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Microorganisms There are many different types of microorganisms that can be pathogenic to
humans or result in discolouration of the water and produce unwanted odours. Microorganisms
include bacteria, viruses, algae, parasites and many more. They often enter the water from people
using the pool as they are present on the skin, in hair, sweat and saliva. Contamination of
microorganisms is most likely to be a problem in shallow, circulation pools. Algae contamination is
often a problem in swimming pools and can cause many problems if the water is not filtered and
cleaned correctly.
Dissolved pollutants There are many substances produced by the swimmer, sweat for example
contains salt, amino acids and urea. When these substances react with the disinfectants in the
water it can produce unwanted by-products. These often cause discolouration of pool water or give
unwanted odours, they are not usually harmful to human health.
The water in public swimming pools contains microorganisms and unwanted substances, which
derive from the skin and excretion products of swimmers. Swimmers cause many pollutants to enter
the water, such as bacteria from saliva, excretion products, pollution from swimwear, skin tissue,
sebum, sweat, nose and throat saliva, hairs, cosmetics and ammonia (NH3). Vouching for clean
swimming pool water through constant refreshment is often too expensive. Furthermore, this does
not solve the problem of pollutants that remain on swimming pool walls. The water is recicled,
causing pollutant and pathogen concentrations to increase. Microorganisms will multiply and this
causes the risks of contagion to increase.
Dissolved pollutants
Swimming pool water contains dissolved pollutants, such as urine and sweat and other excretion
products of swimmers. Sweat and urine largely consist of water, ammonia and ureum. These
substances also contain kreatine, kreatinine and amino acids. The components of sweat and urine
are not harmful for human health. However, when these products react with disinfectants in the
water, such as chlorine, unwanted reaction products can be formed which consist mainly
of chloramines.
The water can contain dissolved pollutants that derive from disinfectants and cleansing agents that
are used to clean swimming pools. Dissolved pollutants are largely removed by oxidation. This
means that pollutants are decomposed by chemicals. Substances that are not or partly decomposed
during the oxidation process and oxidation products are removed from the circulation system by
gradual refreshment of swimming pool water.
Chlorinator system
People may have heard chlorine kills all germs, but it turns out thats not the case. Pool
chemicals kill most germs in a matter of minutes, but some germs can lurk for days,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Its no secret that some people urinate in pool water, but the new CDC report indicates
that human waste, especially diarrhea, has become an issue in pools. Urine in pools
can cause irritation and red eyes, while serious illness can be caused by feces.
Although swimming pools pose some health hazards, it is still a relatively safe summer
activity, says Dr. Stephen Sokalski, infectious disease specialist at Advocate Christ
Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill. Make sure to shower with soap as soon as possible
after a day at the pool. If you experience vomiting, a bloody nose, chest pain, shortness
of breath, fever, stomach pain, weight loss or heavy skin or eye irritation after getting
out of the pool or a few days later, you should follow up with your family practice
physician.
Four signs that you have encountered bodily waste during an outing to the pool include:
1. A heavy chlorine smell. According to the CDC, healthy pools dont have a strong
chlorine smell. The smell comes from the chemicals that form when chlorine mixes
with human urine, feces, sweat and dirt. When this happens, there are less germ-killing
chemicals left.
2. Red, irritated eyes, runny nose and cough, which are caused by the chemicals.
3. Gastrointestinal problems.
4. Skin, ear and eye infections.
Dr. Sokalski recommends the following steps to avoid getting sick, or making others sick
at the pool this summer:
If it is not properly maintained, the water in your domestic swimming pool may contain a
range of germs, including bacteria and viruses. Some germs can cause health
problems, such as ear, nose and throat infections.
You should check your swimming pool regularly to make sure that the water is safe for
swimming. A simple way to do this is to look into the pool each day and check:
Is the water clear?
Can you see to the bottom of the pool?
Does the water look any different to how it looked the day before?
Any changes, such as cloudiness, mean you should test the water and take steps to
improve water quality before anyone goes swimming.
Sources of contamination in swimming pools
Potential sources of microbes in your pool may include:
People swimming in the pool this is the main source of microbes.
Animals, such as dogs some pets like to paddle in the pool on hot days.
Dead wildlife for example, frogs, lizards or insects may occasionally drown in your
pool.
Debris from around the property, such as leaves, grass and dust.
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Most pool filtration systems are not able to filter all the water in the pool. Chlorination is
a common and effective treatment often used alongside filtration to inactivate microbes
that may be present in the pool water. The best maintained pools rely on multiple
treatment barriers.
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Some of the many factors that can affect your pool's pH level include heavy rain, the
number of swimmers in the pool and chemicals. Remember to regularly check the pH
level.
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Consult a pool professional for information on how to maintain good water quality in
your swimming pool. Ways to maintain pool water quality may include:
checking pH and chlorine levels daily. Preferably before the first swim of the day to
make sure the water quality hasn't altered overnight.
checking the pH and chlorine twice daily in very hot weather.
monitoring chlorine levels in heated pools which need more chlorine than non-heated
pools.
brushing and vacuuming your pool on a regular basis.
regularly checking the pump, skimmer boxes and other pool equipment, and repair or
replace parts as necessary.
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Algae are single-celled organisms that grow quickly in the right conditions and can turn
the water in your swimming pool green within a few hours. Chlorine will help prevent
growth of algae. Treatment to remove algae includes lowering the pH level of pool water
by adding pool acid and, later, adding a copper treatment to the water to kill the spores.
You can use a brush and garden hose to remove algae from pool surfaces. The next
day, vacuum the settled algae from the floor of your pool - don't try to remove it by
running the filter. Make sure you check the TA, pH and calcium hardness before you
allow anyone to swim.
Young children can occasionally have a faecal accident while swimming. Get everyone
to vacate the pool and remove as much of the faeces as possible using a fine mesh
scoop. If your pool is small, you might consider draining and cleaning it. Otherwise, add
a concentrated (10 mg/L) dose of chlorine to the pool and dont allow anyone to re-enter
the pool for at least half an hour.
Make sure you check the chlorine levels have dropped back to regular levels before
anyone re-enters the swimming pool.
Strong chlorine smell in swimming pools
A strong chlorine smell can affect the eyes, nose and skin. Contrary to popular belief,
it's too little chlorine that causes the smell, not too much. Too little chlorine permits
chloramine compounds to form. It is these compounds that have the strong smell and
that cause the irritation. If your pool smells strongly, check the chlorine level as you may
need to add more chlorine.
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Things to remember
People swimming in the pool are the main source of contamination.
The keys to maintaining water quality in your swimming pool include filtration,
chlorination, pH level, total alkalinity (TA) and calcium hardness.
Check your pH and chlorine levels daily preferably, these tests should be done before
the first swim of the day to make sure the water quality hasn't altered overnight.