To make water drinkable, chlorine dioxide is widely used in very small quantities. This has the power to disinfect water. It acts as a disinfectant similar to bleach and hence not very much safe when used in large amounts. Since it has the power to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi, chlorine dioxide is widely used in public water treatment facilities. Its high use often damages red blood cells and the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Many researches depict that chlorine dioxide is added to drinking water to protect people from harmful bacteria and other microorganisms. This is the reason it is included in the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking-water quality. In medical settings, chlorine dioxide gas can be used to help sterilize equipment, surfaces, rooms and tools. It should not be used to treat diseases or ailments.

Chlorine dioxide treatment can be a safe and effective solution for peroxidation and disinfection. Chlorine dioxide for disinfection is a very efficient and gentle way of fighting legionella bacteria and all kinds of micro- organisms in water including viruses, parasites and fungus spores. 

It has often been seen that chlorine dioxide kills microorganisms in the water by an irreversible oxidative destruction of the transport proteins in the living cells. Chlorine dioxide for disinfectants is a much more powerful disinfecting action against all kinds of germs and contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and algae than most other biocides. The oxidation potential is higher than with chlorine and most importantly, fewer chemicals are needed. Also, germs that are resistant to biocides can be killed completely with chlorine dioxide.

Made from sodium chlorite and hydrochloric acid, chlorine dioxide is formed in a chemical reaction along with the harmless by-products salt and water Chlorine dioxide for drinking water is widely used for getting rid of biofilms and effectively inactivates germs by completely destroying cell walls. The disinfection and oxidation capabilities that chlorine dioxide have are 100% independent from the water’s pH levels, which means that you can use chlorine to disinfect water even if it has pH levels of 5.0 or 9.0. 

It has seen that the organic substances that are found in bacterial cells are known to react directly with chlorine dioxide, which further results in certain cellular processes being interrupted. Actually, protein production is effectively prevented in such scenarios. As soon as bacteria are properly eliminated, the chlorine dioxide will get into the cell wall to keep these issues away. 

In order to eliminate viruses in the water, chlorine dioxide will react with a water-soluble substance known as peptone. When such a situation is created, prevention of protein is seen which automatically leads to the virus dying. In a way chlorine dioxide works, it is widely considered to be a more effective disinfectant for viruses and bacteria than ozone or chlorine.