He originally thought that it was either a chlorine or iodine compound, and when he could not isolate either element, he proposed that he had in fact found a new element. Balard suggested the name muride, from the Latin word "muria" or brine, for his new element. His results were published in One area of research in which bromine is studied is how bromine affects the atmosphere.
A resource published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA describes how bromine, as well as chlorine, destroys ozone molecules during three reaction cycles. In the first cycle, reactions between chlorine or chlorine monoxide interacting with ozone leads to monotonic O or diatomic oxygen O 2.
The second cycle also reacts chlorine with ozone to result in diatomic oxygen. The third cycle shows bromine reacting with ozone to also result in diatomic oxygen. In all of these cases, sunlight is needed for the reactions so ozone depletion is greater during the summer months and greatly slows down or ceases in the winter months when there is minimal to no sunlight reaching the poles.
There are several studies, including one study published in in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics by Bodo Werner, et al. The study used a variety of methods to calculate the amount of bromine present in the atmosphere. Much of this toxic end-product is then shipped all over the world in gigantic lead-lined tanks - Ilan insists they have never had a spillage.
Yet, as hazardous to human health as elemental bromine is, it is actually the products it goes into that have caused the real alarm. The earliest use of bromine was in medicines. Some bromide salts, notably potassium bromide, were found to be natural sedatives, and were prescribed in the 19th Century as a remedy for epilepsy. However, they had a curious side-effect. They dampened the libido, which only reinforced the common misconception at the time that epilepsy was brought on by excessive masturbation.
This side-effect also lies behind the urban myth that bromide was added to the tea of prisoners and World War I soldiers in order to reduce sexual urges. For most of the 20th Century, the main use of bromine was something now known to have been seriously damaging to public health. When lead first started being added to petrol to improve engine performance, it was found that deposits built up, eventually clogging the engine.
The solution was to add brominated chemicals to the petrol. As the fuel burnt, the bromine combined with the lead, producing lead bromide. This readily passed out through the exhaust, but of course then proceeded to spread the poisonous heavy metal throughout our cities.
Leaded - and brominated - petrol is no more. What do you do? You just run! This is the story of flame retardants. A fire is a self-perpetuating chemical reaction in which the high temperature encourages fuel to combine with oxygen in the air, further raising the temperature in the process.
Bromine disrupts this chemical reaction. Because the bromine is itself so hyper-reactive, in effect it queue-jumps the oxygen and re-bonds with the fuel, rendering it inert.
Brominated flame retardants crop up in a surprising number of places. From a bag, Anat produces, Mary Poppins-style, a series of products - white beads that are mixed into the plastic casings and circuit-boards of TVs and computers, fluffy yellow pillow stuffing that refuses to catch fire, and blue polystyrene bricks that are used as cavity wall insulation in homes. Well, take for example, polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDEs , which used to be widely used to prevent materials from melting.
No longer. It is set to be banned in the EU next year, after an academic study in Texas in found that tiny amounts of the stuff were getting into some supermarket foods. The retardants are organic molecules - an entirely different class of chemical from bromide salts - that can take years to decompose. And although they should be tied up inside plastics and other materials, when they do get free they tend to accumulate through the food chain - meaning top predators such as humans face a particular risk of these chemicals slowly building up in our bodies.
This highlights an unavoidable problem for the chemicals industry - much of what they do is still a learning process, and it often takes many years for the long-term risks inherent in a particular product to emerge.
Yet it is also important to get these risks in perspective. When bromine is exposed to ozone it results in bromate ions which are very potent oxidizing agents. Sodium bromate is also found in a large number of personal care products like hair dyes, permanent waves, fabric dyes and some cosmetics and fragrances. Finally bromine and chlorine have both been found in high levels in motor vehicles. New cars almost always test positive for bromine on the armrest, seats, door trim, knobs and the upholstery.
How does bromine cause toxicity? Once bromine enters the body it does two things: 1 it replace iodine which can lead to an underactive thyroid gland and 2 bromine has its own direct toxic effects on the tissues. There is now preliminary evidence that bromine may also have cancer inducing properties. Scientists believe that high levels of bromine in the body may be responsible for cancers of the thyroid, prostate and ovary. Bromine also enters the nerves in the brain and causes several problems; it affects the modulation of neurotransmitters which can result in emotional problems like depression psychosis, anxiety and mood instability.
There are also case reports that some cases of schizophrenia may be related to bromine toxicity. Other toxicity of bromine include:. Severe skin problems like nodular acne rash, dryness and itching. Anorexia, vague abdominal cramps and bloating. Excessive fatigue and general malaise. Abnormal or metallic taste. Unstable cardiac rhythms. So why is the government not doing anything about it. The simple reason the government has not done much about the high levels of bromine in the environment and common household products because there is a lot at stake.
Many of these industries employ thousand of americans and pay taxes; the government simply turns a blind eye. Government scientists usually counter by stating that low levels of bromine are safe.
Bromine and iodine interactions. Scientists believe that there is a reciprocal relationship between bromine and iodine in the body. When the bromine levels go up, the iodine levels drop. And when the iodine levels drop, there is harm caused to the body. On the other hand when iodine levels are high, this is of significant health benefit. For example, the Japanese have the highest consumption of iodine on earth chiefly because of their seafood diet.
They not only have the highest longevity but the Japanese tend to have fewer chronic health problems. Further, the Japanese also have much decreased rates of cancers.
Americans typically consume about micrograms of iodine daily whereas the Japanese consume at least 90 times more. It has been established that iodine is a strong antioxidant and can prevent proliferation of cells. Laboratory studies show that high levels of iodine can inhibit the proliferation of many types of cancer cells.
How to test for iodine deficiency? Today, one can determine the levels of iodine by a simple urine test. The Test will reveal the levels of iodine in your body. Once you know the levels of iodine in your body, you can take iodine supplements if the levels are low. Recommended dose of iodine vary from micrograms per day. It is important not to take excessive levels of iodine because this can result in the shutdown of the thyroid gland.
Thus, it is also important to get your thyroid function monitored on a regular basis. How can one prevent toxicity of bromine? There is no foolproof method of avoiding bromine but one can take the following measures to limit the exposure:. Learn to read labels and avoid products that contain bromine.
This may not alway work because many home items like sofas and leather goods may have bromine but the label may not indicate that. Buy your food from reputable stores.
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