Chlorine dioxide is a strong anti-infectious agent. It is antibacterial, antiviral, and can help improve oral health. Read more to learn about the health benefits and side effects of chlorine dioxide.

What is Chlorine Dioxide?

Chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) is a yellow-green gas that was discovered in 1814. Since the early 1900s, people have been using it as a disinfectant [1, 2].

Chlorine dioxide is an oxidant. This means that chlorine dioxide removes electrons from another compound during a chemical reaction. This activity makes it toxic to many bacteria and fungi [2, 3, 4].

Chlorine dioxide is considered potentially toxic to humans at concentrations higher than 0.8 mg/L. Water purification tablets containing chlorine dioxide are marketed to campers, hikers, and backpackers to sanitize fresh water from rivers or lakes; make sure to carefully follow the instructions on the package if you use these products, and never use more than the recommended quantity per volume.

Mechanism

Chlorine dioxide acts as an oxidizing agent (gains electrons during chemical reactions) and interacts with cell components [5].

By taking electrons from microbes, the microbe’s molecular bonds weaken and the cell breaks apart. This process alters the proteins involved in their structure and decreases enzyme function, thus resulting in the death of the microbe [5].

This attack on many proteins simultaneously prevents the microorganisms from mutating and developing resistance [6].

Uses of Chlorine Dioxide

1) Antimicrobial Activity

Chlorine dioxide is frequently used to sterilize water and make it safe to drink. The maximum safe limit for chlorine dioxide in drinking water, according to the EPA, is 0.8 mg/L [7].

Chlorine dioxide gas can go through bacterial cell membranes and cause cell death in the pH range of 3-9 [4, 8].

In lab tests, chlorine dioxide was more effective at inactivating fungal spores than chlorine. It inactivated fungal spores by damaging the cell wall and cell membrane, thus causing the leakage of cell substances and eventually, fungal death [9].

In another study, a chlorine dioxide solution reduced 98.2% of bacteria and fungi in a lab test (E. coli, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, listeria, salmonella, Candida albicans, etc) [3].

A Powerful Disinfectant

The antimicrobial properties of chlorine dioxide are used to disinfect food, surgical tools, and more [10, 11, 9].

Low concentrations of chlorine dioxide are effective in