Chloramines
The problem of chloramines in public and collective swimming pools is a recurring subject.
But what is it really about and how to treat chloramines?
What is chloramine?
It is created by the reaction of chlorine when it acts as a disinfectant on the organic matter brought by the bathers (sweat, cream, saliva, urine).
“Inorganic chloramines, therefore without organic radicals, are derived from the reaction of chlorine (in the form of hypochlorous acid HOCl) with ammonia (NH3). Examples include monochloramine (NH2Cl), dichloramine (NHCl2) and trichloramine (NCl3). “
Source Wikipédia : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloramine
Why should we treat them?
Regulations require that its value does not exceed 0.6 ppm in water
It is necessary to treat chloramines in water:
- In order to avoid overflows caused by additional water supply.
- In addition, too many chloramines in the water can generate trichloramine in the air and can be a potential health hazard for bathers and employees. The management of trichloramine will also require additional air treatment and thus additional costs. Solutions are available for the measurement of trichloramine in air.
How to decrease or remove chloramines?
pH
The pH of the water should be maintained between 7.2 and 7.4.
Les strippings
It is also recommended to carry out strippings at the level of the buffer tanks (waterfall with large air intake) in order to transfer the chloramines from the water into the air and evacuate them by suction.
The Hygiene rules
There are also simple hygiene rules that can significantly reduce the level of chloramines. The main ones are:
- Take a soapy shower before swimming to remove sweat and sunscreen residue from the skin and to reduce the amount of organic matter brought into the pool by bathers,
- Remove makeup before swimming,
- Encourage children to go to the bathroom before swimming.
Water supply
Water renewal reduces chloramines but incurs additional operating costs.
Other treatments
UV, ozone…
How to measure chloramines?
Chloramines or combined chlorine are calculated as follows:
CHLORAMINE = CHLORE TOTAL – CHLORE FREE
For this purpose, SYCLOPE offers a range of controllers that calculate the chloramine in swimming pool water:
- ALTICEO multi-parameter and multi-basin range
- ODITouch multi-parameter and single-basin range
- Photometers
We are here to support you …
Do you have any questions? Need a diagnosis, recommendations? Need a documentation, an estimate ? The SYCLOPE team is at your disposal …
