Could someone tell me what is the disinfectant active form of chlorine and
chlorine bleach ? I have been reading two different versions. One says the
active disinfectant form is the OCl negative ion which is called "active
chlorine". Another source says bleach works because the NaOCl breaks down and
releases monatomic oxygen, which is the actual disinfectant. Do elemental
chlorine and bleach have different modes of action ? I always thought that
elemental chlorine was the direct oxidizing agent in water purification, but
apparently not. Some clarification would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Adam
