From swimming pools to poisonous gases, chlorine is used throughout the lives of many, but many people don't realize the toxicity chlorine can have at certain levels. This document will explore the uses, structure and properties, routes of exposure, source, toxic effects and metabolism of chlorine. As well as providing precautions and tips to protect you from the toxic effects of chlorine. The uses of chlorine vary greatly and it is often found in many household items. Chlorine is used in swimming pools every summer for its effectiveness in killing bacteria, and many swimming pools use liquid chlorine. In plastics, chlorine is used in the formation of polyvinyl chloride. PVC is used in much of our construction industry, for example for doors, floors, window frames and panels. In medicine and safety, chlorine is often used in the pharmaceutical field in the synthesis of an active ingredient or to make organic compounds soluble in water. Chlorine also has high-tech uses. Chlorine is used in the production of many car parts, as well as CDs and DVDs. Titanium aircraft parts use chlorine in their production. Chlorine is present on the market in thousands of products used to clean the house. For cleaning, chlorine is used to disinfect by the dissociation process. When mixed with water, two acids form hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid. Hypochlorous acid is the active acid and reacts with bacteria destroying their cell walls, this in turn leaves the enzyme unprotected and cell death results. The chlorine levels in the mixture are then transformed into chloramines, which results in a decrease in chlorine levels as microorganisms and bacteria are killed. With many of the uses of chlorine, special precautions should be taken. Durin...... middle of paper......plastic and rubber. If a gas leak occurs, people should move to well-ventilated areas, and if significant inhalation occurs, oxygen should be administered. Chlorine is a heavy gas and comes close to the ground by collecting in closed, poorly ventilated areas (Department of Health, 2014). In conclusion, chlorine is an amazing molecule, used in so many things that improve our daily lives. Despite all its amazing properties, chlorine must be handled with care and special precautions should be taken when using and working around this chemical. This report demonstrated that the uses of chlorine are not always positive, that the toxicity can be substantial and harmful to the lungs, as well as the skin and eyes. With proper precautions, chlorine can continue to be used as a chemical that helps disinfect, as well as be formed into even better compounds.