Studies have revealed that pool chemicals and their by-products (some chemicals combine to form new chemicals) cause burning eyes, skin irritation, allergies, asthma and higher rates of cancer.
Pool chemicals like chlorine and bromine keep you safe from germs and bacteria. When used correctly, they help prevent outbreaks and other potential health problems.
Dozens of studies on indoor swimming pools have found often alarmingly high levels of disinfection byproducts. In one study of 23 indoor pools, researchers reported that haloacetic acids were found at an average concentration of 1,541 ppb, more than 25 times the level the EPA allows in drinking water.
When chlorine enters the body as a result of breathing, swallowing, or skin contact, it reacts with water to produce acids. The acids are corrosive and damage cells in the body on contact.
The treatment used in shocking pool is highly corrosive. Will cause skin and eye damage. May be fatal if swallowed. If this treatment gets in your eyes: Hold eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15-20 minutes.
After Shocking Your Pool
It is safe to swim once your chlorine levels are around 5 ppm or after 24 hours. It is always best to test first!
Keeping your pool water balanced is critical to ensure a safe and healthy swimming environment. But it's not as simple as just making sure you have chlorine. If any chemical is slightly off, it can throw the others off, making your pool a breeding ground for bacteria.
Chlorine, either solid or liquid, is a pesticide used in pools to destroy germs, including those from feces, urine, saliva and other substances. But excessive exposure to chlorine can cause sickness and injuries, including rashes, coughing, nose or throat pain, eye irritation and bouts of asthma, health experts warn.
The Bottom Line about Pools and Chlorine
As mentioned above, you could probably swim in a pool without chlorine without any major health issues. However, long-term use of a pool lacking chlorinated H2O could make you sick or, at the very least, contribute to rashes and other types of skin irritation.
Even one-time use of coolant chemicals can cause death. Other complications that may occur due to inhaling coolant chemicals include: depression. damage to the lungs, nerves, brain, or other vital organs.
It takes a lot of chemicals to make pool water safe for swimming. Untreated water can accumulate harmful Escherichia coli and Salmonella bacteria and protozoans such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia.
Is chlorinated water safe to drink? Yes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits the amount of chlorine in drinking water to levels that are safe for human consumption. The levels of chlorine used for drinking water disinfection are unlikely to cause long-term health effects.
Long-term exposure to low levels of chlorine gas is potentially linked to diseases of the lung (bronchitis, shortness of breath, possible permanent damage) and tooth corrosion. No cancer or reproductive effects have been reported from chronic exposure to chlorine.
Even from a health standpoint, it is simply not safe to operate a pool without some added “chemicals” to combat bacteria and contaminants in the water. A pool without chemicals is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Generally, pool water needs to be replaced once every five to seven years. This should be done during mild weather so that your pool surface is not at risk from strong sunlight and heat. Your pool maintenance company can recommend when it is time to drain your pool.
While the quart or so of water that was setting in the hose may have some chemical contaminants in it, by the time that is diluted into thousands of gallons of water, it's of no concern. That is of course assuming that your swimming pool is not your primary source of all drinking water.
What chlorine level is too high to swim? It depends on who you ask, but the acceptable range is between 1 to 5 ppm. (So, for example, 10 ppm chlorine is not safe to swim in — that's too high.)
If you need to mildly shock a 30,000-gallon pool by raising the free chlorine concentration to 5 ppm, you need 2.5 gallons of bleach. To raise it to 10 ppm, you need 5 gallons.
It is important to know what exactly bleach is before you put it in your pool. Household bleach, Clorox and liquid chlorine can all be used to sanitize a pool. They are all types of chlorine. Household bleaches such as Clorox usually contain about 5-6% available chlorine, about half that of pool liquid chlorine.
I think the answer to your question is about 3-6 days. The problem is that the chlorine that you need to keep the bacteria in check is used up more quickly as the temperature rises, the activity increases, and as sweat and other body stuff is put into the pool.
Wait times for adding pool chemicals
The wait times between adding pool chemicals is usually around 10 minutes each, as that is also sufficient time for the chemicals to mix in the water. Users also under normal conditions can swim roughly 10 minutes after adding chemicals.
And how long do you have to wait before you can swim? You should wait one hour per pound of shock product added, and then test the water to confirm the pH and chlorine are in the proper range before letting anyone enter the pool.
Shock is chlorine, in a high dose, meant to shock your pool and raise the chlorine level quickly. Chlorine tabs (placed in a chlorinator, floater, or skimmer basket) maintain a chlorine residual in the water. You do need to use both tabs and shock.
The surrounding environment dictates how long it takes for the chlorine to evaporate. Warmer air will cause the chlorine to evaporate more rapidly. If you decide to place the water in a jug that's left open in the refrigerator, the chlorine should evaporate completely within 24 hours.
Acute effects associated with high-level chlorine exposure in humans are dyspnea, airway obstruction, cough, cyanosis, nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. The lung is a main target of chlorine toxicity, but the eyes, skin, and heart may also be affected.