What if I told you that it is not actually chlorine that causes eye, skin and respiratory irritation? The irritation comes from disinfection byproducts called chloramines.
How chloramines are formed
Chloramines are formed by the reaction of chlorine with organic substances like body oils, urine, and sweat. This is why many pools require bathers to shower before entering the pool water, but even if every person in the pool showered, the chlorine would still produce chloramines.
That pool smell
Chloramines also cause the infamous chlorine smell of indoor pools. In indoor pools, air circulation is often poor and so the air becomes saturated with chloramines.
The effects of chloramines
While the smell is unpleasant, chloramines can also be dangerous to your health. The CDC warns that routine breathing of these irritants causes severe respiratory symptoms as well as an increased sensitivity to other types of irritants such as fungi and bacteria.
The dangers of chloramines are well known and there are activist groups, and many others, who are trying to spread the word and help make our world a healthier place.
With Clear Comfort’s advanced oxidation technology, even if an indoor pool has poor air circulation, because there is little to no chlorine in the pool, the concentration of chloramines is considerably lower. Clear Comfort is also trying to help spread the word and change the world one pool at a time.
