suspended at various depths in the water, and their location depends on a number of factors. Most algae love a warm environment with shallow, undisturbed water that will get a lot of light from the sun. Blue-green algae can become a nuisance species when adequate nutrients and favorable environmental conditions are present.