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Intext · Q28

Q.Sea is the greatest source of some halogens. Comment.

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Step 1: Chlorine.

Sea water is essentially a solution of chloride salts — mainly NaCl (about 2.5% by mass), along with MgCl2MgCl_2 and CaCl2CaCl_2. This makes the sea (and salt lakes/brines derived from it) the principal natural source of chlorine and chlorides.

Step 2: Bromine.

Bromides (mainly MgBr2MgBr_2) occur in sea water in smaller but still commercially significant concentration; bromine is industrially extracted from sea water and underground brines by oxidising bromide with chlorine gas:

Cl2+2Br−→Br2+2Cl−Cl_2 + 2Br^- \rightarrow Br_2 + 2Cl^-

Step 3: Iodine.

Iodine does not occur in high concentration as a simple dissolved salt, but marine plants such as seaweeds (kelp) selectively absorb and concentrate iodide from sea water into their tissues; iodine is extracted from the ash of such seaweed, and also occurs as sodium iodate impurity in Chile saltpetre (which itself is of ultimately marine/evaporite origin).

Step 4: Conclusion. …

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