spotlight Milestones in Chemistry: Drinking Water Chlorination Turns 100 This year marks the 100th anniversary of the chlorination of drinking water—one of the most significant public health advances in U.S. history. Visit Chlorine Chemistry: 100 Years of Safer Lives to learn more.

From providing one of the most basic human needs—clean drinking water—to contributing to the production of high-tech first-responder equipment, sustainable building materials, food protection chemicals, computer microprocessor chips and more than 90 percent of prescription pharmaceuticals, chlorine chemistry is essential to everyday life in America.

Among its many uses, chlorine chemistry is  instrumental in  producing high-purity silicon which is needed to make the tiny integrated circuit “chips” that are at the heart of modern electronics. Solar panels, which generate greenhouse gas-free electricity directly from sunlight, are also made using high-purity silicon. And fiber optic cable, also manufactured with high-purity silicon, is currently in great demand as the communications industry competes to deliver integrated voice, data and Internet services to consumers.

The Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the major producers and users of chlorine in the U.S. Chlorine and its derivatives affect a significant percentage of the Gross Domestic Product, and the chlor-alkali industry generates over $2 billion in business annually.

This website highlights the benefits of chlorine chemistry and offers consumer tips for using some common chlorinated products. It also presents information on chlorine chemistry health and environmental issues.