Chlorine is a chemical used in cleaning products, such as bleach, and to disinfect swimming pools. Along with other cleaning ingredients, chlorine’s main role in cleaning products is to disinfect by killing germs.

But exposure to concentrated chlorine by swallowing, touching or inhaling it can be harmful, potentially causing chemical burns or skin blisters, eye damage or difficulty breathing. If you or someone else shows signs of chlorine poisoning, it is essential to get emergency medical care quickly.

How chlorine poisoning occurs

Chlorine is often mixed with water and other chemicals to kill germs in swimming pools. Chlorine found in household or industrial cleaners is used to destroy germs and also helps sanitize organic debris or light residue.

Moderate exposure to chlorine

When you swim in a pool, the chlorine in the water is diluted, so it should not harm your skin or eyes. You may experience a mild rash this should be resolved with lotion. You can also inhale very diluted chlorine present in the air around a swimming pool. Even swallowing a few drops of pool water should not be dangerous.

You can touch or inhale chlorine when you clean with products containing chlorine or when you enter a room cleaned with these products.

Excessive exposure to chlorine

If you are exposed to large amounts of highly concentrated chlorine, its destructive and corrosive chemical actions (alone or mixed with other chemical ingredients) can be dangerous. You could get chlorine poisoning from swallowing cleansers, getting it on your skin or in your eyes, or inhaling it in a closed environment.

Chronic exposure to chlorine

Chronic exposure to low-dose chlorine may occur in people who work with cleaning products, around swimming pools, in water or wastewater treatment facilities, or in certain industries. Health effects include tooth corrosion and reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS). RADS is a type of asthma induced by a chemical irritant.

Symptoms to watch out for

If you have reason to believe that you or your child has been exposed to harmful amounts of chlorine, be on the lookout for symptoms. Symptoms may appear immediately or be delayed for a few hours and worsen quickly.

Skin

Contacting chlorine with your skin, for example by contacting undiluted bleach, can cause irritation and a burning sensation. You should watch out for redness, itching, pain, or blisters.

Eyes

Having concentrated chlorine in your eyes can cause redness and irritation and cause a burning sensation on the surface of your eyes and eyelids.

Respiratory

Inhaling chlorine from a swimming pool, being near a chlorine spill or puddle, or being in an industrial environment can cause coughing or sneezing. Severe cases can cause breathing difficulties, wheezingand signs of hypoxia (low oxygen content in tissues). Signs of hypoxia include a bluish discoloration of the skin (especially on the lips and nail beds), which may appear gray or white in people with darker skin.

Swallow

If you swallow chlorine, it can burn your throat, esophagus (food pipe) and the rest of your digestive system. The resulting tissue damage can disrupt mineral levels in the bloodaffecting kidney and heart function. Serious cases of chlorine ingestion require immediate medical attention and can be life-threatening.

Immediate Actions to Take

If you or someone else has been exposed to high levels of chlorine or has symptoms of chlorine poisoning, take action while waiting for help to arrive.

The first thing to do is to move away from the exhibit. If you are outside in a high chlorine environment, leave the area or enter. If you find yourself indoors in an area with high chlorine concentrations, leave the building and go outside or to another location.

Your next steps depend on your type of chlorine exposure:

• Swallowing a chlorine-based pool cleaner or household cleaner: If you have swallowed chlorine-based cleaners, do not make yourself vomit. Contact Poison control for advice, by visiting www.poison.org or by calling 800-222-1222. Concentrated sources (such as laundry detergent pods or industrial-grade bleaches) can burn the throat, esophagus, and digestive system on the way down, and vomiting will cause additional burns on the way up.
• Chlorine splashed in your eyes: Wash your eyes with water for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Chlorine on your skin: Wash exposed area with chlorine or shower with mild soap and water.
• Inhaling chlorine in or around a swimming pool, from a household cleaner spill or in an industrial environment: Leave the area where the air is highly concentrated in chlorine.

Be sure to remove clothing that has been splashed with chlorine until the chlorine is removed.

Treatment of poisoning

Medical treatment for chlorine poisoning involves supportive interventions for adverse consequences.

You may need supplemental oxygen through a nasal cannula. This is a small plastic tube that is placed in your nose when you are awake and breathing. If you have serious lung damage, you may need to mechanical respiratory assistance. Your lung function would be monitored while your lungs heal.

If you have had a skin burn from chlorine, you will need medication to prevent a skin infection. Your healthcare professionals will also protect your skin with medications and bandages placed on your skin until it heals. If you have suffered a serious burn, you may also need a skin graftwhich is a surgical procedure to replace severely damaged skin.

If you have had burns to the surface of your eyes from chlorine damage, you may need to wear eye protection while your eyes heal.

During your healing process after swallowing chlorine, you may also receive intravenous fluids containing electrolytes (minerals).

Overall risk assessment

Anyone can suffer from chlorine poisoning from excessive exposure. Children are at higher risk due to their smaller bodies and airways. Pay attention to any symptoms your child exhibits during and after swimming.

It’s a good idea to shower after swimming in a pool. Some people like to wear swimming goggles to avoid a burning sensation in their eyes.

Wearing a face mask when cleaning with chlorinated products can help you avoid inhaling the chemicals. If cleaning is uncomfortable for your eyes, you may also consider wearing glasses or glasses.

Alternatives to chlorine-based household cleaners

A variety of cleaners and disinfectants are available on the market. You might consider using organic products or make your own products. Often, vinegar, mild soaps, baking soda, or even hot water can be sufficient for cleaning, although they do not disinfect.

However, mixing bleach with ammonia or another chemical can produce dangerous fumes. Make sure you understand chemical interactions before mixing different types of products.

Summary

Chlorine is a common ingredient in cleaners and disinfectants. Chlorine compounds are effective in destroying germs, preventing infections and stopping the growth of many harmful microorganisms.

If you or your child is exposed to highly concentrated amounts of chlorine in a swimming pool, your home, or an industrial environment, it can cause serious harm. Inhaling chlorine can injure the nose, throat and lungs. Swallowing chlorine can harm your throat, esophagus, and digestive system. Putting chlorine on your skin or eyes can cause burns.

If you or your child is exposed to any of these exposures, call the poison control center immediately for help and avoid further exposure while you wait for help. Treating chlorine poisoning can help your body heal.