Where is chloroform found in the environment?
Low levels of chloroform are found in the air and in coastal waters, inland rivers, lakes and groundwater. Levels can be higher in industrial areas as well as in the air above swimming pools containing chlorine. Chloroform is used as a solvent, a substance that helps other substances dissolve.
Is chloroform found in nature?
It is a naturally-occurring chemical, but most of the chloroform in the environment is man-made. Chloroform evaporates quickly. Most of the chloroform that ends up in lakes, streams, or soil evaporates into the air. However, chloroform that seeps through soil into ground-water can remain unchanged for many years.
What are the sources of chloroform?
Chloroform may be released to the air as a result of its formation in the chlorination of drinking water, wastewater and swimming pools. Other sources include pulp and paper mills, hazardous waste sites, and sanitary landfills.
How does chloroform get into the atmosphere?
From the factories that make or use this chemical, chloroform can enter the air directly or it can enter the air from the evaporation (changing from liquid to a gas) of chloroform-contaminated waters and soils. Chloroform can also enter the water and soils from industry storage tanks and waste site spills and leaks.
Why does chloroform make someone pass out?
“Chloroform is a liquid with anaesthetic properties that can cause sedation by altering the potassium channels between two cells,” he says, as we pretend to understand what he’s talking about.
Does chloroform evaporate?
Chloroform evaporates very quickly when exposed to air. Chloroform also dissolves easily in water, but does not stick to the soil very well. This means that it can travel down through soil to groundwater where it can enter a water supply. Chloroform lasts for a long time in both the air and in groundwater.
How long does chloroform last in air?
Chloroform volatilizes readily from soil and surface water and undergoes degradation in air to produce phosgene, dichloromethane, formyl chloride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride. Its half-life in air ranges from 55 to 620 days.
How long does chloroform keep a person unconscious for?
Chloroform “knocks you out” for as long as it is applied, this could be for 20 minutes to two hours with a 20–30 minute recovery time; during which there will be intense shivering, severe nausea and more than likely vomiting, then a severe headache lasting hours.
How do you make someone unconscious with chloroform?
It takes at least five minutes of inhaling an item soaked in chloroform to render a person unconscious. Most criminal cases involving chloroform also involve another drug being co-administered, such as alcohol or diazepam, or the victim being found to have been complicit in its administration.
How does chloroform enter the environment?
Chloroform enters the environment from chemical companies and paper mills. It is also found in waste water from sewage treatment plants and drinking water to which chlorine has been added. Chlorine is added to most drinking water and many waste waters to destroy bacteria.
What are the effects of chloroform on humans?
Effects noted in humans exposed to chloroform via anesthesia include changes in respiratory rate, cardiac effects, gastrointestinal effects, such as nausea and vomiting, and effects on the liver and kidney.
How do you get chloroform in drinking water?
(1) Human exposure to chloroform may occur through drinking water, where chloroform is formed as a result of the chlorination of naturally occurring organic materials found in raw water supplies. Measurements of chloroform in drinking water during the 1970s and 1980s ranged from 0.022 to 0.068 ppm.
How do you increase the concentration of chloroform in air?
The hotter the water, the higher the concentration of the chemical in the air. Hot shower or bathwater, hot cooking water, and hot laundry or dish washing water can all increase the concentration of chloroform in a home. Chlorine used to clean toilets or to bleach clothes can have the same effect.