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.
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.
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.
Safe chlorine levels range between 1 and 3 parts per million. At concentrations above 6 ppm, the pool is unsafe.
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.)
The ideal level of free chlorine in the swimming pool is 2 to 4 ppm. 1 to 5 ppm is acceptable and 9 ppm is on the high side. 9 ppm would likely be safe to swim, but could be more of an irritant. Ideally, the level would be alllowed to come down to 5 ppm before swimmers are allowed to swim.
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.
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.
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.
The Centers for Disease Control have cited negative effects of chlorine overexposure to chlorine on a person's health. Among the most alarming of these are blurred vision, respiratory issues, and asthma.
Excessive levels of pool chemicals can cause your water to become cloudy. High pH, high alkalinity, high chlorine or other sanitisers, and high calcium hardness are all common culprits.
People who have aquariums or simply don't want to be exposed to chlorine in drinking water often look for ways to remove it. It will kill fish and is a toxic chemical. Letting water sit does remove chlorine. Chlorine is a gas that will evaporate from standing water if the air is warm enough.
You can swim with chlorine tablets in the pool if the chlorine tablets are in a container. Getting in touch with those tablets can cause rashes, irritation and eye problems. However, to be in a safe zone it will be better if you wait for 3 to 5 hours till the chlorine levels touch 4 to 6 ppm.
Most floating chlorinators can hold anywhere from two to eight weeks worth of chlorine, depending on conditions such as the season and your pool's size. An automatic feeder works in a similar way, allowing it to mix with the pool water slowly and deliberately. This type generally comes in a large bucket.