Social media users in Thailand have repeatedly shared a false claim that drinking chlorine dioxide solution, a chemical used to make industrial bleach, can "kill all diseases" among other health benefits. But the solution is toxic to humans and should not be ingested, according to public health bodies and health experts.

The claim was shared in an image on Facebook here on September 12, 2023.

Thai-language text in the image reads: "CDS, chlorine dioxide solution has the ability to 1. detoxify the body, 2. increase oxygen levels in the body, 3. clarify and distribute the blood, 4. kill all diseases without having to determine which disease it is."

The caption of the post, which has been shared dozens of times, includes various other purported benefits of chlorine dioxide such as treating cancer, eliminating fungal infections and "rebalancing the body naturally".

Screenshot of the false post, captured on September 19, 2023

Chlorine dioxide is a yellow to reddish-yellow gas that decomposes rapidly in air but is also soluble in water, according to the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) toxic substance registry (archived link).

It is used industrially as bleach to make paper and paper products. Because it can kill bacteria and microorganisms in water, it is used in small quantities to treat drinking water, as well as to disinfect public buildings.

The substance has previously been touted as a cure for Covid-19, debunked by AFP here.

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