{"id":10569,"date":"2025-10-31T12:17:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T01:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/latest-news\/\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:56:31","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T05:56:31","slug":"chlorine-vs-chlorine-dioxide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/latest-news\/chlorine-vs-chlorine-dioxide\/","title":{"rendered":"Chlorine vs Chlorine Dioxide: What you Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"position:relative;overflow:hidden;background-color:#fdf2e3;background-image:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(253,242,227,1) 0%,rgba(253,242,227,1) 45%,rgba(253,242,227,0.9) 65%,rgba(253,242,227,0.4) 100%),url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chlorine-Dioxide-Molecules-Green-scaled.jpg&apos;);background-size:auto,cover;background-position:0 0,right center;background-repeat:no-repeat,no-repeat;border:1px solid #f6d9ae;border-radius:20px;padding:26px 30px 28px;margin:0 0 32px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/latest-news\/categories\/navigating-chemistry\/\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;text-decoration:none;margin:0 0 18px\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:18px;height:16px;flex:0 0 18px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.18em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#17223c\">Navigating Chemistry<\/span><\/a><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:14px;align-items:stretch;margin:0 0 24px\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Chlorine, an element, compared with chlorine dioxide, a compound\"><div style=\"flex:0 1 190px;min-width:150px;background:#ffffff;border:2px solid #f6d9ae;border-radius:16px;padding:14px 16px 16px\"><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:11.5px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#454861\">Element<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0 4px;font-size:44px;font-weight:600;line-height:1;color:#17223c\">Cl<sub style=\"font-size:0.45em\">2<\/sub><\/p><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c\">Chlorine<\/p><\/div><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:50px;height:46px;flex:0 0 50px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;color:#17223c;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;align-self:center\">vs<\/span><div style=\"flex:0 1 190px;min-width:150px;background:#CCFF00;border:2px solid #CCFF00;border-radius:16px;padding:14px 16px 16px\"><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:11.5px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#17223c\">Compound<\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0 4px;font-size:44px;font-weight:600;line-height:1;color:#17223c\">ClO<sub style=\"font-size:0.45em\">2<\/sub><\/p><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c\">Chlorine dioxide<\/p><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:20px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.3;color:#17223c\">In this article you&#8217;ll <span style=\"position:relative;display:inline-block;font-family:&apos;Playwrite NZ&apos;,cursive;font-weight:400;font-size:1.05em;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c;padding:0 2px 8px 2px\">learn<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tristel-Academy-Linkedin-Post-Templates-105-x-105-mm-1.png\" alt=\"\" style=\"position:absolute;left:-4%;top:100%;width:108%;height:18px;max-width:none;margin:-9px 0 0 0;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/span><\/p><ul style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:14px 28px;margin:0;padding:0\"><li style=\"flex:1 1 270px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0;padding:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:12px;height:11px;flex:0 0 12px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:5px\"><\/span><span>What chlorine and chlorine dioxide have in common, and how they differ<\/span><\/li><li style=\"flex:1 1 270px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0;padding:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:12px;height:11px;flex:0 0 12px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:5px\"><\/span><span>Why concentration (ppm) alone doesn&#8217;t show how effective a disinfectant is<\/span><\/li><li style=\"flex:1 1 270px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0;padding:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:12px;height:11px;flex:0 0 12px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:5px\"><\/span><span>The practical and health challenges of chlorine tablets<\/span><\/li><li style=\"flex:1 1 270px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0;padding:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:12px;height:11px;flex:0 0 12px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:5px\"><\/span><span>How chlorine dioxide compares on contact time and dilution<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"font-size:21px;line-height:1.55;font-weight:400;color:#17223c;margin:0 0 28px\">High-level disinfection (HLD) is essential in healthcare to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">HAIs can lead to serious illness, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs, often originating from contaminated medical devices or surfaces. By eliminating most pathogens, including resistant microorganisms, HLD plays a critical role in reducing transmission risk. But not all disinfectants are created equal. For decades, chlorine-based products have been widely used for surface disinfection. However, growing evidence highlights their limitations of safety, practicality, and by-product formation. This is where chlorine dioxide (ClO<sub>2<\/sub>) enters the conversation as a more effective alternative.<\/p>\n<figure lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:8px 0 36px;padding:0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Does-wiping-harder-make-disinfectants-more-effective.png\" alt=\"Healthcare worker in gloves wiping down a reception desk\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:clamp(200px,34vw,320px);object-fit:cover;object-position:center 55%;margin:0;border-radius:20px;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 lang=\"en-NZ\" id=\"the-reason-chlorine-dioxide-is-often-compared-to-chlorine\" style=\"margin:44px 0 18px;font-size:30px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:500;color:#17223c;max-width:none;width:auto\">The reason chlorine dioxide is often compared to chlorine<\/h2>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">The main similarity between chlorine and chlorine dioxide is that both are oxidisers. They react with microorganisms\u2019 vital structures by taking electrons, damaging cell walls, altering chemical bonds in key proteins, and ultimately destroying the organism. However, despite sharing part of their name, chlorine and chlorine dioxide are chemically very different.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">Chlorine dioxide is a compound that differs from elemental chlorine, both in its chemical structure and in its behaviour<sup>1<\/sup>. The properties of ClO<sub>2<\/sub> result from single-electron transfer reactions, making it a strong oxidising agent. Unlike chlorine, ClO<sub>2<\/sub> does not tend to react with organic materials to form chlorinated species or with ammonia to form chloramine<sup>1<\/sup>. This means it avoids the formation of potentially harmful by-products commonly associated with chlorine-based disinfectants.<\/p>\n<figure lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:8px 0 36px;padding:0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Our-Chemistry_Mode-of-Action_Green-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Scientist in purple gloves using a pipette with a green solution in a laboratory\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:clamp(200px,38vw,360px);object-fit:cover;object-position:center 42%;margin:0;border-radius:20px;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/figure>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">Its main advantage over chlorine is that it reduces the formation of harmful organochlorine compounds<sup>1<\/sup>. In fact, research shows that ClO<sub>2<\/sub> reduces the formation of trihalomethanes and other organic chlorinated compounds, minimising the production of by-products and offering a safer profile for healthcare environments<sup>2<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">Chlorine dioxide is also about 10 times more soluble in water than chlorine<sup>1<\/sup>, making it easier to prepare and use consistently.<\/p>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"background:#ffffff;border-radius:20px;padding:24px 24px 14px;margin:8px 0 34px\"><h3 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:19px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c;font-family:inherit;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;max-width:none\">Chlorine and chlorine dioxide at a glance<\/h3><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 160px;padding:0 14px 10px 0\"><\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:0 14px 10px;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#454861\">Chlorine<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:0 14px 10px;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#17223c\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;flex:0 0 12px;width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;border:1.5px solid #17223c\"><\/span>Chlorine dioxide<\/div><\/div><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 160px;padding:12px 14px 12px 0;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.45;color:#17223c\">Type<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#454861\">Elemental chlorine (Cl<sub>2<\/sub>)<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9\">A compound (ClO<sub>2<\/sub>), different in chemical structure and behaviour<\/div><\/div><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 160px;padding:12px 14px 12px 0;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.45;color:#17223c\">Reaction with organic material and ammonia<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#454861\">Forms chlorinated species and chloramine<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9\">Does not tend to form chlorinated species or chloramine<\/div><\/div><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 160px;padding:12px 14px 12px 0;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.45;color:#17223c\">By-products<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#454861\">Potentially harmful by-products, including organochlorine compounds<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9\">Reduced formation of trihalomethanes and other organic chlorinated compounds<\/div><\/div><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 160px;padding:12px 14px 12px 0;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.45;color:#17223c\">Solubility in water<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#454861\">Less soluble<\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;padding:12px 14px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9\">About 10 times more soluble than chlorine<\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:12.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#454861\">Sources: Andr\u00e9s et al. (2022); Jiang et al. (2024).<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 lang=\"en-NZ\" id=\"performance-and-practicality-why-it-s-time-to-rethink-chlori\" style=\"margin:44px 0 18px;font-size:30px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:500;color:#17223c;max-width:none;width:auto\">Performance and practicality: why it&#8217;s time to rethink chlorine tablets in healthcare<\/h2>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:flex;align-items:flex-start;justify-content:flex-end;gap:6px;margin:-14px 40px 2px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0;font-family:&apos;Playwrite NZ&apos;,cursive;font-size:16px;line-height:1.4;color:#454861\">Tap to find out<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Academy_Accents_ALL_Arrow_2.svg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;width:26px;height:auto;margin:6px 0 0 0;flex:0 0 26px\"\/><\/div>\n<details lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"position:relative;overflow:hidden;background-color:#17223c;background-image:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(23,34,60,1) 0%,rgba(23,34,60,0.92) 45%,rgba(23,34,60,0.35) 100%),url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tristel_Academy_TechPattern_WHITE-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:auto,600px auto;background-position:0 0,right top;background-repeat:no-repeat,repeat;border-radius:16px;margin:0 0 36px;padding:0\"><summary style=\"display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;padding:18px 20px;margin:0;cursor:pointer\"><span style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;flex:0 0 38px;width:38px;height:38px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;color:#17223c;font-size:17px;font-weight:600\">?<\/span><span style=\"display:block;flex:1 1 auto;min-width:0;margin:0;padding:0\"><span style=\"display:block;margin:0 0 2px;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.3;color:#CCFF00\">Did you know?<\/span><span style=\"display:block;margin:0;font-size:16px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.45;color:#ffffff\">While both chlorine and chlorine dioxide are oxidisers, their effectiveness is not directly comparable by concentration (ppm) alone.<\/span><\/span><span style=\"flex:0 0 auto;padding:7px 14px;border-radius:999px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,rgb(149,27,129),rgb(215,11,82));color:#ffffff;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.2;white-space:nowrap\">Find out more<\/span><\/summary><div style=\"margin:0;padding:0 20px 20px 72px\"><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.65;color:#e5e7ed\">Chlorine dioxide has a lower oxidation potential but a higher oxidative capacity, making it a more efficient molecule for disinfection.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"background:#ffffff;border-radius:20px;padding:24px 26px 18px;margin:8px 0 34px\"><h3 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:17px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c;font-family:inherit;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;max-width:none\">A 2017 UNISON survey of UK healthcare workers using chlorine-based products reported common side effects:<\/h3><div style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;margin:0 0 5px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;color:#17223c\"><span>Skin complaints<\/span><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">59%<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#e5e4f2;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:59%;height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#f39200\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;margin:0 0 5px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;color:#17223c\"><span>Asthma-like symptoms<\/span><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">52%<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#e5e4f2;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:52%;height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#f39200\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;margin:0 0 5px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;color:#17223c\"><span>Headaches<\/span><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">43%<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#e5e4f2;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:43%;height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#f39200\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;margin:0 0 5px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;color:#17223c\"><span>Irritation to eyes<\/span><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">41%<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#e5e4f2;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:41%;height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#f39200\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;margin:0 0 5px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;color:#17223c\"><span>Throat irritation<\/span><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">41%<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#e5e4f2;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:41%;height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#f39200\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin:0 0 12px\"><div style=\"display:flex;justify-content:space-between;gap:10px;margin:0 0 5px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.4;color:#17223c\"><span>Nasal discomfort<\/span><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">34%<\/strong><\/div><div style=\"height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#e5e4f2;overflow:hidden\"><div style=\"width:34%;height:10px;border-radius:10px;background:#f39200\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><p style=\"margin:10px 0 0;font-size:12.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#454861\">Source: UNISON survey of members in the UK (2017), reported in the UK&#8217;s NHS Employers guidance on the safe use of chlorine-based disinfectant chemicals.<\/p><\/div>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:8px 0 34px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 4px;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;color:#454861\">Chlorine tablets often present challenges<\/p><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:12px;margin:8px 0 0\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;background:#ffffff;border-radius:16px;padding:18px 20px\"><span style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:30px;height:27px;flex:0 0 30px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;color:#17223c;font-size:13px;font-weight:600\">1<\/span><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\"><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">Complicated preparation,<\/strong><span> including tablet counting and dilution calculations.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;background:#ffffff;border-radius:16px;padding:18px 20px\"><span style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:30px;height:27px;flex:0 0 30px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;color:#17223c;font-size:13px;font-weight:600\">2<\/span><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\"><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">Health risks<\/strong><span> when used at high concentrations needed for high-level\/step-up disinfection.<\/span><\/p><\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 200px;background:#ffffff;border-radius:16px;padding:18px 20px\"><span style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:30px;height:27px;flex:0 0 30px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;color:#17223c;font-size:13px;font-weight:600\">3<\/span><p style=\"margin:12px 0 0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\"><strong style=\"font-weight:600\">Potential damage<\/strong><span> to surfaces and sensitive medical devices.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<figure lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:8px 0 36px;padding:0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_437278710-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Healthcare worker in a mask and gloves cleaning a hospital bed rail\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:clamp(200px,34vw,320px);object-fit:cover;object-position:center 40%;margin:0;border-radius:20px;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 lang=\"en-NZ\" id=\"what-sets-chlorine-dioxide-apart-from-chlorine\" style=\"margin:44px 0 18px;font-size:30px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:500;color:#17223c;max-width:none;width:auto\">What sets chlorine dioxide apart from chlorine?<\/h2>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">Tristel\u2019s chlorine dioxide offers sporicidal, high-level disinfection (HLD) while delivering consistent results with <strong style=\"font-weight:600\">one contact time<\/strong> and <strong style=\"font-weight:600\">one dilution rate<\/strong> against microorganisms of concern.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:0 0 18px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;color:#1c1c1c\">Additionally, ClO<sub>2<\/sub> has a higher oxidising power (over 2.5 times) than chlorine-based disinfectants<sup>2<\/sup>. These characteristics make ClO<sub>2<\/sub> internationally recognised as the most ideal replacement for chlorine disinfectants<sup>2<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"background:#ffffff;border-radius:20px;padding:24px 24px 18px;margin:8px 0 34px\"><div><table aria-label=\"Tristel chlorine dioxide compared with chlorine\" style=\"width:100%;min-width:460px;border-collapse:collapse;margin:0;border:0\"><thead><tr><th scope=\"col\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:0 14px 10px;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.1em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#454861;border:0\">Active chemistry<\/th><th scope=\"col\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:0 14px 10px;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.1em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#17223c;border:0\">Tristel ClO<sub>2<\/sub><\/th><th scope=\"col\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:0 14px 10px;font-size:12px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.1em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#454861;border:0\">Chlorine (Cl<sub>2<\/sub>)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><th scope=\"row\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#17223c\">Disinfection level<\/th><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9;font-weight:600\">High<\/td><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#454861\">High<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#17223c\">One contact time?<\/th><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9;font-weight:600\">Yes<\/td><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#454861\">No<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#17223c\">MEC sporicidal action<\/th><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9;font-weight:600\">100 \u2013 200 ppm<\/td><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#454861\">5,000 ppm<\/td><\/tr><tr><th scope=\"row\" style=\"text-align:left;padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#17223c\">Dilution per 5 L of solution<\/th><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#17223c;background:#f4fbd9;font-weight:600\">1 sachet<\/td><td style=\"padding:12px 14px;border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;font-size:14px;color:#454861\">25 \u2013 50 tablets<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/div>\n<figure lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:8px 0 36px;padding:0\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Chlorine-Dioxide-Molecules-Green-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Chlorine dioxide molecules\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;height:clamp(200px,34vw,320px);object-fit:cover;object-position:center 62%;margin:0;border-radius:20px;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/figure>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"position:relative;overflow:hidden;background-color:#17223c;background-image:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(23,34,60,1) 0%,rgba(23,34,60,0.92) 45%,rgba(23,34,60,0.35) 100%),url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tristel_Academy_TechPattern_WHITE-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:auto,600px auto;background-position:0 0,right top;background-repeat:no-repeat,repeat;border-radius:20px;padding:28px;margin:16px 0 36px;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;gap:24px 32px\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 320px;min-width:0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 4px;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;color:#CCFF00\">Meet your solution<\/p><h3 style=\"margin:0 0 6px;font-size:21px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.3;color:#ffffff;font-family:inherit;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;max-width:none\">Tristel Fuse for Surfaces<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 14px;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#c5c8d2\">Sporicidal surface disinfection for healthcare<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.65;color:#e5e7ed\">Tristel Fuse for Surfaces combines the powerful biocidal efficacy of \nchlorine dioxide with cleaning action. Designed specifically for use  \non large surface areas such as floors and walls.<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0 0 22px;padding:0\"><li style=\"display:flex;gap:10px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#ffffff\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;flex:0 0 10px;width:10px;height:10px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;margin-top:6px\"><\/span><span>Sporicidal in 5 minutes<\/span><\/li><li style=\"display:flex;gap:10px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#ffffff\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;flex:0 0 10px;width:10px;height:10px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;margin-top:6px\"><\/span><span>Compliant to regulatory standards<\/span><\/li><li style=\"display:flex;gap:10px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#ffffff\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;flex:0 0 10px;width:10px;height:10px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;margin-top:6px\"><\/span><span>Effective at lower concentrations than chlorine<\/span><\/li><li style=\"display:flex;gap:10px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#ffffff\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;flex:0 0 10px;width:10px;height:10px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;margin-top:6px\"><\/span><span>Quick and easy-to-use<\/span><\/li><li style=\"display:flex;gap:10px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#ffffff\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;flex:0 0 10px;width:10px;height:10px;border-radius:50%;background:#CCFF00;margin-top:6px\"><\/span><span>Uniform<\/span><\/li><\/ul><a href=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/product\/tristel-fuse-for-surfaces\/?tab=resources\" style=\"display:inline-block;padding:12px 24px;border-radius:999px;background:#CCFF00;color:#17223c;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none\" aria-label=\"Learn more about Fuse for Surfaces\">Learn more<\/a><\/div><div style=\"flex:0 1 270px;min-width:200px;margin:0 auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/11\/Tristel-Fuse-for-Surfaces-Box-and-Sachet-1600x1180-1.jpg\" alt=\"Gloved hand holding a Tristel Fuse for Medical Surfaces sachet\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;max-width:270px;aspect-ratio:1\/1;height:auto;object-fit:cover;margin:0 auto;border-radius:18px;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n<div lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"margin:16px 0 36px\"><h3 style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:20px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c;font-family:inherit;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;max-width:none\">Key <span style=\"position:relative;display:inline-block;font-family:&apos;Playwrite NZ&apos;,cursive;font-weight:400;font-size:1.05em;line-height:1.35;color:#17223c;padding:0 2px 8px 2px\">takeaways<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Tristel-Academy-Linkedin-Post-Templates-105-x-105-mm-1.png\" alt=\"\" style=\"position:absolute;left:-4%;top:100%;width:108%;height:18px;max-width:none;margin:-9px 0 0 0;border:0;box-shadow:none\"\/><\/span><\/h3><div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:12px\"><div style=\"flex:1 1 320px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;background:#ffffff;border-radius:14px;padding:16px 18px\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:14px;height:13px;flex:0 0 14px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:4px\"><\/span><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\">Chlorine and chlorine dioxide are both oxidisers, but chlorine dioxide is chemically very different from chlorine.<\/p><\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 320px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;background:#ffffff;border-radius:14px;padding:16px 18px\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:14px;height:13px;flex:0 0 14px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:4px\"><\/span><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\">Chlorine dioxide reduces the formation of harmful organochlorine compounds by-products such as trihalomethanes.<\/p><\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 320px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;background:#ffffff;border-radius:14px;padding:16px 18px\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:14px;height:13px;flex:0 0 14px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:4px\"><\/span><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\">With a higher oxidative capacity, chlorine dioxide works at far lower concentrations, so ppm alone isn&#8217;t a fair comparison.<\/p><\/div><div style=\"flex:1 1 320px;display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:flex-start;background:#ffffff;border-radius:14px;padding:16px 18px\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:14px;height:13px;flex:0 0 14px;background-color:transparent;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/tristel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TRI_Academy_Shapes_Academy_Hexagon_Orange-1-scaled.png&apos;);background-size:100% 100%;background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-top:4px\"><\/span><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.55;color:#17223c\">Chlorine tablets bring complicated preparation and reported health effects for staff.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<details lang=\"en-NZ\" style=\"border-top:1px solid #d9d8e8;padding:16px 0 0;margin:8px 0 24px\"><summary style=\"cursor:pointer;font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:#17223c\">References and further reading (3)<\/summary><ol style=\"margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:20px;font-size:13px;line-height:1.7;color:#454861\"><li style=\"margin:0 0 6px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijms232415660\" style=\"color:#17223c;text-decoration:underline\">Andr\u00e9s, C.M.C., P\u00e9rez de la Lastra, J.M., Andr\u00e9s Juan, C., Plou, F.J. and P\u00e9rez-Lebe\u00f1a, E. (2022). Chlorine dioxide: friend or foe for cell biomolecules? A chemical approach. <em>International Journal of Molecular Sciences<\/em>, 23(24), 15660.<\/a><\/li><li style=\"margin:0 0 6px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00203-024-04137-7\" style=\"color:#17223c;text-decoration:underline\">Jiang, Y., Qiao, Y., Jin, R., Jia, M., Liu, J., He, Z. and Liu, Z. (2024). Application of chlorine dioxide and its disinfection mechanism. <em>Archives of Microbiology<\/em>, 206(10).<\/a><\/li><li style=\"margin:0 0 6px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhsemployers.org\/publications\/guidance-safe-use-chlorine-based-disinfectant-chemicals-nhs\" style=\"color:#17223c;text-decoration:underline\">NHS Employers (UK). Safe use of chlorine-based disinfectant chemicals guidance (includes findings from the 2017 UNISON survey).<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/details>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Navigating Chemistry Element Cl2 Chlorine vs Compound ClO2 Chlorine dioxide In this article you&#8217;ll learn What chlorine and chlorine dioxide have in common, and how they differ Why concentration (ppm) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"media_type":[149],"portfolio":[],"discipline":[],"class_list":["post-10569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-navigating-chemistry","media_type-educational-insights"],"acf":[],"featured_media_global":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10569"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=10569"},{"taxonomy":"portfolio","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio?post=10569"},{"taxonomy":"discipline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tristel.com\/au-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline?post=10569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}