Wikijunior:The Elements/Bromine

Bromine's symbol on the Periodic Table

What does it look, feel, taste, or smell like?

Bromine is a volatile reddish-brown liquid. It is the only nonmetal element that is liquid at standard temperature and pressure. It easily evaporates to a reddish gas at room temperature. It has a sharp, pungent odor.

How was it discovered?

Carl Jacob Löwig prepared bromine from a mineral spring in his hometown of Bad Kreuznach, Germany. His discovery of bromine happened in1825, but his findings were not published until 1827.

Bromine was isolated by Antoine-Jérôme Balard in Montpellier, France in 1826. He had been analyzing seaweed ashes and salt marsh plants and found the new element. His findings were promptly published in 1826, before Löwig’s. So, he is considered the first person to discover bromine.

Where did its name come from?

The name "bromine" comes from the word brôme, which derives from the Greek βρωμος (stench.)

Ballard first named the new element muride from the Latin muria (brine). He later changed the name to brôme the French word for bromine. (“Bromine” comes from the Greek bromos, which means “stench” or “bad smell.”)

Did You Know?

Bromine is an ingredient in the rare purple dye shellfish, or Tyrian, purple, the cost of which was what made the color purple synonymous with royalty.
After fluorine, bromine is the most reactive element.
Bromine is a reddish-brown liquid at room temperature and it the only liquid non-metal.

Where is it found?

The pure element bromine does not occur naturally in nature. It exists only in bromide compounds (salts) in Earth's crust and bromide ions (charged particles) in seawater.

Bromine compounds are forty-sixth in abundance in Earth’s crust and oceans. An example of a bromine compound is sodium bromide (NaBr) made from a positive sodium ion and a negative bromide ion. The resulting NaBr compound is called a “salt”.

The largest producers of bromine are the United States, China, and Israel. Elemental bromine is extracted from pools of extra salty water called “brine.” A special process converts the bromide ions in the brine into pure elemental bromine.

What are its uses?

Silver bromide is a light-sensitive compound used in traditional film development. When light strikes silver bromide crystals on film, a “latent image” is created. That image is developed to become a visible image called a photograph. Making images this way is a classic process used by artists and hobbyists.

Elemental bromine is used in batteries, disinfectants, and chemical reactions. Bromine compounds are used in fire-control materials and in medicines. Bromine compounds are used for water treatment in pools and hot tubs. Such compounds are effective in both cold and warm water.

In the past, bromide compounds were used as fumigants. Farmers sprayed them on farm fields to kill pests like aphids, cutworms, and other damaging insects. The fumigants harmed the ozone layer and contaminated groundwater. Their use in agriculture declined because of these environmental problems.

Is it dangerous?

Yes, it is toxic. Bromine should not make any contact with skin. When it contacts skin, bromine produces painful sores. Inhalation may lead to death. In the past, excessive use of bromide‑medicines caused a condition called “bromism”. Symptoms included confusion, fatigue, and skin rashes. Bromine fumes and salts are dangerous. They harm skin, eyes, lungs, and nerves. Inhalation may lead to death.

Scientists handle it only in a fume hood while wearing protective gloves, goggles, and lab coats. They keep it in sealed containers and keep neutralizing solutions nearby to manage any spills.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Bromine: Chemical fact sheet. https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/chemical-fact-sheets/bromine.html

Collins English Dictionary. (2026). Brome. HarperCollins. Retrieved February 10, 2026, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/brome (collinsdictionary.com in Bing)

Cooke, A. (2025, July 3). Is film photography still cool in 2025? Fstoppers. https://fstoppers.com/film/film-photography-still-cool-2025-705865

Periodic Table. (2025). Bromine: History, uses, facts, physical & chemical characteristics. https://periodic-table.com/bromine

Royal Society of Chemistry. (2025). Bromine. In Periodic table. https://periodic-table.rsc.org/

Facebook Watch. (n.d.). Making a deadly chemical in my parents’ garage [Video]. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=798719245526611