The kinetics of decomposition of peroxynitrous acid (ONOOH) was investigated in the presence of 0.1-0.75 M HClO4 and at a constant ionic strength. The decay rate of ONOOH decreased in the presence of H2O2, approaching a limiting value well below 75 mM H2O2. It also decreased in the presence of relatively low [HNO2] but did not approach a lower limiting value, since ONOOH reacts directly with HNO2. The latter reaction corresponds to a HNO2- and H+-catalyzed isomerization of ONOOH to nitrate, and its third-order rate constant was determined to be 520 +/- 30 M-2 s(-1). The mechanism of formation of O2NOOH from ONOOH in the presence of H2O2 was also scrutinized. The results demonstrated that in the presence of 0.1-0.75 M HClO4 and 75 mM H2O2 the formation Of O2NOOH is insignificant. The most important finding in this work is the reversibility of the reaction ONOOH + H2O reversible arrow HNO2 + H2O2, and its equilibrium constant was determined to be (7.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(-4) M. Using this value, the Gibbs' energy of formation of ONOOH was calculated to be 7.1 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol. This figure is in good agreement with the value determined previously from kinetic data using parameters for radicals formed during homolysis of peroxynitrite.