Chlorine Dioxide & Chlorite

CAS ID#: 10049-04-4, Chlorite 7758-19-2

Affected Organ Systems: Developmental (effects while organs are developing), Gastrointestinal (Stomach and Intestines, part of the digestive system), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs)

Cancer Classification:  Please contact NTP, IARC, or EPA with questions on cancer and cancer classification.

Chemical Classification: None

Summary: Chlorine dioxide is a yellow to reddish-yellow manufactured gas. It does not occur naturally in the environment. When added to water, chlorine dioxide forms chlorite ion, which is also a very reactive chemical. Chlorine dioxide is used as a bleaching agent at paper manufacturing plants, and in public water treatment facilities to make water safe to drink. In 2001, chlorine dioxide and chlorite were used to decontaminate a number of public buildings following the release of anthrax spores in the United States.

Community Members
Community Members

ToxFAQs - Fact sheet that answers the most frequently asked questions about a contaminant and its health effects.

Public Health Statement - Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.

Toxicological and Health Professionals
Toxicological and Health Professionals

Toxicological Profile - Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for a hazardous substance.

ToxGuidepdf icon[72 KB] - Quick reference guide providing information such as chemical and physical properties, sources of exposure, routes of exposure, minimal risk levels, children's health, and health effects for a substance.

Minimal Risk Levels (MRL) - The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.

Page last reviewed: February 10, 2021