The effect of excess chlorine in pools is an alteration in pH levels of pool water, making it more acidic. Signs of high chlorine levels can include itchy sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lung irritation, and skin rashes.
Chlorine poisoning can be very serious and causes symptoms including: Nausea and vomiting. Coughing and wheezing. Burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat.
Signs of overly chlorinated tap water include dry skin, dull clothes, and lower-performing appliances. Chlorine can cause both short-term and long-term health problems, like respiratory issues and cancer. A water softener specialist can run water tests to confirm if your levels are too high.
Having too much chlorine in your swimming pool water can cause it to become cloudy. Too many chemicals in your water can reduce the delicate pH balance. Using too much of any pool chemical can cause cloudy water. High pH, high chlorine, and high alkalinity are all possible culprits.
Combined chlorine or chloramines are responsible for the conventional smell associated with chlorine. However, this smell and its intensity is not an accurate indication of whether chlorine levels are high or not. Dry hair, sensitive skin and irritated eyes are all indicators of an over-chlorinated pool.
If there is too much chlorine added, wait for the chlorine to burn off after a few days or, for a more immediate result, partially drain the pool and refill it with fresh water. Is it possible to shock your pool too much? Yes—excessive shocking of your pool will keep it at an elevated chlorine level.
Though not exactly harmful to your health, water that contains too much chlorine can have a poor smell and taste, which would make the water unpleasant to drink. If your water smells and tastes bad, you'll be less likely to drink it, which means that unhealthy beverages could take the place of water.
Immediately or within a few hours after breathing chlorine gas, the lungs can become irritated, causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. The amount of time before these symptoms occur is dependent on the amount of chlorine to which one is exposed.
Boiling water for 15 minutes also helps to remove chlorine as it causes the chlorine to evaporate. But the quickest and most effective way to remove chlorine from drinking water is with activated carbon filters in a reverse osmosis drinking water system.
The degradation rate of chlorine in direct sunlight without CYA is 75 % loss in 2 hours or a complete loss of chlorine in 4 hours.
“Each chlorine tablets contains cyanuric acid. This means that using tablets continually will increase the cyanuric acid in the pool water to unsafe levels. This will reduce the effectiveness and killing power of your chlorine and can make the water unsafe over time.”
Statistically, a pool without chlorine is more likely to make you sick because of the possibility of being exposed to the things not contained or killed by chlorine. Remember, your skin is porous, so microscopic impurities can pass through. A pool sans chlorine is akin to a big puddle of murky water.
Add some hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is used to lower the pool's pH levels. It also reacts with chlorine to produce air and water, evidenced by bubbles forming in the water. Pool-ready peroxide products are available on the market to use with a stronger concentration (about 35%) than medical ones.
If you are sure your tap water contains chlorine and not chloramine, you can let the water sit for 1-5 days to allow all the chlorine to evaporate. To speed up the evaporation process, aerate the water with an air stone for 12-24 hours or boil the water for 15-20 minutes.
Chlorine reactions may include itchy, red skin or hives (itchy bumps). This is not an allergy but is actually “irritant dermatitis” (like a chemical burn), caused by hypersensitivity to this natural irritant. Chlorine is also drying to the skin and can irritate existing dermatitis.
Red, irritated, watery eyes. Pain, irritation, redness, and blisters where chlorine touched your skin. Burning in your nose, throat, chest, and eyes. Coughing or wheezing.
There is no specific antidote for chlorine poisoning. Treatment is supportive.
Short Summary. It is essential to regulate chlorine levels in a pool between 1-3 ppm, as levels exceeding 5 ppm can be hazardous. Swimming in a pool with high chlorine levels should be avoided. The highest safe chlorine level for a pool is 3 ppm.
When people who are sensitive to chlorine come in contact with it, they may get itchy red skin. In some cases, they may also get hives (bumps on their skin).
Exposure to high levels of chlorine can cause lung irritation, skin and eye damage, and provoke asthma. Not only is it bad for your health, but it can be bad for your pool due to the increase in chlorine. High chlorine levels decrease the pH of your pool's water, making it more acidic.
Unfortunately, you can't shock your pool using your regular 3-inch chlorine tablets. Common chlorine sanitizing products are great for maintaining chlorine levels, but not necessarily eliminating new waste, bacteria and algae.