Introduction
This paper is focused on the dangers of exposure to the chemical that was released in the environment by the L. A. Standard hotel. The effect that was felt in the environment was severe that initially it was thought that there was a terrorist gas attack at Metro station which is the place where the effect was felt most. After an investigation was done (by the FBI) it was established that a substantial amount of chlorine and hydrochloric acid had been released into the drainage system from the rooftop drain at L. A. Standard hotel.
The workers who had done this said that the amount of the chemical was 50 gallons (Scott, 2009). Several people were affected by the noxious chlorine gas which made two of them vomit. Hydrochloric acid is also known by other names such as hydrogen chloride gas and hydrogen chloride acid. The other names are hydrochloride and muriatic acid. The chemical symbol of hydrochloric acid is HCL.
Hydrochloric acid physical properties
A solution of hydrogen chloride in water results in the formation of hydrochloric acid.
The amount of water in which it is dissolved is what determines whether we have a concentrated acid or a dilute acid. Hydrogen chloride in liquid form is usually colorless and has a pungent odor that is irritating and while in the gaseous form the color is yellowish. The chemical’s melting point is -114.24. C, the boiling point is -85.06.C, and the specific gravity is 1.2 while the vapor density of the chemical is 1.268.
Hydrochloric acid Chemical properties
Hydrochloric acid is very corrosive and is usually handled in its dilute form. The acid usually reacts with metals like copper to generate hydrogen gas. A poisonous gas will be a result of exposure to hydrochloric acid to heat. Some of the chemicals that the acid can dissolve into are ether, alcohol, and benzene but the hydrocarbons group of chemicals does not dissolve in the chemical. Hydrochloric acid can react with amines, alkalis, hydroxides and metals.
Hydrochloric acid uses
Hydrochloric acid is used in the manufacturing processes of various chemicals like chloride dioxide, ammonium chloride and phosphoric acid. In the refining of the ores to extract tin and tantalum, there is the use of hydrochloric acid and in addition, it is used as a metal treating agent. Hydrochloric acid is a useful chemical in the removal of dust scales from boilers and also the heat exchange equipment. By use of the chemical, there is increased production of oil in the wells. Its use is also found in the production of rubber and when cleaning metal surfaces that need coating. Hydrochloric acid has various applications at the household level in commercial buildings and industrial buildings. It is used in the balancing of the pH of swimming pools.
Due to its ability to act as a bactericide, viricide as well a fungicide hydrochloric acid is normally applied in cleaning, for example, in kitchens. It is due to these uses that the chemical was found in the Standard hotel.
Ways of hydrochloric acid emissions
There are different ways in which the acid can find its way into the environment which can be broadly classified as point source emissions, diffuse source emissions, natural source emissions mobile source emissions and through consumer products. In the point source emission, the chemical is released to the environment from industries that manufacture organic chemicals, guided missiles manufacturing industries among others. The use of the chemical as a disinfectant at the household level and the industrial level acts as a diffuse source in the environment. The mobile sources originate from vehicles while the chemical can be released naturally in the environment when there is an occurrence of a volcanic eruption. People are also exposed to it through the use of consumer products like stain removers.
Health effects
Hydrochloric acid is dangerous when one is exposed to it as witnessed in the case of Standard hotel. Exposure to this chemical can be through inhaling the fumes or skin contact with hydrochloric acid. On analyzing hydrochloric acid as a health hazard, the chemical has a score of 1.5 on a scale that runs from 0-3. On this scale a score of 3 means a high health hazard, 2 is medium while one simply means a chemical is harmful. The extent to which the chemical is toxic and its ability to cause cancer are the factors that are considered when assigning the value to the chemical. On this scale, chemicals like Arsenic and ammonia have scores of 2.5 and 1.0 respectively.
Hydrochloric acid health effects
Individuals’ exposure to a concentrated hydrochloric acid may be fatal where one may collapse following glottic edema developed after inhaling the acid. On the other hand, exposing oneself to the chemical in its dilute form will cause one or a combination of these conditions: inflammation and ulceration of the respiratory tract, feeling of suffocation, dental erosion, vomiting, abdominal pains, lethargy among others. Suppose the acid is ingested or there is contact with the skin the result will be corrosion of the mucous membranes that will cause a lot of pain and dysphagia.
These can lead to gastric hemorrhage and also very intense thirst.
Effects on the Environment
Hydrogen chloride released in the air results in acid rain. The chemical is carried through the air and in the soil, it reacts with alkaline buffering the chemicals that may be available. When the chemical is passing through the soil might contaminate the groundwater reservoir. Hydrochloric acid harms all forms of living things through long-term effects that have not been recorded. There is speeding up the dissolution process of numerous minerals like the carbonate group and the aluminosilicates on exposure to the acid.
The resultant reaction causes decay in many structures (such as bridges as well as works of art) and limestone buildings following their continued exposure to this chemical. On the environmental scale that ranges from 0-3 the acid has a score of 0.7. The factors put into consideration when assigning the value include the extent to which the material is toxic and the extent to which the material can remain active in the environment and whether it can remain or accumulate in living organisms.
When a report was made on the risk ranking of 400 chemicals in Australia the acid was placed at position 39 out of 208. Some of the chemicals had the same ranks and this is why the total reduced from 400 to 208. The total hazard score which is a combination of human health and environmental criteria for the chemical was 2.2 (National Environment Protection Council, 1998a).
Chlorine
The chemical formula of chlorine is Cl2 and the chemical is also known as molecular chlorine, dichlorine, chlorinated water, javelle water, chlorinated water or sodium hypochlorite. Chlorine has certain physical characteristics that can be used to distinguish it. The chemical is greenish-yellow gas, a solid with rhombic crystals or a liquid. The chemical has a pungent smell that is suffocating when inhaled and it can dissolve in alcohol, water and alkalis. The chemical has a formula weight of 70.906, its vapor density is 2.5, and 1.4085 is its specific gravity. Chlorine has a boiling point of -34.6 while -100.98 is its melting point. Chlorine has a very high oxidizing power and can react with many elements the exception of the majority of the rare gases nitrogen gas.
Health effects of chlorine
The burning of the eyes, nose and mouth can be the result of being exposed to a low concentration of chlorine. There is a more severe effect of the chemical as it increases in its concentration. Some of the effects of exposure to highly concentrated chlorine are lacrimation and rhinorrhea, coughing, choking, nausea and vomiting. The other effects include inflammation of the cornea, pneumonia, dermatitis, and skin blisters among others. When a high concentration of chlorine is inhaled the consequence is emphysema which will damage the pulmonary blood vessels (Richardson, 1992).
There can also be cardiac arrest due to lack of oxygen and chronic exposure to the chemical may corrode the teeth. Through the drinking of chlorinated water the general public especially the urban dwellers has their bodies exposed to chlorine both internally and externally. Living next to facilities or industries that are in production or use of the chemical is another means of exposure to the chemical. To eliminate or minimize the effects of exposure to chlorine there are set levels that are allowed to be exposed to the public. In Australia, the maximum amount of drinking water is 5mg/L, 0.6mg/L for aesthetics and at the workplace, the maximum concentration for 8 eight hours is 3 mg/m.
These exposure levels do not however guarantee the safety of the people exposed to the chemicals. This is because the experiment on the effects of the chemicals on human beings is usually done in isolation and the effects when there are many other chemicals in the surrounding are not fully understood.
Effects of chlorine on the environment
The chemical can be in the air, land or water in its original form only for a few minutes.
Chlorine and its reaction products are harmful to living things. The chemical can be fatal or can cause reproductive damages and deformities. When chlorine finds its way into the water there is a very fast reaction that leads to the formation of a variety of organochlorine compounds some that are harmful to biota.
Uses of chlorine
Chlorine is widely applied in plastics manufacturing, and also in the production of certain chemicals (such as chlorinated organic compounds and lime). Chlorine is used in purifying water and in the process of wool shrink proofing. The chemical also finds use in battery manufacture, food processing, and fluxing of metals. In the agricultural sector, chlorine is used to disinfect fruits and vegetables. Chlorine is used as a disinfectant in swimming pools and industrial ponds. Chlorine has always been used in disinfecting both sewage and water systems. The chemical was being used at the Standard hotel as a disinfectant.
Chlorine sources in the environment
Industries that are involved in the manufacture and use of chlorine are the point sources of chlorine in the environment. Water treatment and wastewater treatment plants are act as the diffuse sources of chlorine in the environment. So far no natural source of chlorine gas is known though about 0.03% of the upper part of the earth’s crust is composed of elemental chlorine elements. An amount of chlorine that has not been quantified so far is also found in vehicle exhaust gases.
There is also a substantial amount of chlorine that is introduced to the environment through the use of consumer products that contain the chemical like disinfectants and products used in cleaning. Out of 400 chemicals that are considered harmful chlorine is at position 42. On the health scale that ranges from 0-3 chlorine has a score of 1.2 and on the environment rating scale, the chemical has a score of 1.5. The total hazard score that puts into consideration both the human health aspect and the environmental aspect, chlorine has a score of 2.7 (National Environment Protection Council, 1998a).
Apart from the people being exposed to chlorine and hydrochloric acid other chemicals have similar effects and are released in the environment through some similar ways that the two chemicals are released to the environment. These chemicals include benzene that is found in gasoline, perchloroethylene that comes from facilities that deal with dry cleaning, methylene chloride that many industries use in stripping of paint. People are also likely to be exposed to chemicals like dioxin, toluene and asbestos. Also, the metals that are easily found in the environment and are dangerous are mercury, cadmium and the compounds of lead.
The population at special risk
The people who have high dangers when exposed to this chemical are those with diseases that affect the breathing system. This includes pulmonary diseases; bronchitis and chronic lung conditions. Some of the conditions in some of the patients are at their worst because of them being in environments that are not conducive for them. Such people can be advised to avoid the intake of chlorine by use of mineral water that does not use chlorine for its purification, they should move away from areas with a high concentration of these chemicals like the places that have factories that use the chemicals. Working in these factories for the people should not be an alternative. This information can reach these people through posters placed in the health centers and through direct advice from the doctors that treat the affected people.
Reduction of toxic emissions
Some efforts are being made by EPA to ensure that there is a reduction of toxic emissions in the environment. It has issued the instruction to 96 groups of industrial sources of pollution of the environment that include oil refineries and aerospace manufacturers.
When the planned standard in this area is put into place it is expected that air pollution will be reduced by 1.7 million tons. There are also many numerous fuel and vehicle emissions programs which are aiming to reduce air pollution from vehicles. In EPA’s most recent program the amount of benzene and other emissions will be lowered in three ways: by reducing the amount of benzene added in gasoline beginning in 2011; reduction of exhaust discharge from passenger vehicles and reduction of the emissions that are released to the environment by evaporation from mobile containers (Paul, 2009).
The other way that the control of the emissions into the environment is done is through imposing a harsh penalty for those found guilty of breaking environmental laws, for example, in the case involving Standard hotel the owner if found guilty was to pay a fine of $500 000.
As much as there is a lot that is being done to reduce the release of toxic substances into the environment there are a lot of loopholes that hinder the achievement of expected results. Some factories that release toxic substances into the environment are privately owned and their major concern is to make a profit. These companies may use any means to continue producing the products irrespective of pollution to the environment. The companies are able to evade the harsh penalty by engaging good lawyers. To avoid such cases companies that manufacture substances whose manufacture and distribution are dangerous to the environment should be owned by governments or companies that have very good records of following environmental regulations.
Conclusion
The paper has discussed in detail the effects that come with exposure to chlorine and hydrochloric acid. The use of the chemicals at the household level and in commercial buildings was also discussed. It should be noted that the chemicals can easily be accessed and therefore people should have thorough knowledge on how to handle the chemicals..
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