Chlorine dioxide: Environmental effects
Description
Chlorine dioxide is well established to be harmful to all forms of life. Ranked in the USA as one of the most hazardous compounds (worst 10%) to ecosystems.
Entering the environment
Most releases will be as the gas to the atmosphere or in wastewater streams from plants that make or use chlorine dioxide. Because of its high reactivity chlorine dioxide will not persist long in the air, water, or soil environments - up to minutes in air and up to hours in the others.
Where it ends up
In the atmosphere it will photolyze rapidly, with a tropospheric half-life of a few seconds. Because of its high reactivity, chlorine dioxide will breakdown rapidly in natural waters (that is, waters that contain moderate amounts of organic matter). Nevertheless, this substance is considered hazardous to the environment with special attention required for water organisms.
The breakdown products are chloride ion and oxidised products of organic matter.
Environmental guidelines
No national guidelines.
Key
Links to an another web site
Opens a pop-up window
