We run into a far less severe respiratory irritation and eye complaints when art teachers clean out the children's classroom sink with bleach which reacts with the ammonia released from the acrylic paint stabilizer.
Chloramine is an unfortunate term because it can be applied to the simpler NCl3 and NHCl2 (and even the unstable monochloramine NH2Cl) from the concentrated bleach/ammonia reaction as well as the N-chlorourea compound generated in pools. The term can be applied to any compounds with the formulas R2NCl and RNCl2
The ones from bleach and ammonia reactions are corrosive to tissues. The N-chlorourea(s) are irritating and sensitizing.
I'm sure everyone understands that N-chlorourea would not be much of a problem if people didn't pee in the pool.
Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A., Industrial Hygienist
President: Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc.
Safety Officer: Local USA829, IATSE
181 Thompson St., #23
New York, NY 10012 212-777-0062
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Hall <ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Sent: Sat, Feb 22, 2014 6:34 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Bleach and Ammonia
Monona,
I agree with you. In the Poison Center/Medical Toxicology world, we see deaths from non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, chemical pneumonitis, and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) every year, with the most common scenario being using these 2 products in combination in a small, enclosed space such as a bathroom. The generated chloramine is a very potent respiratory tract irritant, and nearly all such victims have severe respiratory effects which require quite heroic therapeutic measures including very invasive procedures such as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)... These effects are also tragically quite often fatal.
Perhaps better labeling on such products warning about the hazards of combined use might be helpful, but we all know how well the general public as well as those with more specific education and training ignore such warnings if they've "always gotten away with it before".
Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medical Toxicologist