Hydrogen chloride gas, or HCl for short, is a colorless and odorless chemical compound and is available in liquid form under normal pressure at room temperature. People generally recognize this compound as the spirit of salt. Hydrogen chloride is a very strong acid and an important feature is that it is rust removing agent. Today it has a wide range of applications from organic material production to food sector, PVC production and iron and steel sector.

The hydrogen chloride content is highly toxic. Zone is extremely harmful for human skin. Those working with hydrogen chloride in the workplace should be very careful and take protective measures. This gas has both toxic and irritating effects. Contact with skin causes burns and respiratory tract irritation.

Hydrochloric acid shows concentration differences depending on the areas where it is used. Hydrogen chloride is one of the most important raw materials used in various industries. This acid is used to obtain organic compounds, to prepare steel for processing, to maintain the pH balance for various purposes and in many other fields. Hydrochloric acid is also used in oil, paper, pharmaceutical, chemical, textile, paint and metal production.

It is also used as a serious cleaning agent in house cleaning. This substance, known as the salt spirit at home, is effective in cleaning oil stains, but it should never be used directly on the fabric. Salt spirit is especially used for cleaning sinks, tiles, bathrooms and toilets. It is highly effective against stains and rust formed in these places.

Because hydrochloric acid is a highly corrosive chemical compound, it is necessary to be very careful in working areas. This acid, which belongs to the group of halogens, is among the nonmetals with high reaction tendency. Therefore, it belongs to the group of dangerous and toxic elements.

Occupational health and safety regulations make it necessary to measure the exposure of employees to a number of chemical substances in the workplace. For this purpose, some measurement, test and analysis studies should be performed by the enterprises. According to the field of activity of the businesses, hydrogen chloride gas measurements should be made in the environment. These measurements are carried out by authorized test and inspection institutions. During the measurements, legal regulations in force and standards published by local and foreign organizations are taken into consideration.

One of the test and measurement methods used is Method 26A (Determination of hydrogen salt and halogen emissions by isotope method from fixed sources). In addition, one of the standards used during these tests is the TS EN 1911 standard (Constant source emissions - Determination of the mass concentration of gaseous chlorides defined as HCl - Standard reference method).

Hydrochloric acid was first obtained by Jabir bin Hayyan, an Arab alchemist in the 800 years, by mixing table salt with sulfuric acid. The 20 book, written by this alchemist, has been the basic book of acids for centuries. During the Middle Ages, hydrochloric acid was used in Europe under the name salt spirit.