Bromine

Background

Bromine is a naturally occurring element that is a liquid at room temperature.

It has a brownish-red color and smells like bleach. It dissolves in water.

Where it is found

Bromine is found naturally in the earth's crust and in seawater. Bromine can also be found as another option to chlorine in swimming pools.

Products with bromine are used in agriculture, sanitation and as fire retardants (chemicals that help prevent things from catching fire).

Some bromine-containing products were historically used as sedatives (drugs that can make people calm or sleepy). However, these drugs are for the most part no longer found on the market in the United States.

How it works

Bromine can irritate the skin and tissues, including the tissues that make mucus in your mouth and nose.

Signs and symptoms

The level of bromine poisoning depends on the amount, how someone was exposed, and for how long. It also depends on the person's age and medical conditions they may have.

Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to bromine.

If breathed in:

• Cough
• Trouble breathing
• Headache
• Irritation of your mucous membranes (inside your mouth, nose, etc.)
• Dizziness
• Watery eyes

If exposed to skin:

• Skin irritation and burns
• Cooling sensation closely followed by a burning feeling

If swallowed in large amounts:

• Nausea
• Vomiting

Swallowing compounds (combinations of bromine with other chemicals) with bromine causes different effects depending on the compound.

Exposure

You can be exposed by:

• Drinking water with bromine in it
• Eating food with bromine in it
• Breathing in bromine gas
• Touching bromine gas or liquid

Bromine gas is heavier than air, so it would settle in low-lying areas.

What to do if you are exposed

First, get fresh air by leaving the area where the bromine was released. Moving to an area with fresh air is a good way to reduce the chances of negative health effects from bromine.

If the bromine was released outdoors, move away from the area where the bromine was released. Go to the highest ground possible, because bromine is heavier than air and will sink to lower areas. If bromine was released indoors, get out of the building.

Take off your clothes

Remove the clothing as quickly as possible. Cut clothes off instead of pulling it over the head. If you are helping others, avoid touching unsafe areas.

Wash your body

Wash any bromine from your skin with lots of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will protect you from any chemicals on your body.

If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes.

If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the dirty clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts).

If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them.

Throw your clothes away

After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching unsafe areas of the clothing. If you can't avoid touching unsafe areas, or you aren't sure where the unsafe areas are, wear rubber gloves. You can also use tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects to put the clothing in the bag.

Anything that touches the dirty clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too.

Tie the bag, and then put that bag inside another plastic bag. Throwing away your clothes this way helps protect you and others from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.

When the local or state health department or emergency team arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency team will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.

For more information about cleaning your body and throwing away your clothes after a chemical exposure, visit "About Getting Clean."

Evacuate or "shelter in place"

If you are near a bromine release, emergency teams may tell you to evacuate the area or "shelter in place" inside.

For more information on evacuation during a chemical emergency, visit "Responding to Evacuation."

For more information on sheltering in place during a chemical emergency, visit "Responding to Sheltering in Place."

Treatment

The most important thing is for people to get away from the exposure and seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

No specific cure exists for bromine poisoning.

Bromine poisoning is treated with supportive medical care in a hospital. Supportive medical care can include providing medicine, oxygen, and intravenous fluids (fluids given through a needle into your vein).

Long-term health effects

Survivors of serious poisoning caused by breathing in bromine may have long-term lung problems.

Survivors may also have long-term effects from systemic poisoning (poisoning that affects the whole body instead of a specific spot). An example of a long-term effect is kidney or brain damage from low blood pressure.

More information

Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

Case Definition: Bromine Poisoning

You can contact one of the following:

• Regional poison control center: 1-800-222-1222
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Public Response Hotline (CDC): 800-CDC-INFO
  • Teletypewriter (TTY): 888-232-6348
  • E-mail inquiries: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries. The CDC also improves health decisions by giving trusted information on important health issues. Lastly, the CDC promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations.