Deadly Chlorine

After the terrors of 9-11, the DHS (The Department of Homeland Security) has done a very good job in spotting potential terrorist plots which might have affected again the US population. It is generally acknowledged that terrorists use different methods to do harm. The DHS has identified a number of twenty such methods, most frequently used in terrorist attacks throughout the world. One of those is the chlorine attack.

The chlorine is a chemical element, with atomic number 17, a toxic gas which affects the respiratory system. The chlorine attack is based on the fact that the gas is heavier than the air and it tends to accumulate at the bottom of poorly ventilated spaces. Also, chlorine is a strong oxidizer and it can react with flammable materials.

Most of the chlorine attacks that recently took place especially in Iraq are kamikaze ones. In fact the human body can hardly survive a chlorine attack and that is why this method can only be applied through terrorists who are willing to give up their lives.

Fortunately, the DHS has developed a few strategies to prevent and protect people from any chlorine attack that might occur. That is why the US military forces have trained thousand of soldiers to deal with the insurgents in the war areas.

On the other hand, chlorine is somehow a positive gas. Although a chlorine attack might kill a lot of people, the substance itself is sometimes useful for humanity. It is used for the manufacture of a variety of organic compounds, the most important being the intermediates in the production of PVC. Other important compounds are methyl, chloride, methylene chloride and chloroform. Chlorine is also used in the production of chlorates and in bromine extraction process.

As you can easily see, chlorine is a substance that both helps and destroys people. A chlorine attack is among the most feared deadly tactics terrorists nowadays apply. Luckily for the rest of us the people, those in charge of protecting our lives know when to use chlorine as a positive substance and when to try and stop a chlorine attack that might as well kill us all.

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