Hey Chlorineheads!
On August 1, 2017 Chemical and Engineering News Magazine (twitter.com/cenmag) posted this highly informative article to the internet, What are pool chemicals, and how do they protect swimmers? Chlorine kills microbes in pools, but don’t blame it for your green hair (see https://twitter.com/cenmag/status/893174655095377920 on Twitter and/or http://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i32/What-are-pool-chemicals-and-how-do-they-protect-swimmers.html on their site. Well informed and accurate information regarding swimming pool chemistry, which you would expect from them being a chemical news source. Reaching out to Tom at twitter.com/nspf lended much credibility to the story as well. Even so, I had to respond in a positive light to add a few known facts that always seem to be left out of news pieces on the treatment of cryptosporidium and chloramine control in recreational water venues. So, since I have not seen my comments posted on their site yet I will include them here and link back to them via my Twitter post.
Greetings! Just to set the record straight, both cryptosporidium and
chloramines are readily handled by maintenance of a high level of ORP
(Oxidation Reduction Potential). Approximately 850 mV at + or - 3 PPM
Free Chlorine has been proven to inactivate cryptosporidium in 30
minutes or less in the pool. In fact, the DOH of NSW Australia employs
this standard as one method of treatment for a loose stool fecal
acciddent (see http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/publicpools/Documents/faecal-incident-loose-stool-response-plan.pdf). Consistent maintenance of the same ORP level will prohibit
chloramine development and provide for a healthy IAQ (Indoor Air
Quality) within even the busiest Natatorium. This truth was first
released at the NSPF World Aquatic Health Conference in 2005 (see
www.sureh2o.com/conference). Although it has not been formally studied
since, multiple field studies by Aquatic Practitioners have demonstrated
the same results lending credible proof to this result. In conclusion,
UV, a supplemental sanitation system, will provide a secondary level of
protection against cryptosporidium and chloramines. The notion held by
the industry that chlorine is incapable of handling these concerns is a
matter for additional focused research and subsequent product
exploration. Thank you.
And enough said for now.
