Toxicological effects of chlorite in the mouse.

When exposed to a maximum level of 100 ppm chlorine dioxide in their drinking water, neither A/J or C57L/J mice exhibited any hematologic changes. Chlorite exposure under similar conditions produced increases for red blood cells in osmotic fragility, mean corpuscular volume, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity for both strains. Chlorite exposure of pregnant A/J mice resulted in a significant decrease in the weight of pups at weaning and a lower average birth to weaning growth rate. Mice exposed to as much as 100 ppm sodium chlorite (NaClO2) in their drinking water for up to 120 days failed to demonstrate any histopathological changes in kidney structure.