Why chlorine dioxide outperforms conventional chlorine in many respects when it comes to drinking water disinfection.
Chlorine dioxide is an effective disinfectant that is widely used to treat drinking water. It offers several decisive advantages over other disinfectants such as chlorine. Here is an overview of the most important ones.
Both substances are used to disinfect drinking water, but chlorine dioxide shows clear advantages on the criteria that matter most.
Five properties make chlorine dioxide especially valuable for drinking water disinfection.
Chlorine dioxide is highly effective against a wide range of micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. Chlorine dioxide can even inactivate persistent pathogens such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, against which conventional chlorine treatment is less effective.
During disinfection, chlorine reacts with organic matter and forms potentially harmful by-products such as trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HAA). Chlorine dioxide produces substantially fewer such by-products.
Chlorine dioxide is chemically more stable than chlorine and retains its effect for longer.
Chlorine dioxide can oxidise and remove unwanted taste and odour compounds in water such as phenols and hydrogen sulphide. This improves the sensory quality of the treated water.
The effectiveness of chlorine dioxide depends less on the pH value of the water and therefore stays effective across a wider pH range. Source: Bavarian State Office for Water Management, Information Sheet No. 1.8/3; further evidence under Where the key figures come from.
| Criterion | Chlorine dioxide | Chlorine |
|---|---|---|
| Spectrum of activity | Very broad, including against Giardia & Cryptosporidium | Less effective against some pathogens (e.g. Giardia, Cryptosporidium) |
| Harmful by-products (THM, HAA) | Substantially lower | Formation of THM and haloacetic acids possible |
| Chemical stability / lasting effect | More stable, longer-lasting disinfection effect | Less stable |
| Taste & odour | Oxidises phenols & hydrogen sulphide | Can impair taste and odour |
| Dependence on pH value | Low, effective across a wide pH range | More strongly pH-dependent |
With biostream® ZERO you use exactly this active substance: highly effective chlorine dioxide for cleaning and disinfecting drinking water, without complex plant technology.
Whether dispensing system, drinking water tank, dental unit or camping vehicle: biostream® ZERO brings the advantages of chlorine dioxide directly to your application.
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All statements about efficacy are based on biostream® GmbH's many years of experience as well as information from technical literature, laws, regulations and positive customer references.