Reliability of Electronic Equipment Exposed to Chlorine Dioxide, An Agent for Biological Decontamination

We have studied the effects of Chlorine Dioxide fumigation on the reliability of electronic equipment using personal computers as examples of current commercial systems. System and submit failure were objectively defined by standard commercial software. After the initial one-day exposures the systems were retested monthly for six months. Cumulative failures of decontaminated systems were many times higher than unexposed systems and increased progressively for the harshest exposures. Failures occurred in electronic, mechanical, optoelectronic, and thermal subsystems. Failure mode and root-cause analyses were performed on a blind sample of systems. Corrosion of metals and degradation of organic materials were predominant causes of failure. Metal corrosion continued to progress for long after the initial exposure. [Keywords: Decontamination, reliability, personal computer, chlorine dioxide, diagnostic software.]