CHLORINE DIOXIDE
Chlorine dioxide is a common chemical compound that is composed of two atoms of oxygen and one atom of chlorine. At room temperature, chlorine dioxide is a gas with a yellowish-green or red color to it that will dissolve when coming into contact with water.
The most important quality of this gas is that it can be used to disinfect drinking water and other substances, which makes it very important for a wide range of industrial and municipal applications. This gas is typically produced from either sodium chlorite or sodium chlorate.
When chlorine dioxide is being used for water treatment purposes, this chemical is able to disinfect water through the oxidation process. It is comprised of 19 separate electrons and will only attack substances that take up or give off an electron, which allows it to effectively get rid of unwanted substances in the water. When looking specifically at bacterial cells, chlorine dioxide works by interrupting a variety of cellular processes within the bacterial cells. While it’s unclear as to whether the carbon dioxide attacks the acids within the cell or the actual structure of the cell, it’s known that the substance prevents additional proteins from being produced.
It is mainly used as a disinfectant for water treatment. While free chlorine can be successful when used for the same purposes, chlorine dioxide isn’t affected by pH in the same way, which makes chlorine dioxide highly effective for disinfection in even cold water. Whether your business creates bottled water or is involved in irrigation, the main goal of water treatment is to improve the quality of the water by getting rid of viruses, bacteria, and other harmful substances in the water.
