Toxicity of chlorine dioxide in drinking water.
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is currently being considered as an alternate to chlorine as a disinfectant for public water supplies. Studies were conducted to determine the toxicity of ClO2 (0, 1, 10, 100, 1000 mg/l) and its metabolites, ClO3- and ClO3- (10, 100 mg/l) in drinking water in rats. After nine months treatment the osmotic fragility of the red blood cells was decreased in all treatment groups, while a decreased blood glutathione was only observed in the metabolite groups. At 2, 4 and 6 mon no significant hematologic changes were noted in treated rats compared to control. However, after 9 mon RBC counts, hematocrit and hemoglobin were decreased in all treatment groups. ClO2, ClO2- and ClO3- administered chronically in drinking water for three months inhibited the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into nuclei of rat testes. Also, this inhibition was observed in the liver of ClO2- groups and in the kidney of 100 mg/l ClO2- treatment. The incorporation in small intestinal nuclei was increased in both 10 and 100 mg/l ClO2 and in 10 mg/l ClO2-. The treatment with Cl-compounds decreased rat body weight in all groups after 10 and 11 months treatment.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002713:Chlorine / Q000633:toxicity*; D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009996:Osmotic Fragility / Q000187:drug effects; D010087:Oxides / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014881:Water Supply
D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D010087:Oxides; D002713:Chlorine; C025109:chlorine dioxide; D005978:Glutathione; D013936:Thymidine