Dangers of
The dangers of chlorine disinfection
Chlorination of water dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, but chlorine is still the most widely used solution for disinfecting water because it is cheap and easy to produce. Since the 1970s, however, serious research has been carried out into the risks of chlorination, which has shown the presence of more than 70 identified unwanted by-products and compounds in purified water. The experiments carried out confirmed that the presence of these so-called THM compounds above certain thresholds causes cardiovascular diseases and is also responsible for the development of cancers (mainly digestive tract tumours, bladder cancer, and rectal cancer), which are among the leading causes of death in the adult population.
Most pool owners and spa and hotel managers spend considerable amounts of money on water maintenance. In many cases, they try to reduce exposure to microbial pathogens by adding more chlorine to the residual chlorine already present. If the water contains enough organic substances and the conditions are right, chlorine disinfection is more likely to cause dangerous diseases. For this reason, the majority of spa, thermal, and pool waters aimed at premium audiences are now chlorine-free to avoid the risk of chlorine being ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. The process, which can also be applied to waters with high ammonium or organic content, is completely safe and does not alter the therapeutic properties of the water or its unique and essential composition. It is therefore critical that anyone spending a significant amount of money to build a state-of-the-art, premium swimming or leisure pool should be aware of the exact composition of the water and the most effective disinfection solutions adapted to it, including chlorine-free disinfection, as required in the post-pandemic period. Just as the quality of the water supplied, the environment, and the number and characteristics of the bathers determine the chemical composition of the water on an individual basis, the disinfection process must be defined on an individual basis, based on independent expert testing, with the dosage of disinfectant precisely adjusted to eliminate the risk of unwanted by-products of chlorine.
The pandemic has highlighted the fact that in the post-COVID era, no responsible spa or pool manager can afford to put their guests or their own health at risk from inappropriate chlorine treatment.