▁property ▁causes ▁ult rav io let ▁sun light ▁to ▁dis soci ate ▁vol atile ▁organ ob rom ine ▁comp ounds ▁in ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁to ▁yield ▁free ▁b rom ine ▁atoms , ▁causing ▁o zone ▁de ple tion . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁many ▁organ ob rom ide ▁comp ounds — such ▁as ▁the ▁p estic ide ▁m eth yl ▁b rom ide — are ▁no ▁longer ▁used . ▁B rom ine ▁comp ounds ▁are ▁still ▁used ▁in ▁well ▁dr illing ▁flu ids , ▁in ▁phot ographic ▁film , ▁and ▁as ▁an ▁intermediate ▁in ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁organ ic ▁chemical s . ▁ ▁Lar ge ▁amounts ▁of ▁b rom ide ▁sal ts ▁are ▁to xic ▁from ▁the ▁action ▁of ▁sol ub le ▁b rom ide ▁ion , ▁causing ▁b rom ism . ▁However , ▁a ▁clear ▁bi ological ▁role ▁for ▁b rom ide ▁ion ▁and ▁hyp ob rom ous ▁acid ▁has ▁recently ▁been ▁el uc id ated , ▁and ▁it ▁now ▁appears ▁that ▁b rom ine ▁is ▁an ▁essential ▁trace ▁element ▁in ▁humans . ▁The ▁role ▁of ▁bi ological ▁organ ob rom ine ▁comp ounds ▁in ▁sea ▁life ▁such ▁as ▁alg ae ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁for ▁much ▁longer . ▁As ▁a ▁ph arma ce ut ical , ▁the ▁simple ▁b rom ide ▁ion ▁( Br − ) ▁has ▁in hib itory ▁effects ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁nerv ous ▁system , ▁and ▁b rom ide ▁sal ts ▁were ▁once ▁a ▁major ▁medical ▁sed ative , ▁before ▁replacement ▁by ▁shorter - act ing ▁dru gs .