Abstract
Recommendations regarding disinfection by-products (DBPs) in pool waters consider the content of trihalomethanes (THMs) and combined chlorine (CC) as indicators of DBPs based on which the health risk for swimmers and staff of pool facility can be determined. However, the content of DBPs in swimming pools depends on many factors. In this paper, the influence of selected factors (physicochemical parameters of water and technological parameters) on the content of THMs and CC in pool water was determined. During the 6-month period, 9 pools of various functions were analyzed. The water in pools was subjected to the same method of treatment. The content of THMs and CC was compared against the content of organic matter, free chlorine and nitrates, pH, temperature, redox potential and turbidity, technological, and operational parameters. The THM content did not exceed the limit value of 0.1 mg/L. The content of CC varied significantly, from 0.05 to 1.13 mg Cl2/L. It was found that a very large water volume per person, in comparison to a very small one, contributed to the low content of CC and THMs. The high load expressed as m3 of water per person or m2 of water per person and the specific function of hot tubs (HT1 and HT2) led to the average concentration of CC in these pools exceeding 0.3 mg Cl2/L. The THM concentrations in hot tubs (especially in HT1) were also among the largest (0.038–0.058 mg/L). In terms of the analyzed microbiological indicators, the quality of the tested pool water samples was not in doubt. It was found that the purpose of the pool, its volume, and number of swimmers should be the key parameters that determine the choice of methods of water treatment. The research on the pool water quality in the actual working conditions of swimming pool facilities is necessary due to the need to preserve the health safety of swimmers and staff.
Highlights
Chlorination is the most commonly used disinfection approach for maintaining swimming pool water quality
The advanced analyses included the concentration of nitrates, trihalomethanes (THMs), turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), absorbance UV254, CFU of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Legionella sp., and a total number of mesophile microorganisms
The exceedance of the permissible content of combined chlorine (CC), i.e., 0.3 mg Cl2/L according to DHM 2015, was recorded in 6 out of 9 tested pools (SP, lesson swimming pool (LSP), indoor recreational pool (IRP), LP, HT1, and HT2)
Summary
Chlorination is the most commonly used disinfection approach for maintaining swimming pool water quality. The chlorine solution poured into the water breaks down, among others, into hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ion (OCl−). Once they are done killing the bacteria, they combine with another chemical. This process leads to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) (Zwiener et al 2007; Afifi and Blatchley 2015; Tardif et al 2017) which pose a health risk for swimmers and due to volatility, for lifeguards and staff of swimming pool facilities
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