Chlorine Your Health and the Environment

the 50’s populations of several Chlorine, Your bird species, including the Health, and the bald eagle, dropped drastically. It caused female Environment birds to produce eggs with By Brooke Mueller thinning shells, and caused males to be born with In Nature feminized reproductive In nature Chlorine is only found organs. PCB’s had a similar combined with other elements, effect on birds and fish in the chiefly sodium in the form of Great Lakes region. DDT is common salt (NaCl), that render it being proposed again as a safe to the environment and your solution for malaria in some health. 3rd world countries.

Organochlorines Where Chlorine is used? Chlorine is conventionally split from sodium molecules and used in  Paper Chlorine is used to combination with other chemicals bleach wood pulp in the paper containing carbon to form what are production process and also called organochlorines. If a product to remove ink when recycling shows a list of its ingredients, any paper. Everyday, an average word containing the letters 'chloro' size pulp mill using chlorine suggest the presence of an based bleaching chemistry will organochlorine. In making release around 50,000,000 organochlorine products, highly toxic gallons of water contaminated by-products such as dioxins are with bio-accumulative toxic inadvertently made at the same time. organochlorine compounds These harmful byproducts of the (dioxins, furans, PCBs, industrial process accumulate in chlordane, etc) into our water body-fat and in the environment and supply. are more concentrated the farther  Packaging /Plastics Many of the you go up the food chain. products that we buy are predominantly made of or Some specific names of encased in plastics that contain organochlorine toxins chlorine such as PVC (polyvinylchloride). Many  PCB’s toxic aromatic plastics that do not contain compounds found as waste in chlorine still involve it at some the industrial process stage in their production.  Dioxins the #1 deadliest toxin  Drinking Water Chlorine is produced by man! used to kill bacteria and other  DDT this pesticide is one of microbes in drinking water the earliest examples of the supplies. environmental impact of an  Insecticides and Herbicides organochlorine compound. In Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in synthetic glycerine, methyl North America and Europe chlorides, chlorinated and an extremely common benzenes, tetraethyl lead, contaminant of groundwater fluorine compounds, titanium and surface water. tetrachloride,  Solvents such as Methylene monochloroacetic acid, chloride: a common solvent phosgene, chloroisocyanuric and paint-stripper. acid, phosphorus chloride  Dyestuffs such as dichlorobutene, and chlorinate Dichlorobenzidines, paraffins. dichloropropane and trichloro-  Paints propane that are  Petroleum Products intermediates used in the  Pharmaceuticals chemical industry to produce  Deodorant dyes and other chemicals.  Cosmetics  Antiseptics in the sterilization  Toothpaste phase before a root canal, tooth extraction, and irrigation of wounds Effects on Human Health  Food used to clean dairy The effects of chlorine on human equipment and meats health depend on the amount of  Cooling Systems to control chlorine that is present, the length, bio-fouling in cooling systems and frequency of exposure. and as a compound in refrigerants as well as in Many organochlorines persist in the antifreeze environment for decades or even  Textiles such as polyesters centuries. Many also accumulate in plus they are used to shrink the tissues of living things, proof wool multiplying in concentration as they  Manufacturing synthetic move up the food chain. Over the rubber, and plastics as decades, they have built to higher mentioned before, and to and higher levels in the ecosystem, dentin and de-zinc iron, in the food chain, and in the bodies chlorinated hydrocarbons, of wildlife and people. polyvinyl chloride, ethylene Organochlorines now contaminate dichloride hypochlorous acid, the bodies of all people: 177 chlorobenzene, chlorinated organochlorines have been found in lime, carbon tetrachloride, the tissues and fluids of people in ethylene and propylene North America, including a wide oxides, glycols, range of pesticides, solvents, trichloroethylene, chemical by-products, and other perchloroethylene, chloroform, compounds. Hundreds more vinylidene chloride, organochlorines are known to be polychloroproprene, hydrogen present but have not yet been chloride, metal chlorides, individually identified. chloracetic acid, chloral, Limited Exposure Breathing small amounts of chlorine  Cancer A major statistical (1-60 parts per million) for short review of US studies has periods of time will adversely affect found that people who drink the human respiratory system chlorinated drinking water are (streaming nose, coughing sneezing, more likely to contract rectal choking, water retention in the lungs and bladder cancer. and chest pain). Chlorine irritates the  Lung Damage including fatal skin, causes blisters to form, makes pulmonary edema, the eyes water, and invites nausea, emphysema, damage to the vomiting, headaches, dizziness and pulmonary blood vessels, fainting. pneumonia, oxygen deficiency leading to cardiac arrest, and Exposures to higher concentrations respiratory bleeding of Chlorine such as 430 ppm are  Immune System Damage lethal in over 30 minutes; and at especially in children 1,000 ppm, will cause death within a  Reproductive Issues Miscarriage, Sterility and Low few minutes. Death occurs in the Sperm Count, Testicular form of asphyxia, shock, reflex Cancer, Endometriosis, Birth spasm in the larynx, or massive Defects pulmonary oedema. Poisonings have  Nervous System Damage occurred in the chlorine industry Behavioral Changes since its inception. especially in children. Children ingest significantly more food Continued Exposure and water per pound of body The pollution caused by the weight than adults. Therefore, widespread use of chlorine has been they are more susceptible to linked to a variety of serious health toxins in their food and water effects. Chlorine compounds have supply. accumulated in the body fat of  Inflammation of the Cornea animals and humans mostly since  Dermatitis the industrial revolution.  Liver Damage  Kidney Damage Dioxins, introduced before as a toxin  Digestive Tract Damage created in the production of  Corrosion of Teeth organochlorines, masquerade as a hormone in the human cell division How might I be exposed to processes. Dioxins influence the chlorine? cellular DNA to produce a range of enzymes and hormones that actually The dominant exposure for the control the growth and division of general public is likely to be from cells. Unlike natural hormones, which drinking chlorinated drinking water are short-lived, dioxin's activity in the and using household chemicals cell is difficult to switch off. Dioxins (such as bleach, disinfectants, and cause cancer. pool chemicals) that may release chlorine during use. Within the general population, some people will dairy products at risk for high levels have relatively low intakes of dioxin, of dioxins. and some will receive higher than average doses because of their diet What Has Been Done to Reduce (fatty foods), and from living near to the Amount of Chlorine in the dioxin sources (such as water and Environment? wastewater treatment plants).  PVC is a health hazard during Adverse Effects on the the manufacture process and Environment when handled. It can’t be disposed of or even recycled! The Organochlorines that are created Association of Post Consumer and released from the chlorine Plastics Recyclers declared bleaching processes persist a long efforts to recycle PVC a failure time and travel throughout the global and labeled it a contaminant in environment. They build up in the 1998. Today many companies fatty tissues of fish and other have begun to remove the use of animals, as well as in water, soils, chlorine or PVC from their sediments and the organic mater of products: Microsoft, Lego, Nike, lakes and rivers. Biologists believe and Mattel, to name a few. that organochlorines may be responsible for mutations, sterility,  There are numerous immune system failures and local manufacturers of paper and extinctions in many wildlife household cleaning products that populations. Industrial do not use chlorine: Seventh organochlorines can now be found in Generation, Bio-Kleen, Ecover ecosystems absolutely everywhere and my personal favorite, on the planet from our deepest EarthFriendly. oceans to Arctic polar bears.  Cities are also responding. PVC is not allowed as a building Depletion of the Ozone Layer have material in San Francisco and is you ever heard of the term banned in New York. “chlorofluorocarbons?” These organochlorines are responsible for a great deal of the break down of our  CFC’s such as Freon planets ozone layer. used as a heat transfer medium in refrigeration and air Acid Rain conditioning systems, as a The burning of plastics and solvents propellant in aerosol cans, to containing organochlorines result in foam plastics in production of polluted air which affects the insulation and packing materials surrounding area, falling on were phased out by 95. agricultural land and accumulating in the food chain, putting food such as  In, 92 the International Joint Commission, an environmental advisory group organized by the U.S. and Canadian government, What Can You Do? formally recommended that the use of chlorine and chlorine Look and Ask compounds be phased out Avoid packaging that contains entirely. The IJC renewed this organochlorines; PVC packaging is recommendation in its 94 biennial often labeled with a "V", ASK report. companies if their products contain organochlorines, and ask  The National Wildlife supermarkets what their packaging is Federation, widely considered to made from. Avoid plastics with the # be a moderate environmental 3 recycling symbol (PVC) and Saran group, also supports the chlorine Wrap. ban. Pool Filtration  DDT and PCB’s are now Better filtration and pool banned in the US maintenance would reduce the amount of hypochlorite used. There  In Israel, national policies to are a number of earth friendly ban organochlorines appear to alternatives, so ask your spa have helped reduce breast company for more information. cancer rates. Until the mid-1970s, both breast cancer rates and Encourage Change contamination levels by several Alternatives for purifying water such organochlorine pesticides were as ozone, ultraviolet radiation, and among the very highest in the desalinization exist world. Following an aggressive phase-out program of those Paper Purchases chemicals, contamination levels Purchase recycled, UNBLEACHED dropped to the levels found in paper. Don’t be misled by ECF other countries, and breast Labels (Elemental Chlorine Free). cancer mortality quickly followed, ECF papers are bleached in chlorine dropping to a rate similar to that dioxide. Bleaching pulp with chlorine in other nations. This decline, dioxide uses 20 times more water which was distributed across age and energy than chlorine-free groups in a “dose-response” processes. pattern, is especially notable, given the rapid increases in Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) is breast cancer that were taking reserved for recycled content paper. place in other nations during the This includes all recycled fibers used same period. Further, all other as a feedstock that meet EPA dietary and reproductive risk guidelines for recycled or post- factors in Israel actually grew consumer content. PCF papers have worse during the period in not been re-bleached with chlorine question. containing compounds. Minimum of 30% post-consumer content is required. The PCF emblem is the only certification mark  The mill does not use old in the world that clearly growth forest for any of the identifies: virgin pulp.

 No chlorine or chlorine  Provides the mill with compound were used in the recommendations on product papermaking process. quality and increased productivity.  How the mill determined post consumer content. Go to: www.chlorinefreeproducts.org for a list of chlorine free paper products.  The mill has no current or pending violations. Drinking Water  The mill does not use old Purchase a water filter system for growth forest for any of the your home and purchase a filtered virgin pulp. water bottle for use outside the home.  Provides the mill with recommendations on product Home Remodeling quality and increased Use water based paint removers and productivity. do not let your contractor install PVC (or ABS) piping in your kitchen or  The product contains at least bath remodel project: use cast iron, 30% post-consumer content. steel or copper.

Totally Chlorine Insecticide Choices Free is reserved for Minimize the use of insecticides with virgin fiber papers. ingredients with the syllable “chloro” TCF papers do not in them. Ask your garden center for use pulp produced eco friendly ways to eliminate pests. with chlorine or chlorine containing compounds as bleaching agents. Dry Cleaning Either avoid dry cleaning your The TCF emblem is the only clothes or go to an environmentally certification mark in the world that friendly dry cleaner. Go to clearly identifies: http://www.drycleaningstation.com to find an earth friendly dry cleaner  No chlorine or chlorine near you. compounds were used in the papermaking process.

 The mill has no current or pending violations. Sources 1.Lenntech: an international water treatment and water purification company http://www.lenntech.com/Periodic-chart- elements/Cl-en.htm

2. The Women's Environmental Network Trust a Registered Charity educating, informing and empowering women who care about the environment http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/w l314.pdf

3. The Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/chemfact/f_chlori.txt

4. The Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Water Resources http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance- info/profiles/20.html

5. The Women’s Environmental Network http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/reports/wenchl orine.html

6. Bella Online article; “There’s Nothing Green About Chlorine” www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44081.asp

7. The Environmental Literacy Council http://www.enviroliteracy.org

8. The West Virginia University Extension www.wvu.edu/exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/wig314. pdf

9. 5 things everyone should know about chlorine bleached paper www.rustletheleaf.com