The Greek word chlōrós derived from the French word chlore , which came into our language as chlorine . This is the name given to the chemical element whose symbol is Cl and its atomic number is 17 .
Chlorine, which in the periodic table of elements is part of the halogen group, normally occurs as a yellowish or greenish gas that is characterized by its toxicity . It is an element present in copious quantities on our planet .
Plant and animal tissues, salt deposits and seawater have chlorine. It is important to note that, in nature, it is not usually found in its pure state due to its tendency to react quickly when in contact with various compounds and chemical elements. That is why it appears as chlorates , chlorites or chlorides .
Carl Wilhelm Scheele , a Swedish chemist born in 1742 and died in 1786, was the one who discovered chlorine in 1774. Scheele , however, thought that chlorine was a compound with oxygen . It was not until 1810 that another chemist, the Englishman Humphry Davy (1778-1829), managed to demonstrate that chlorine was a chemical element.
Chlorine, through various compounds, has multiple uses. One of the most frequent is water disinfection . Chlorine is often added to the water used to fill swimming pools, for example. This substance is also used as a pesticide and in the production of plastics, solvents, bleaches and dyes. Below we delve into these and other uses in more detail.
In addition to swimming pool water, drinking water can also be kept safe thanks to chlorine chemistry . Before governments began treating water with disinfectants based on this element, hundreds of people died each year from diseases such as typhoid fever, hepatitis A, dysentery and cholera, among others that are transmitted through water. water.
The action of chlorine in these cases, specifically when used in disinfectants for pool water, focuses on destroying pathogens capable of causing diseases , both those mentioned in the previous paragraph and skin rashes, diarrhea and athlete's foot.
Chlorine is also used in the home, in this case in the form of a product that is used to disinfect and whiten clothing and furniture in the bathroom and kitchen. We are talking about diluted bleach and some solutions in water, which act effectively against germs present in various parts of the house that can cause diseases, among which is norovirus .
In another area, chlorine serves to protect plantations from pests, to guarantee the quality and abundance of crops, which then become human food. Thanks to its use it is possible to destroy salmonella and the E. coli virus , to name just two examples.
Chlorine is also used to manufacture many of the most used medications today, including those that are used to calm the symptoms of certain allergies, reduce the pain of arthritis and lower cholesterol. Chlorine can also be found in clinical medicine articles ; Some examples are stitches, inhalers, and blood bags.
Constantius Chlorus , finally, is the name by which Flavius Valerius Constantius , Roman emperor who held the titles of Caesar and Augustus, is known. He founded the Constantinian dynasty and helped defeat the usurper Alecto, in addition to leading various military campaigns. His death was sudden and triggered the collapse of the system of government that the emperor Diocletian had established.