Protect Your Pool Over the Cold Winter Season
Swimming Pool Chemical Safety
Overview
Swimming pool chemical safety is critical for both small backyard pools and neighborhood public facilities. Although the substances used for disinfecting pools are not complicated in themselves, the nuances in balancing pool water health pose challenges to novices. Even seasoned pool maintenance technicians sometimes make mistakes and either under or over chlorinate water. When pool water lacks enough chlorine, swimmers risk infection, while too much chlorine burns skin and causes respiratory distress.
Definition
Swimming pool chemical safety involves the balance between creating an inhospitable environment for germs and contaminants, without creating a toxic one for humans. Untreated fresh water is a potential breeding ground for bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. Pool chemicals, such as chlorine, disinfect water by breaking down, or interacting with and rendering harmless, organic and inorganic substances. Pool chemistry depends on water temperature and the concentration of sanitizers versus contaminants, among other factors.
Significance
The significance of the safe use of swimming pool chemicals is minimizing the side effects of the sanitation process. Chlorine reacts with contaminants in the water and in turn, the chemical reactions produce byproducts. Some of the chloramine compound byproducts cause eye irritation and lung irritation among other problems. Understanding the basic concepts behind pool sanitation helps a pool maintenance technician avoid mistakes in chemical applications and discern when improper pool water balance poses a risk to bathers and swimmers.
Products
Chlorine is the primary disinfectant used in pools. It is a dense greenish gas once used in chemical warfare. Because the gas is potentially lethal, many public facilities ban it in favor of chlorine compounds such as calcium hypochlorite, available in granular powders or pellet form, notes the North Carolina Department of Environment. Certain chlorine products and chloramine byproducts function to alter the pH of pool water. Because the acid versus alkaline balance of pool water as expressed by its pH is critical to maintaining clear and safe water, pool technicians use additional products such as muriatic acid and sodium carbonate to bring the balance into acceptable ranges.
Features
Some of the tasks involved in maintaining pool chemical safety include regulating the amount of chlorine in a volume of water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that most health departments require a concentration of 1.0 to 3.0 parts per million. Another important task is maintaining steady pool pH levels. Achieving steady pH means using test strips to determine existing levels and adding appropriate materials to bring the pH into the 7.2 to 7.8 range deemed acceptable by the CDC. Cleaning and maintaining pool filters, especially those with active charcoal, helps prevent algae and other materials from growing and spreading on pool surfaces.
Considerations
Chemicals used in pool sanitation are toxic, so professionals and homeowners must exercise caution in handling them. As reported in the “Pasadena Star News,” a 2010 equipment malfunction at an Arcadia, California, pool released dangerous levels of chlorine into pool water. Some pools patrons suffered symptoms and the facility closed down for repairs. Inspection of automated chemical release systems is essential, as is training staff to recognize problems. Understanding the concept behind the details of pool sanitation helps avoid errors, and helps remedy them once they occur.
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