ClO2 (Chlorine Dioxide) Home Water Injection

" Chlorine dioxide is an extremely reactive gas, which - because of its instability - cannot be stored, and must only be produced in the required quantities in special plants on the site where it is to be used. "

http://www.prominent.com/Products/Disinfection-Systems-and-Oxidation-Systems/Chlorine-Dioxide-Systems.aspx

Thanks Eagle I did not find this on my searches looks promising. I am fully aware of the dangers of C1O2 especially under pressure. We make it as needed and simultaneously dissolve it in water. There is nothing better to disinfect without causing cancer causing agents than C1O2.

There appears to be some confusion between Chlorine and Chlorine Dioxide, depending on the concentration it can be anywhere from a disease fighting protocol to an industrial bleach. 900 Municipalities use it in North America to purify water and it is recommended or mandated in swimming pools and spas where humans occupy. It is also about the only substance that meat and vegetables can be immersed in to control pathogens that requires no rinsing. The following is the FDA Clinical Evaluations on Chlorine Dioxide.

Yes it has handling difficulties but same is true for may other chemicals, I also realize that for disinfecting buildings and most applications it is produced on site under controlled conditions.

Yes, as you stated Chlorine Dioxide is real nasty stuff. For example, when this country was going through the anthrax scares and actual incidents of white powder some was discovered in a postal site in Hamilton, NJ (near Trenton). This facility was immediately shut down to evaluate the conditions and then several months later ClO₂ gas was used to sterile the facility. The first problem with doing this was to prep the building, without exposing personnel doing the closure to anthrax, for the sterilization. The next problem was to get the stuff into the building in the right places and prevent it from escaping from a building not intended for this type of treatment (numerous potential places to leak out) operation. Because of the size of the building and possible crannies the anthrax could have gotten into sterilization took several months. The ClO₂ had to be generated on site as described above. The building was closed for well over a year to facilitate all this work.

Good chemical awareness is that if a gas is strong enough to kill anthrax then it won't have any trouble killing you.

Good Luck, Old Salt

It's ClO₂. (Lower case L, not 1.)

Chlorine Dioxide is really nasty stuff, unless you are comparing it to what I initially misread in this Thread's title: Chlorine Dioxin..

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....makes Chlorine Dioxide seem down right palatable.

'.... Try to eliminate all use of chlorine for health reasons....'

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You words.

Words are important, at least they are to me.

Not being critical of any post (I think there several that are very good and appropriate) but I would like to provide some information. ClO₂ is much more hazardous than PVC. PVC as in Poly Vinyl Chloride has few properties that would cause it to be a health risk under normal use. It is the monomer, Vinyl Chloride, which PVC is made from that causes the problems.

This is the material that caused so many problems in Paulsboro, NJ, when a Conrail train partially collapsed a bridge on November 30, 2012. Several Vinyl Chloride tankers fell off the bridge and at least one of them was breached. Half of the town had to be evacuated for several days until the material had evaporated and dispersed itself down to acceptable levels. Many of the other people in the town had to shelter in place The other tankers that did not leak had to have their contents transferred to road trailers before the rail tankers could be moved.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Found some interest reading on Chlorine Dioxide if anyone is interested. They looks at the compound from several perspectives but are easy to read. The one from the CDC is very clear about why it is rated as IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health).

Felt that these may clarify some of our perceptions of CLO_2. They are

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/10049044.html

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0116.html

http://www2.dupont.com/Chlorine_Dioxide/en_US/assets/downloads/TasteandOdorControl.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_dioxide

http://www2.dupont.com/Chlorine_Dioxide/en_US/tech_info/index.html

One interesting article on what it isn't is:

http://www.frontierpharm.com/

Hope these might be of interest to some posters.

Good Luck, Old Salt

With a really low PEL of 0.1 ppm (in air), I should think this biocide would be quite effective in removing homeowners from the neighborhood, if that was the intent.

Lethal for rats seems to be approximately 10 ppm repeated dose.

This is nothing for half-trained or technically indept homeowners to be playing with.

They would be better off with a small tank of water and chlorine or iodine tablets.

If you are really serious about implementing this, you will need one of the newer chlorine dioxide systems out on the market, firstly. Secondly, you will most likely not be able to size even their smallest system down to your use. Having gone through that evolution, you will have to consider re-engineering how water is supplied in your home.

Suggestion: install a water storage tank appropriate for household use. Have the ClO2 system turn on only when the tank has reached the lower trip limit for filling. I suspect you will still have to have everything turned way down.

Happy non-toxic results, I hope.