While we all know how important it is to have fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in our homes, you may not know that chlorine gas detectors are a very important piece of safety equipment in places where waste water is processed. This is because chlorine gas is poisonous, and being exposed to high levels of it can lead to very serious issues. Here’s what you need to know.
How Chlorine Gas Impacts the Lungs
Chlorine gas can irritate the respiratory tract if inhaled, which can cause bronchitis, pulmonary edema, and fluid in the lungs. Symptoms very similar to asthma can start to occur, and even two days after being exposed to this gas, people can have non-fatal symptoms like trouble breathing and feeling as though they are choking.
How Chlorine Gas Impacts the Eyes
It can also cause a severe reaction in the eyes, such as redness, burning, and stinging, as well as frostbite in the eye and even blindness. If a person comes into contact with chlorine gas in its liquid form, the chance of burns in the eye is much higher. Burns can range from mild to third degree.
How Chlorine Gas Impacts the Skin
The gas is also a skin irritant and can cause frostbite, and even tissue death. It is very common for people exposed to this gas to experience numb, tingling skin, and burning sensations. The skin that isn’t severely affected by the gas will often look very yellow or have a waxy sheen for several days after.
How Chlorine Gas Can Lead to Death
Some people who are exposed to this gas begin vomiting blood, have headaches and will suffer from a chronic inability to draw deep breaths. Eventually, enough exposure will cause a person to pass out, and long-term exposure to high levels of this chemical could even cause death in severe cases.
Chlorine Gas Detectors Save Lives
With everything that chlorine gas can do to a person, having detectors for high levels of chlorine gas in places where this gas is found, is extremely important. It allows people to know when they need to get out of an area and seek medical attention. Because chlorine is one of the best options for disinfecting water in treatment plants like those that Capco Water Solutions serves, we always recommend having chlorine gas detectors in these types of settings.
