Facts about Bromine

Pure liquid bromine in a 1 x 4 cm vial. (Image: Image of the element) "KDSPs" Odorant element 35, bromine, is a fairly abundant element but has a rare property: it is the only non-metal that exists in a liquid state at room temperature, one of only two elements ( The other is mercury) which is a liquid at room temperature and pressure. According to the periodic table, the weight abundance of the earth's crust is 2.4 parts per million, according to Chemicool. Bromine is found in compounds in seawater, natural brines and evaporates from salt lakes. Bromine deposits in the United States are found in natural brine wells in Michigan and Arkansas. It is estimated that global production is approximately 330,000 tons per year. The substance has also been found in Israel, Russia, France and Japan, according to the Mineral Education Alliance.

Bromine is harmful to the atmosphere. According to Chemicool, bromine atoms are 40 to 100 times more destructive of the ozone layer than chlorine atoms. Half of the ozone loss over Antarctica is due to reactions with bromine. Methyl bromide is used as a fumigant and is the largest source of ozone-depleting bromine. About 30% of the bromine in the atmosphere comes from human activities, the rest is natural. Just the facts Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 35 Atomic symbols (on the periodic table): Br Atomic weight (average mass of an atom): 79.904 Density: 1.805 ounces/cubic inch (3.122 g/cm3) Phase temperature : Liquid Melting point: 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 degrees Celsius) Boiling point: 138.0 degrees Fahrenheit (58.9 degrees Celsius) Number of natural isotopes (different numbers of neutrons in atoms of the same element): 2. There are at least 24 radioactive isotopes in the laboratory. The most common isotopes are: Br-79 (50.7% of natural abundance), Br-81 (49.3% of natural abundance). History

Dutch historian Peter van der Krogt said that two scientists worked independently in the 1820s and discovered bromine, German chemistry student Carl L?weg L Lówig, who studied under the German chemist Leopold Gmelin, isolated liquid bromine in 1825 by taking a water sample from a salt spring in Bad Kreuznak and adding chlorine, according to Chemicool . After shaking the solution with ether, Léwig noticed a reddish-brown substance in the solution and separated it by evaporating the ether. Gmelin suggested that his students produce more of the substance for further study. While Lówig was producing more of the substance, which slowed down between winter exams and holidays, another scientist had published his findings.

The scientist, French chemist Antoine-Jér?me Balard, isolated bromine while studying a type of brown seaweed called fucus, according to Peter van der Croat. According to Chemicool, Ballard took a sample from the brine where the seaweed was found and distilled a mixture of brine and chlorine, resulting in a deep red liquid. He initially thought it was a compound of chlorine or iodine, and when he couldn't isolate either element, he suggested that he had actually found a new element. Ballard suggested naming murid, from the Latin word "mulia" or brine, for his new element. His results were published in 1826.

Who knows? According to Chemicool, bromine is a halogen. According to chemical explanations, the halogen elements (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astaxanthin) never exist alone in nature and produce salts when they react with metals. The name bromine comes from the Greek word "bromos," which means stench, according to Los Alamos National Laboratory. The reddish-brown liquid evaporates easily into a red vapor with a strong chlorine smell. Lentech believes that bromine is harmful. It is corrosive to human tissue in the liquid state, it irritates the eyes and throat, and is highly toxic when inhaled in the vapor state. Bromine can damage many major organs, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, and stomach, and in some cases, cause calcium cholestasis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, bromine can be absorbed into the body through contaminated water and food, inhaled, and absorbed through the skin. According to Cameo chemicals, bromine can cause spontaneous combustion when combined with potassium, phosphorus and tin, among many chemicals. According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, bromine has a variety of uses, including in agricultural chemicals, pesticides, dyes, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, furniture foam, gasoline, plastic casings and films for electronics photography. According to Los Alamos National Laboratory, bromine is used to purify water, pharmaceuticals and disinfectants. Bromine can also be used to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by up to 90%, according to the Broye Science Environmental Forum. Bromine is added to the process to oxidize mercury, making it easier to retrieve from emission control equipment. The Royal Society of Chemistry noted that bromine's use as a flame retardant and in agriculture has been or has been phased out due to toxicity and environmental concerns. According to data from Jefferson Lab, ancient civilizations produced an expensive purple dye from organobromine compounds secreted by the mussel Murray.

According to the Minerals Education Coalition, the amount of bromine in the human body is about 0.0004%, although it is unclear what purpose bromine is used in the human body. Current Research

One area of ??research on bromine is its effects on the atmosphere. A document published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes how bromine and chlorine destroy ozone molecules in three reaction cycles. In the first cycle, chlorine or chlorine oxides interact with ozone resulting in monotonic (O) or diatomic oxygen (O2). The second cycle also reacts chlorine with ozone to produce diatomic oxygen. The third cycle is where bromine reacts with ozone to form diatomic oxygen. In all these cases, the reaction requires sunlight, so ozone depletion is greater in the summer and is greatly slowed or stopped in the winter when very little sunlight reaches the poles.

There are several studies, including one published in 2017 in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics by Bodo Werner et al., a team of German, American and British scientists. The study used a variety of methods to calculate the amount of bromine in the atmosphere. Research shows that about one-third of ozone depletion is due to bromine. According to the study, there are four main sources of bromine compounds in the atmosphere: "KdSPE" Halon from natural and anthropogenic sources, so-called very short-lived species (VSLS) inorganic bromine, "KDSPs" that are transported into the upper troposphere from a peak in 2000 ”, the bromine content is about 20 parts per million. Bromine in the atmosphere is decreasing at a rate of 0.6% per year. A number of sources were used in the authors' calculations, focusing mainly on tropical and subtropical regions.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also reported in late 2016 that levels of bromine and other ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere are declining. The study looked at the atmosphere in Antarctica and mid-latitudes and combined current values ??with observations from the 1970s and predictions for 2080. Using 1980 values ??as a baseline, the study predicts that ozone-depleting gases, mainly containing bromine and chlorine, will decrease to 1980 levels between 2040 and 2050 in midlatitudes and around 2070 in Antarctica. Reducing levels of these gases in the atmosphere is part of ongoing efforts to slow climate change and promote the regeneration of the protective ozone layer.

Additional Resources Los Alamos National Laboratory: Bromine Chemistry: Bromine Element Facts Centers for Disease Control: Facts About Bromine