Lithium hypochlorite is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of LiOCl. It is the lithium salt of hypochlorous acid. It consists of lithium cations (Li+) and hypochlorite anions (−OCl). It is a colorless, crystalline compound. It has been used as a disinfectant for pools, and is also used as a reagent for some chemical reactions.

Safety

Doses of 500 mg/kg cause detrimental clinical signs and significant mortality in rats. The use of chlorine-based disinfectants in domestic water, although widespread, has led to some controversy because of the formation of small quantities of harmful byproducts such as chloroform. Studies showed no uptake of lithium if pools with lithium hypochlorite have been used.

Use in swimming pools

Lithium hypochlorite has been used as a fast-acting disfinectant for vinyl swimming pools. However, due to the increasing demand for lithium in lithium-ion batteries, manufacturers have stopped producing lithium hypochlorite, making it much harder to find these days.