Chlorine Dixoide
<p>Chlorine dioxide is used primarily (>95%) for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleaching_of_wood_pulp" title="Bleaching of wood pulp" >bleaching of wood pulp</a>, but is also used for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach" title="Bleach" >bleaching</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour" title="Flour" >flour</a> and for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinfectant" title="Disinfectant" >disinfection</a> of municipal drinking water.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-9" >[10]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-epa1999_10-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-epa1999-10" >[11]</a></sup><sup class="reference" >:4-1</sup><sup id="cite_ref-block2001_11-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-block2001-11" >[12]</a></sup> </p>
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls" title="Niagara Falls" >Niagara Falls</a>, New York water treatment plant first used chlorine dioxide for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_water" title="Drinking water" >drinking water</a> treatment in 1944 for<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol" title="Phenol" >phenol</a> destruction.<sup id="cite_ref-epa1999_10-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-epa1999-10" >[11]</a></sup><sup class="reference" >:4-17</sup><sup id="cite_ref-block2001_11-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-block2001-11" >[12]</a></sup> </p>
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Chlorine dioxide was introduced as a drinking water disinfectant on a large scale in 1956, when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels" title="Brussels" >Brussels</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium" title="Belgium" >Belgium</a>, changed from chlorine to chlorine dioxide.<sup id="cite_ref-block2001_11-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-block2001-11" >[12]</a></sup> </p>
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Its most common use in water treatment is as a pre-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidant" title="Oxidant" class="mw-redirect" >oxidant</a> prior to chlorination of drinking water to destroy natural water impurities that produce <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trihalomethane" title="Trihalomethane" >trihalomethanes</a> on exposure to free chlorine.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-12" >[13]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-13" >[14]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-volk2002_14-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-volk2002-14" >[15]</a></sup></p>
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Trihalomethanes are suspect carcinogenic disinfection by-products<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-15" >[16]</a></sup> associated with chlorination of naturally occurring organics in the raw water.<sup id="cite_ref-volk2002_14-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-volk2002-14" >[15]</a></sup> Chlorine dioxide is also superior to chlorine when operating above <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH" title="PH" >pH</a> 7,<sup id="cite_ref-epa1999_10-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-epa1999-10" >[11]</a></sup><sup class="reference" >:4-33</sup> in the presence of ammonia and amines<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup> and/or for the control of biofilms in water distribution systems.<sup id="cite_ref-volk2002_14-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-volk2002-14" >[15]</a></sup> </p>
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Chlorine dioxide is used in many industrial water treatment applications as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biocide" title="Biocide" >biocide</a> including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling_towers" title="Cooling towers" class="mw-redirect" >cooling towers</a>, process water and food processing.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-16" >[17]</a></sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference" > </sup>
The EPA has set a maximum contaminant level of 0.8 mg/L for chlorine dioxide in drinking water.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-23" >[24]</a></sup>
On July 30, 2010 and again on October 1, 2010, the United States Food and Drug Administration warned against the use of the product "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_Mineral_Supplement" title="Miracle Mineral Supplement" >Miracle Mineral Supplement</a>" or "MMS", which when made up according to instructions produces chlorine dioxide. MMS has been marketed as a treatment for a variety of conditions, including HIV, cancer, and acne. The FDA warning informed consumers that this industrial bleach can cause serious harm to health, including severe dehydration, nausea and diarrhea.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-24" >[25]</a></sup> There have been no reported deaths from use of MMS; however the FDA has received numerous reports of nausea, severe vomiting, and life-threatening low blood pressure caused by dehydration.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide#cite_note-25" >[26]</a></sup></p>