Handled properly, consumers can safely use bleach without significant environmental effects. As it reacts with germs and stains, between 95 and 98 percent of chlorine bleach breaks down and turns back into salt water. Importantly, waste- water treatment facilities use chlorine disinfectants to destroy oxygen-robbing contaminants in wastewater, helping to preserve the quality of our nation’s rivers and streams into which the treated wastewater is discharged.