What does chlorine do to our eyes?

Knowing what chlorine does to your eyes will make them water... goggles on!


Asked by: Nicolai Smith, Eastwood

Chlorine gas reacts with the water on your eye to form hydrochloric acid, which can cause blindness. The chlorine in pools is a safer combination of hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions. But this can react with urine, sweat and by-products in the water to form chloramines that cause irritation. Irritation can also occur when water washes away the protective film on your eyes, which then allows infections from lingering bacteria.

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