Ozone applications of Swimming pool water

Ozone applications of Swimming pool water

Water quality can be improved eminently and costs can be saved on the long term when ozone is applied for swimming pool water treatment.

Swimming pool water pollutants

Swimming pool water pollution is mainly caused by swimmers. This makes it a very dynamic pollution, which is dependent on the number and types of swimmers. Swimming pool pollutants can be divided up into three groups: microorganisms, undissolved pollutants and dissolved pollutants.
Each swimmer carries a large number of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Many of these microorganisms may be pathogenic and can cause disease.
Undissolved pollutants mainly consist of visible floating particles, such as hairs and skin flakes, but also of colloidal particles, such as skin tissues and soap remains.
Dissolved pollutants can consist of urine, sweat, eye fluids and saliva. Sweat and urine contain water, but also ammonia, urea, keratin, creatinine and amino acids. When these substances are dissolved in water, they cannot harm swimmers. However, when these compounds react with chlorine in swimming pool water, incomplete oxidation can cause chloramine formation. This causes the so-called chlorine-scent, which irritates the eyes and respiratory system. In a number of cases, stable compounds can be formed, which can only be removed from swimming pool water by water refreshment.

Benefits of ozone application

Swimming water quality can be sufficiently increased by ozonization. This is not only a benefit when it comes to swimming, but it also guarantees healthy swimming water. Recent research has shown that children’s immune systems may be affected by swimming in chlorinated swimming pools. The health risks are also increased for swimmers that train twice a day. Although purchasing an ozone system is relatively expensive compared to other techniques, one can save costs on a long term.

These are the main benefits of ozonisation:

- Decrease in chlorine use

- Improves of the filter and coagulant capacities. This leads to a reduction of coagulant use and less backwashing of the filter is required

- Water use can be decreased, because of an increase in water quality

- Ozone oxidizes organic and inorganic matter in the water, without the formation of unwanted byproducts, such as chloramines (which cause a chlorine-scent)

- Chlorine scents can be fully diminished by ozone application

- Ozone is a more powerful oxidant and disinfectant than chlorine. Certain chlorine-resistant pathogens (see ozone disinfection: resistant microorganisms) cannot multiply in water that is treated with ozone