Is Chlorine Safe to Use on Swimming Pools?
If you’re planning to spend your summer vacation on somewhere cool and refreshing, why not consider hanging out in a swimming pool. These places are great for celebrating special occasions and even simple gatherings and chit chat of friends. Swimming pools though need attention in order to preserve their natural beauty and health all the time. Maintaining a pool is quite easy, although the constant adding up of chemical products on the pool can be pretty much of a handful to some owners as they need to do this from time to time.
Chlorine is a chemical product commonly used on most swimming pools all around the world for many reasons. This product is quite cheaper than many effective chemical disinfectants for pool water. Most pool owners and pool cleaners find it inexpensive based on how efficient it is in doing the job. As compared to the other chemicals, it has the advantage of being affordable while having a good quality comparable to the higher priced chemical products in the market.
Chlorine breaks down into several different chemicals that are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting the pool water. Among these chemicals are the two vital sanitizing agents, hypochlorous acid (HOCI) and hypochlorite ion (OCI), both needed in order to get rid of microorganisms and bacteria by destroying them through their cells. Both are similar when viewed of their benefits as cleansers for the pool water, however their effect vary as hypochlorous acid oxidizes faster than the latter which usually takes 30 minutes or more before oxidizing on the pool water. This is similar to the natural method of oxidation of the pool water in order to attack and destroy the harmful elements on the pool.
Although the use of chlorine has been around and practiced for as long as any pool owner can care to remember, the safety of this product on humans is a big question to many. There have been cases where bathers suffered minor skin irritations as well as eye irritations due to the use of chlorine. This product causes a reaction on the skin which can be annoying. Bathers with sensitive types of skin should avoid plunging on a chlorinated pool for a long period of time as it can be hazardous to their health. Studies show that many skin related irritations were from chemical reactions and many of these are from swimming pool chemicals. Fertility is also affected when exposed to too much chlorine as researches on many studies have proven this fact. Chlorine in a large quantity on pool water can suffocate and block the respiratory system of a person as its smell and the residue it emits in the air can choke out a swimmer in not time. The immune system of a swimmer can also become abnormal as a result of frequently swimming on a chlorinated pool.
Even with all these risks associated with chlorine, it still remains to be the top choice among chemicals for the sanitation of pool water. However, for those who value their health, investing on expensive natural pool chemical alternatives works wonders for them.
Author Bio: I write about pool products including the Pool Prodigy System and the Prodigy Pool Sanitizer called \”RK-12\”.
Category: Home Management
Keywords: pool water,swimming pool,chlorinated pool,swimming pool chemicals,pool chemicals,natural pool