HWN Suggests

Is Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach) Toxic? The Dangers & Alternatives

The answer is yes. Bleach is extremely toxic to humans, pets, wildlife, aquatic life, and the environment. You’re probably aware of this to some extent. After all, most of us were brought up with bleach in our homes and were taught not to touch it, play with it, drink it, breathe it in, etc. Yet, therein lies the irony, which raises another important question: why do most Americans feel they must rely on a deadly poison for cleaning, laundry, mold removal, etc.? It sounds bizarre when you think of it that way, doesn’t it?

I believe there are three main reasons for our love affair with bleach...

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Featured

 Time to rethink medical disinfection from a planetary health perspective

Disinfection products can have substantial environmental impacts which include associated manufacturing emissions, toxicity to marine life and potential adverse health outcomes. Despite this, disinfection is under-represented in sustainability approaches. Disinfection is a key part of healthcare provision and as such should be reflected in healthcare sustainability strategies. The adverse environmental effects of several common disinfectants are highlighted here. Sustainable alternatives should be considered. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a potential alternative disinfectant that could be used in sustainability strategies, carrying a minimal toxicity profile compared to hypochlorite (bleach) and the unique ability to be made on site.

Articles of Interest

Dakin’s Solution: The Recipe for Turning Dirty Wounds Into Clean Wounds

Not a physician, Dakin never saw a patient or treated a wound; all of his work was done in laboratories. In this setting he found that diluted sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), widely used as a bleach, was a good antiseptic, thus extending the work of the French researchers Antoine Germain Labarraque and Claude-Louis Berthollet, who first described the disinfectant and deodorant use of this chemical in the early 1800s. Dakin was a private person, not outgoing and no promoter. The world might never have heard of either him or his solution except for two things: the start of World War I and his association with a French physician named Alexis Carrel, the Nobel Laureate in Physiology in 1912.

How Bleach Damages The Environment And Our Health

You’ve likely used bleach dozens, if not hundreds of times, without fully knowing what bleach is made of. Your common liquid bleach consists of a few ingredients: sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium hypochlorite. Some, or all these compounds, depending on the brand/manufacturer, are diluted with water to make your typical liquid bleach.

Safe Handling of Sodium Hypochlorite: Dos and Don'ts

In the world of disinfectants, few compounds wield the power and versatility of sodium hypochlorite. From purifying water sources to sanitizing surfaces, its efficacy in combating pathogens is unparalleled. However, with great power comes the need for great responsibility. Safe handling of sodium hypochlorite is not just a precaution; it's a necessity.

Chlorine and sodium hypochlorite hazards and risks

The major routes of exposure to chlorine and sodium hypochlorite (it solutions are also named “bleach” or “eau de Javel”) are through drinking water, food, and contact with items either bleached or disinfected with them. People may also be exposed to chlorine at the workplace (during manufacturing and use of chlorine as chemical intermediate), during use in water disinfection, and indirectly via the environment.

Health effects of sodium hypochlorite: review of published case reports

Ingestion It is the most common route of exposure, and ingestion of sodium hypochlorite (less than 6% hypochlorite) causes nausea, vomiting, and burning sensation in the mouth. Serious toxicity occurs when sodium hypochlorite is ingested in large amounts (5 mL/kg in children, 150–200 mL in adults) or at concentrations more than 6%.

How to Make Dakin’s Solution

Dakin’s solution is diluted bleach used to kill germs without hurting a healing wound. Dakin’s solution can be made at home or purchased at Walmart, CVS, or Amazon.

What is sodium hypochlorite?

Before you start any kind of home cleaning, think twice about what products you’re using. Many cleaners use toxic chemicals that can cause health harms. One of the most common is also one of the most toxic – sodium hypochlorite. Also known as chlorine bleach, sodium hypochlorite is an active ingredient in over 300 disinfectants and cleaners and laundry detergents, among other household products. Although it’s a powerful agent to eliminate bacteria and stains, this efficiency comes at a cost.

What’s the problem with bleach?

If bleach were our only option for preventing infectious disease, it might be worth the risk to our heath. But there are safer, effective products for disinfecting available. Many of these products have a shorter contact time, an important consideration

Why life’s a bleach (The Sodium Hypochlorite Story)

Sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in household bleach, was discovered by the French chemist Berthollet, in Javel on the outskirts of Paris, in 1787. Its ability to effectively whiten textiles was quickly discovered and put to commercial use with great success. By the end of the nineteenth century, after Louis Pasteur had discovered sodium hypochlorite’s potent effectiveness against disease-causing bacteria, it became widely used as a disinfectant. Studies by numerous independent research institutes have supported the high level of disinfection effectiveness of sodium hypochlorite. It is recognized as having an unsurpassed disinfection spectrum.

You Don’t Need to Disinfect So Much

Our use of antimicrobial cleaners spiked during the pandemic. Given the potential long-term health risks, it might be worth cutting back again.

Resources

Molecule of the Month

Household bleach is actually a mixture of chemicals, Its main constituent is a solution of ~3-6% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), which is mixed with small amounts of sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium hypochlorite. Its main use is to remove colour, whiten or disinfect clothing or surfaces, and is invaluable in most modern kitchens and bathrooms.

Stanford Environmental Health & Safety

Sodium hypochlorite, the active ingredient in chlorine bleach, is routinely used in the laboratory to decontaminate surfaces and equipment or deactivate biological materials by inactivating vegetative bacteria, fungi, lipid and non-lipid viruses, and other liquid specimens. Bleach is very reactive and if it mixes with incompatible chemicals, it can produce high hazard by-products and toxic gases.