Why can Chlorine Dioxide be used at lower concentrations than Peroxide or hypochlorite even though they are more powerful?
Peroxide and Hypochlorite are more powerful and that is their problem. They are unselective and easily consumed by all manner of materials present in the environment As a result, large quantities must be used to ensure there is a sufficient residue to act as a biocide. Just think of the Western Australian Koala. You don’t need to cut down all the gum trees in Western Australia to cause their extinction. They only live on the leaves of the Red River gum tree (E.camaldulensis) and the Coolibah (E.coolibah). In order to cause the extinction of the Koala you need only employ 5 timber workers and ask them to selectively destroy the few remaining pockets of the Red gum and Coolibah, not employ thousands of workers to destroy the other 750 species of eucalypt in an unselective campaign. Chlorine Dioxide is a relatively weak oxidising agent. It only reacts with some sulphur compounds; selected amines and other reduced organic compounds. As a result, low levels can be used to eliminate microorg
