What are the hazards of bleaching powder?

Bleach is a very common thing in daily life. Bleach is actually a disinfectant and is often used to disinfect tap water. Generally, when bleach encounters high temperature, it will decompose into a non-toxic substance. This substance has no effect on human health. Adding bleach to tap water will not cause any adverse effects on human health, so don't worry too much.

Bleaching powder is made by reacting chlorine gas with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime). Because absolutely dry calcium hydroxide does not react with chlorine, chlorine can only be adsorbed by calcium hydroxide. For this reason, slaked lime containing less than 1% free water is used in industry for chlorination, and the chlorine gas used also contains less than 0.06% water. The free water in these raw materials is used to hydrolyze chlorine to generate acids (HClO, HCl), which are then neutralized by slaked lime. Subsequently, the chlorine is further hydrolyzed by the water released by calcium hydroxide during the chlorination reaction, so that more calcium hydroxide participates in the reaction process and generates a series of compounds. Bleaching powder is a complex composed of these compounds.

1. Bleach is a bactericidal disinfectant and is safe to the human body if used correctly. However, bleaching powder has a bleaching effect and looks similar to flour. If it is mixed into flour, it will be difficult to identify. Therefore, some unscrupulous vendors illegally use bleaching powder in food, such as using bleaching powder to bleach flour, mushrooms and other foods. Eating flour bleached with bleaching powder can cause food poisoning. Clinical manifestations: First, stomach discomfort; then nausea and abdominal pain, and then severe vomiting followed by gradually increasing abdominal pain. A few people also experience abdominal colic. In severe cases, diarrhea will occur when vomiting and abdominal pain occur. The dust of this product is irritating to the conjunctiva and respiratory tract, and may cause damage to teeth. Skin contact may cause moderate to severe skin damage.

2. Aqueous solution of bleach has irritating and corrosive effects on the gastrointestinal mucosa. Its decomposition product, chlorine, is a highly corrosive and toxic gas that irritates the respiratory tract and skin, can cause coughing and affect vision. Apart from drinking concentrated bleach solutions directly, no problems have been found when using dilute solutions. If the concentration is high, it is easy to smell the chlorine odor and need to be controlled. This product is combustible and irritating.

First aid measures

Skin contact: Take off contaminated clothing immediately and rinse skin thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention.

Eye contact: Lift the eyelids and rinse with running water or saline. Seek medical attention.

Inhalation: Move quickly away from the scene to fresh air. Keep the airways open. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. If breathing stops, perform artificial respiration immediately. Seek medical attention.

Ingestion: Drink plenty of warm water and induce vomiting. Seek medical attention.

Notes for operation: Operate in a closed environment with enhanced ventilation. Operators must undergo special training and strictly abide by operating procedures. It is recommended that operators wear hood-type electric air-supply filtering dust respirators, rubber anti-toxic clothing, and neoprene gloves. Stay away from fire and heat sources, and smoking is strictly prohibited in the workplace. Keep away from flammable and combustible materials. Avoid generating dust. Avoid contact with reducing agents and acids. Be careful when loading and unloading to prevent damage to the packaging and containers. Vibration, impact and friction are prohibited. Equipped with appropriate types and quantities of fire-fighting equipment and leakage emergency treatment equipment. Empty containers may contain hazardous residues.

Storage precautions: Store in a cool, ventilated warehouse. Keep away from fire and heat sources. The warehouse temperature shall not exceed 30℃ and the relative humidity shall not exceed 80%. The packaging must be sealed and not come into contact with air. It should be stored separately from reducing agents, acids, flammable materials, etc. and should not be mixed. It is not suitable for large-scale storage or long-term storage. The storage area should be equipped with suitable materials to contain leaks.