Summer. Heat, popsicles, sunscreen and pools. As prevalent, pervasive heat spreads throughout the season, people turn to a classic cool-down activity: swimming. For those who do not have a beach near them, a pool serves as an alternative. The nostalgic smell of chlorinated water wafts through the air.
Senior Lily Geiger explains, “I associate the smell of chlorine with pool because it’s in the pool water and you get that sharp smell.”Chlorine is added into pools to keep them clean. According to Chemical Safety Facts, “When chlorine is in a pool, it forms a weak acid called hypochlorous acid that kills bacteria.” Chlorine is odorless, but upon contact with sweat and urine in pools, creates the fragrance of chlorine that the majority of us are familiar with.
However, this traditional method of cleansing pools is not the only method. Bromine is often used to clean spas, with Houselogic stating, “Bromine remains stable at high temperatures, which is why many technicians recommend it for spas more than swimming pools. It irritates mucous membranes less than its chlorine cousin does, although it still produces an odor. And if you use just bromine in the pool (not the BCDMH compound), it leaves the water a dull green color that foams up when you swim in it, because the oxidation process is weaker.”
There are also ionizers and ozonators. Ionizes work in tandem with chlorine, however they are ineffective in dirtier pools. HouseLogic states, “ For starters, you only reduce the chlorine amount significantly if just a few people use the pool on a regular basis, there are few plants and landscaping in the area, and your air isn’t heavily polluted. High dirt levels are beyond what an ionizer can fight on the sanitation side. Also, ionizers depend on moving water, so you must run the pool pump continuously to keep the sanitizing action in place. And the increased levels of metal in the water can stain the pool and turn swimmers’ hair and fingernail beds green.” Ozonators contrast in that it is much more effective. Houselogic explains, “There are two types of ozone generators: ultraviolet light and corona discharge. In a UV light system, special low-pressure vapor lamps installed on the water return line create ozone to kill pathogens as they float by. Corona discharge generators rely on an electrical arc to create ozone inside the generator. Again, this ozone kills pathogens in the filtration system.” However, this method of cleaning is limited as it cannot function in [type] air.
Finally, there are also saltwater pools. According to BobVila, “saltwater pools have an electrolytic chlorine generator that breaks down the salt in the pool to generate chlorine. The chlorine that’s released into the water when the salt is broken down sanitizes the pool water in much the same way as store-bought chlorine with one major difference: Saltwater pool chlorine doesn’t produce the same amount of chloramines, which are the byproduct of store-bought chlorine and are primarily responsible for strong chlorine smells, eye redness, and skin irritation.” While arguably the most similar alternative to chlorine, saltwater pools are much more expensive than chlorine pools, making them less feasible as an industry standard.
Despite there being many alternatives to chlorine pools, the industry standard is ultimately set as chlorine remains the most versatile and effective, unlike the other methods of filtration that all have caveats. However, even chlorine in pools must be closely regulated to be effective. Too little chlorine will not clean the pool, while an excess amount, according to Fluidra, “[makes the pool] more acidic. Signs of high chlorine levels can include itchy sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lung irritation, and skin rashes.”
As we go throughout the summer months, pools will be frequented, so here are signs of over- or under- chlorinated pools. While over-chlorination is simpler to find due to the physical impacts of it, under-chlorination is more tricky. PoolMarvel says, “To have properly sanitized pool water, your free chlorine level must stay higher than the combined chlorine level. When free chlorine levels are low for an extended period, microorganisms and algae can start to form and create a hazardous swimming environment.” Using pool test strips is the easiest option to check the chlorination of your pool to ensure it is safe.
Junior Sandy Parimi says, “I love playing water basketball in pools because it’s fun to stay cool in water while playing basketball.” Similarly, freshman Arjun Pany says, “I love tackling my friends into the water because it’s fun.” For others, like sophomore Daphne Chen who swim year round, it is more of a lifestyle. She says, I’m pretty much always swimming but it’s fun in the summer because it’s warm.” swimming is a year-round activity, which only makes this information more crucial. Swimming is a great activity, and pools go hand-in-hand with that. Make sure to choose a pool that works for you, chlorine or not. Just remember, cleaning pools is a versatile task, and there are many such things that can do so.
