Chlorite is a disinfection byproduct of which substance?

Chlorite is specifically a byproduct of chlorine dioxide, used as a disinfectant in water treatment processes. In this context, when chlorine dioxide is used for disinfection, chlorite is formed along with other byproducts. This is an important point because understanding the source of disinfection byproducts helps in managing water quality and the potential health implications of these substances.

While chlorine is a common disinfectant that can create its own byproducts, it typically generates chlorinated compounds like trihalomethanes rather than chlorite. Chloramine, when used for disinfection, produces a different set of byproducts, and ozone, another disinfection method, does not yield chlorite byproducts. Therefore, chlorite being associated directly with the use of chlorine dioxide clarifies its role in water treatment processes as a recognized disinfection byproduct.