Chlorine Dioxide Vs. Copper Silver Ionization

Water contaminated with pathogens like bacteria and viruses is dangerous to human health. Treatment with chlorine dioxide and copper silver ionization are two methods to kill pathogens and disinfect water. Each has its own benefits and disadvantages.

Types

• Chlorine dioxide is a molecular compound with the formula ClO2; when added to water it reacts with certain organic compounds to destroy bacteria and viruses. Copper silver ionization, on the other hand, uses electrolysis to generate copper and silver ions in water. These positively charged ions penetrate cell walls and membranes of bacteria and viruses, killing the microorganisms by disrupting cellular processes.

Benefits

• At the concentrations required for disinfection, chlorine dioxide is not highly corrosive, and it may be even more effective than chlorination at destroying viruses and bacteria in water. Chlorine dioxide's mechanism of action is more specific to living organisms than some other disinfectants, so it's less likely to be used up in reactions with other organic compounds that may be present in the water. Copper silver ionization is also noncorrosive and highly effective since the ions remain in the water for a long time; unlike some other techniques, it doesn't involve storage or transport of hazardous chemicals.

Considerations

• Chlorine dioxide is a highly toxic and unstable gas; it can become explosive when concentrations in the air exceed 10 percent. It's also less effective at destroying rotaviruses and e. coli bacteria than it is at eradicating other pathogens. Copper and silver ions can react with compounds in the water that inactivate them; as noted in a 2002 article in the journal Applied Environmental Microbiology, however, some bacteria may develop resistance to silver ions and hence to this type of treatment.