Chlorine - 17Cl: biological information
Chlorine as chloride (Cl-) is essential for mammals and plants. Digestive juices in the stomache contain hydrochloric acid.
Levels in humans
The abundances of the elements in humans.
- Human abundance by weight: 1200000 ppb by weight
- Human abundance by atoms: 210000 atoms relative to C = 1000000
How much chlorine is in your body? Find out here.
You can use this form to calculate how much chlorine your body contains. Enter your weight in either kilograms or pounds and click the "Calculate" button. You must enter a number, not text! Elements for which there are no data will always give a value of zero for the weight, no matter what you put in the weight box.
Hazards and Risks
Hazards and risks associated with chlorine:
Chlorine gas is very toxic because of its strong oxidising nature. Even low concentrations of chlorine gas attack eyes, throats, and lungs with painful effects. Chloride is relatively harmless.
References
- J.E. Huheey, E.A. Keiter, and R.L. Keiter in Inorganic Chemistry : Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th edition, HarperCollins, New York, USA, 1993.
- S. Budavari (Ed.) in The Merck Index, 11th ed., Merck, USA, 1989.
- N.N. Greenwood and A. Earnshaw in Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd edition, Butterworth, UK, 1997.