Overview
An internal evaluation was conducted to assess both the efficiency and breadth of antimicrobial activity of Ultra-Pure chlorine dioxide generated by Selectrocide®.
The evaluation combined:
- Comparative concentration data for microbial reduction
- A compiled review of referenced efficacy studies across multiple pathogen classes
The goal was to understand not just how much is required to disinfect, but how broadly effective the chemistry is across organism types.
Objective
- Compare required disinfection concentrations across chemistries
- Evaluate antimicrobial activity across bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores
- Establish a practical understanding of efficacy under typical use conditions
Methods
Disinfection Efficiency
A comparative review was conducted using known concentration thresholds required to achieve a 5-log reduction.
- Test organism: Staphylococcus aureus
- Exposure time: 60 seconds
- Endpoint: 5-log reduction
Antimicrobial Spectrum Review
A compiled dataset of referenced studies was reviewed, covering chlorine dioxide efficacy across multiple organism classes, including:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi, molds, and yeast
- Bacterial spores
- Protozoa
These references include peer-reviewed studies, EPA-related documentation, and applied research across food safety, healthcare, and environmental applications
Results
Disinfection Efficiency
Chlorine dioxide achieved effective microbial reduction at significantly lower concentrations than comparator chemistries.
- Observed effective concentration: ~5 ppm
Comparator concentration ranges:
- Sodium hypochlorite: ~1,000 ppm
- Peracetic acid: ~400 ppm
- Hydrogen peroxide: ~68,000 ppm
Oxidation characteristics:
- Chlorine dioxide: 5-electron transfer
- Comparator chemistries: typically 2-electron transfer
Antimicrobial Spectrum
The reviewed dataset demonstrates chlorine dioxide activity across a wide range of organisms.
Bacteria
Includes activity against:
- E. coli (multiple strains including O157:H7)
- Salmonella spp.
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Mycobacterium species
Viruses
Documented activity against:
- Coronavirus family (including SARS-related strains)
- Influenza A
- Rotavirus
- Hepatitis A, B, and C
- Norovirus and poliovirus
Fungi, Mold, and Yeast
Broad coverage including:
- Aspergillus species
- Penicillium species
- Fusarium species
- Candida species
- Cladosporium and Stachybotrys
Additional third-party data confirms efficacy across a wide range of mold strains, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Botrytis species
Bacterial Spores and Protozoa
Includes activity against:
- Bacillus species (including anthracis surrogates)
- Clostridium species
- Cryptosporidium
- Giardia
Observations
- Effective microbial reduction achieved at low ppm levels
- Demonstrated activity across multiple pathogen classes, including difficult-to-control organisms
- No evidence of organism-specific limitation within the reviewed dataset
The compiled literature also notes that no organism has been shown to develop resistance to chlorine dioxide, though this evaluation did not independently test resistance development
Discussion
The results indicate two consistent characteristics:
- Low concentration requirement for effective disinfection
- Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity across organism types
This combination is relevant in environments where multiple contamination vectors exist simultaneously, such as water systems, food processing, and agricultural settings.
The ability to address bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores with a single chemistry reduces the need for multiple disinfectants, though this evaluation did not directly compare multi-step sanitation programs.
Conclusion
Ultra-Pure chlorine dioxide demonstrated:
- Effective microbial reduction at low concentration (~5 ppm)
- Documented activity across bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores
- Consistent performance aligned with referenced literature
These findings support its use as a broad-spectrum disinfectant, though further controlled and application-specific validation would be required for precise performance benchmarking.
