Chlorine is a highly toxic, yellow-green gas. Because of its reactivity, chlorine does not exist in the free elemental state in nature, although it is widely distributed in combinations with other elements. The atomic weight of chlorine is 35.45, and its atomic number on the periodic table is 17. Related compounds to chlorine include: chlorofluorocarbon, hydrochloric acid, perchlorciethylene, and trichlorethylene. It also has a bad smelling odor. Chlorine was discovered in 1774 by the action of manganese dioxide …showed first 75 words of 483 total…

…showed last 75 words of 483 total…is corrosive and a strong irritant to the lungs and mucous membrane. In wartime, elemental chlorine was used as a poisonous gas to kill others. Perhaps one of the biggest causes of health problems comes directly from your drinking water. Lifetime consumption of chlorinated tap water can more than double the risk of bladder and rectal cancers in certain individuals. People are also more susceptible to certain types of cancer, birth defects, and developmental defects.