Bleach

Bleach Chemical Study By Elona, Gigi, Marina, and Semaj

__Background Information__ Bleach is a chemical that removes colors or whitens, often through oxidation. Commonly found bleach is chlorine bleach, used as a household product to clean(mostly laundry) A lot of people also use bleach for their hair to lighten it or to make it easier for them to re-dye their hair and have the color look better. "It is born when a salt molecule is split with electricity. The greenish gas that results from the split can introduce the molecules of one element to the molecules of another without becoming part of die resulting compound" Bleached hair Bleach used as household product
 * How/why we use this chemical**

Bleach is it's own product but it contains 3–6% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), and oxygen bleach, which contains a lot of other hydrogen components and variations. Bleach is used in "15,000 commercial compounds sold in die United States, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and plastics. About 34 percent of America's chlorine goes into plastics and 10 percent into pulp and paper, says Bonnie Rice, a campaigner in Greenpeace's Chicago office."
 * Specific products it’s in:**
 * [[image:Picture_2.png width="96" height="136"]] Liquid bleach [[image:Picture_4.png width="148" height="115"]] Chlorine bleach[[image:Picture_5.png width="184" height="139"]]Powdered bleach

What it does (positives)** It helps remove stains and whites many different materials (wood pulp, flour, fats and oils, and skin)

Because it is a product bleach is used in most populated countries.
 * Where it is used (what countries)**

Bleach is very dangerous to fish and invertebrates. In small places, fish will always try to get away from the place where the chemical is coming from. A lot of bleach can be found in sewers with wash water. Chlorine is especially harmful to organisms living in water and in soil. Scientists agree that even household bleach is a threat to the environment, it has caused significant damage to the earth's animals, ozone layer, water and air.
 * Environmental Effects**

Chlorine is the main component in bleach. Breathing small amounts of chlorine for short periods of time has harmful effects on the human respiratory system. Effects can be from coughing and chest pain, to water retention in the lungs. Chlorine irritates the skin, the eyes, and the respiratory system. These effects are not likely to occur at levels of chlorine that are normally found in the environment. Breathing or consuming small amounts of chlorine over long periods of time are not yet known but researchers say that it can have very negative effects. Read more: __[|http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/cl.htm#ixzz0hyEM5fFA]__
 * Effect bleach has on health:**

Bleach is a chemical that removes colors or whitens; often through oxidation, a commonly found bleach is chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach is used as a household product to clean (mostly laundry), A lot of people also use bleach for their hair to lighten it or to make it easier for them to re-dye their hair and have the color look better. "It is born when a salt molecule is split with electricity. The greenish gas that results from the split can introduce the molecules of one element to the molecules of another without becoming part of die resulting compound" http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n220/ai_17631646/ Bleach is very harmful is digested or even gets on your skin. If it does get in contact with your skin, the effected part will light and thus "bleach" your skin. Bleach is also every harmful to sea creatures. In confined spaces the fish will even try to avoid the affected water. Bleach gets into water ways from laundry water, or if it is being used to clean out door items (cars, steps ect.) Because of the safety precautions on the bleach bottles and other containers it comes it, there are no movments to ban or do anything really to bleach. So there are no real economic or political implications. We believe that if you use bleach in moderation and it is used on things it is actually needed for such as clothing then it should be okay. There is bleach in certain types of flours and other products that aren’t totally needed in order for that type of product to be effective. Bleach should only be used in a safe environment where it is away from rivers and streams etc. so that way it cant harm fish or any other type of living animal. It should also be used in a place where it cant go into the earth and harm the environment.
 * Abstract: **

In our groups opinion, Bleach is not harmful if it used in moderation and in safe ways. Bleach clothes to get stains out is a smart way to use it, but bleaching flour is wasteful and potentially dangerous.
 * Summary:**

Our PSA is on facebook, here is the link. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=1384331885823&ref=nf
 * PSA:**

U.S Environmental protection Agency, Initials. (2009, November 24). Chlorine bleach. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/kidshometour/products/bleach.htm
 * Citations**:

United State's Department of Labor,. (1999, April 22). //Chlorine//. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/chlorine/

Helmenstine, A.M. (n.d.). what is bleach and how does it work?. Retrieved from http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryfaqs/f/bleach.htm

U.S Environmental protection Agency, Initials. (2009, November 24). Chlorine bleach. Retrieved from []

MedlinePlus, Initials. (2009, January 15). Chemical burn or reaction. Retrieved from []