Oxidizers are chemicals that emit oxygen when they react with other chemicals. They are useful indoors and outdoors but require proper storage owing to their harmful nature if applied other than the use prescribed and accidentally mixed with other chemicals. My home has three oxidizers: hydrogen peroxide, bleach, sodium hypochlorite, and nitric acid.
Hydrogen peroxide is a safe oxidizer that increases the rate at which combustible materials burn (Chemin et al., 2021). It is ideally found in bathrooms to disinfect and clean wounds. When applied to surfaces such as skin, it inhibits the development of bacteria and other organisms. It can also be used to cleanse water and initiate the breakdown of pollutants. The hydrogen peroxide often used in households is deemed harmless and noncombustible. However, the kind used for industrial and commercial cleaning and purifying is highly reactive.
Bleach is a chlorine compound that is a powerful household cleaner and laundry agent. Hypochlorites and dichlorocyanurates are active components, rendering chlorine a good sanitizer. Bleach is also used as a swimming pool sanitizing chemical due to its chlorine content (Zubir et al., 2020). Additionally, these substances can oxidize and produce a poisonous gas when combined with other chemicals. Due to its reactivity, chlorine is best kept separately from other substances that might react with it. To ensure that chlorine doesn’t come into touch with other substances, well-sealed containers, and unused scoops should be used.
Nitric acids, on the other hand, are home oxidizers that we use in cleaning metal surfaces. When nitric acids react with metal surfaces, a soluble metal nitrate is formed, thus cleaning the surface. Nitrate acids are highly reactive and fatal if consumed in a compound. Nitric acid is found in various household products, including cleaners and polishes. It can burn the delicate tissues of the throat, nose, and mouth, causing stomach discomfort, trouble breathing, and dizziness. Common oxidizing home chemicals may cause some of the most severe effects when used incorrectly, necessitating medical intervention.
This course has impacted the storing of oxides through proper segregation and storage. Volatile reactions may ensue when specific hazardous chemicals are stored or combined. For instance, when bleach is combined with an ammonia cleaning solution, it produces chlorine and chloramine fumes. Chlorine is a pulmonary irritant that can cause death. It was used in World War One and has caused many train derailments (Zubir et al., 2020). Therefore, it is advisable to keep oxidizing agents and flammable liquids apart. A 5-meter gap is ideal for outdoor oxidizing chemicals, while it is best when indoor chemicals are stored in different safety cabinets to store both kinds of chemicals.
Additionally, the class has improved my thinking about how oxidizers should be used. Different oxidizers should be used at different times to avoid mixing, which could otherwise be fatal. According to Vayisoglu & Oncu (2021), people in the US die each year from mixing chlorine with other household cleaners (. Furthermore, working areas should be kept free from reducing agents, flammables, heat, and excessive reagents and not returned to the original container. These insights for the class are of great importance when using and storing home oxidizers.
To sum up, home oxidizers have a variety of uses in human life but can be fatal if used adversely. Hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and nitric acid are the oxidizers used in my home. Hydrogen peroxide is used to disinfect and clean wounds; nitric acids are used to clean metal surfaces; bleach is used as a household cleaner, laundry agent, and swimming pool sanitizer. Extensive caution and care should be taken when handling oxidizers.
References
Chemin, K., Rezende, M., Costa, M. C., Salgado, A. D. Y., de Geus, J. L., Loguercio, A. D., … & Kossatz, S. (2021). Evaluation of at-home bleaching times on effectiveness and sensitivity with 10% hydrogen peroxide: a randomized controlled double-masked clinical trial. Operative dentistry, 46(4), 385-394.
Koksoy Vayisoglu, S., & Oncu, E. (2021). The use of cleaning products and its relationship with the increasing health risks during the COVID‐19 pandemic. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 75(10), e14534.
Zubir, M., Darmana, A., Damanik, M., Nasution, H. I., Siregar, V. C. R. U., & Silitonga, Y. S. (2020). Bleach effectively removes stubborn stains. Indonesian Journal of Chemical Science and Technology (IJCST), 3(1), 20-24.
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