Toxicity of iron and hydrogen peroxide: the Fenton reaction

CC Winterbourn - Toxicology letters, 1995 - Elsevier
Iron and hydrogen peroxide are capable of oxidizing a wide range of substrates and causing
biological damage. The reaction, referred to as the Fenton reaction, is complex and capable
of generating both hydroxyl radicals and higher oxidation states of the iron. The mechanism
and how it is affected by different chelators, and the interpretation of results obtained in
biological systems, are discussed.