For the health of swimmers, finding a good pool water disinfectant is crucial. The water in swimming pools often stays in the pool for long periods of time. The water can get infected with harmful micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and algae by everything that enters the water. Heating up the water accelerates the forming of micro-organisms process even more. What solutions are available in the market today to keep the water safe and clean?
1. Chlorine water purification
Most domestic pools use chemical disinfectants to disinfect the pool water. Chemicals kill the micro-organisms that form a risk to the health of the swimmer. The use of these chemicals make sure that most micro-organisms are killed. For over 100 years, chlorine water purification has been the most common practice.
Inevitably, when a pool is in use debris is introduced to the pool. Debris can come from trees like leaves and pollen, dust, dirt, et cetera. But also lotion, oil, make-up, skin, hair, shampoo and other substances carried by humans wash into the water. When this debris enters a pool that is purified with chlorine, chloramines form.
Chemicals in the pool: a subject of discussion
Unlike many people think, these chloramines, not chlorine are responsible for the infamous ‘swimming pool smell’. Chloramines also irritate the eyes and skin and are responsible for causing breathing difficulties. Chlorine water purification also has a negative effect on the materials the pool is built with.
For this reason, the chlorine water purification for pools and spas is becoming more and more a subject of discussion.
- More and more pool owners are looking for chlorine alternatives, or at least ways to reduce the amount of chlorine used in the pool.
- Installers and wholesalers are confronted with increased regulations around transport and storage of chemicals.
2. Ultraviolet (UV) light systems
Ultraviolet light systems tremendously reduce chloramine concentrations and inactivate micro-organisms such as the parasitic protozoans Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia, which are resistent to chlorine. That’s why UV-C can be used as main disinfector with chlorine for example as oxidiser, as UV light does not impart a residual disinfectant to the pool water.
3. Ozone pool water disinfection (AOP)
4. Salt water electrolysis
With salt water electrolysis, chlorine is produced in a natural way. That’s why more and more pool installers and owners choose to install salt water pools. The benefits of a salt water pool are significant. The natural chlorine creation assures the presence of chlorine in the pool is sufficient to kill micro-organisms and there is no need dragging around a dangerous chemical like chlorine. Combined with UV-C, a salt water electrolysis system is able to reduce the amount of chloramines up to 80%.
