1990: /LABORATORY ANIMALS: Neurotoxicity/ In a study specifically designed to study effects on the brain, groups of 112-178 neonatal Long-Evans rat pups received 0 or 14 mg aqueous chlorine dioxide/kg body weight per day by oral gavage on days 1-20 postpartum. Pups were killed 11, 21, and 35 days postpartum. Investigations included the following: forebrains were examined histopathologically from females killed on day 35; terminal blood samples were taken for analysis of T3 and T4 levels; and liver mitochondria were analyzed for alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase activity. In addition, protein synthesis in the forebrain, cerebellum, and olfactory bulbs was assessed by measuring the uptake of (14)C-leucine, and total DNA content in those areas of the brain was also measured. There were a large number of deaths (about 30% of all newborns) among the neonatal pups that were attributed to gavage errors. There was a slight reduction in body weight (7% reduction between days 11 and 35), and there were related reductions in tissue weights, total protein, and DNA content. There were no significant histopathological changes noted in the brain except a reduction in the number of dendritic spine counts in one region. There were no other significant changes. The authors attributed the change in dendritic spine counts and reductions in total DNA and protein content as being indicative of a specific neurotoxic effect. ... No other histopathological abnormalities recorded, and no clinical signs of toxicity were reported.
International Programme on Chemical Safety's Concise International Chemical Assessment Documents Number 37: Chlorine dioxide (2002). Available from, as of December 13, 2017: https://www.inchem.org/documents/cicads/cicads/cicad37.htm#8.8
Commentaar CLO2.nl: HEEL interessant! Deze ratten ontvingen een forse dosis ClO2 gedurende langere tijd, maar de schade lijkt beperkt.
