The aim of the present work was to investigate the biological hazard of photooxidation products of m-chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA), as a novel photo-sensitizer, on lysis and membrane lipid peroxidation of human red blood cells (RBC). The photohemolysis activity of mCPBA oxidative products was concentration- and exposure time-dependent. Ten minutes photoexposure time and 100 micromol/L of mCPBA concentration were optimum to study the effect of generated superoxide (O2.-) and hydroxyl (.OH) radicals on RBC. The hemolytic effect of mCPBA was highly significantly inhibited by formate (as an .OH radical scavenger) compared with the partial inhibition effect of SOD-like Cu(II) complex (as O2.- radical Scavenger). The MDA value (an end product of membrane lipid peroxidation of RBC) induced by mCPBA was highly significantly decreased by formate. The generation of O2.- radicals by mCPBA was also confirmed by the partial hemolytic effect of phenazine methosulfate (PMS., O2.- radical generation). The data suggest the molecular mechanism of the oxygen radical species (O2.- and .OH through the photosensitization reaction of mCPBA and explain that hydroxyl radicals (.OH) play an active role in the photohemolysis process and peroxidation of membrane lipids of human erythrocytes.