new thread
Hey guys. I'm thinking of starting to swim regularly in a saline pool. Do you know if saline causes damage? I know it's not as bad as chlorine. Can't seem to find any reliable info by google search.
It would be the same as swimming is salt water.
During summers...we swam in the ocean...no appreciable damage to speak of...some lightening of the hair...perhaps the combo of sun/salt water.
Hey guys I happened on an article published in the Chicago Tribune in which that article defines Saline Pools here is what they say and it is up to you the reader to take out of it what you find relevant this may or may not totally help but I see some negative results when compared. So here it is:
Indoor swimmers know that chlorine is a necessary evil. We love the harsh, sanitizing chemical when we see how many unshowered people inhabit public pools. We hate its clinging smell and that it leaves us with red eyes, green hair and see-through swimming suits.
Some hotels and health clubs, however, say there's a new alterative: saline pools. These saltwater pools that taste like the ocean are often touted as an "eco-friendly" and "healthy" answer to chlorine because fewer chemicals are needed.
"Saline has less of a smell, and it's easier on your skin, eyes and swimsuits, " said Randy Mau, asset manager for Xsport Fitness, which uses saltwater pool technology in 12 of its Illinois health clubs.
But don't be fooled: Saltwater or saline pools use chlorine too. The difference is that the owner has purchased a salt generator to manufacture his or her own chlorine or bromine, according to the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. "A salt pool equals chlorine [or bromine pool]," the group says.
The traditional way to add chlorine to a pool is to dissolve a tablet or pour liquid chlorine into the water. Saltwater chlorinating systems use electrolysis to release chlorine gas from the salt in the water. The chlorine gas mixes with the water to create liquid chlorine, which is then delivered back to the pool.
Though saltwater generators still use chlorine, proponents say they reduce many of the aggravating effects associated with chlorine, which are technically caused by chloramines.
When chlorine is added to the water, it mixes with organic matter -- sweat, saliva, dandruff, urine -- and turns into other chemicals, including chloramines. After chlorine kills contaminates in the water, more chlorine is needed to burn the chloramines out of the water. A pool's chlorine smell means chloramines are airborne and the pool needs to be maintained, said pool designer Terrence LeBeau, the general manager of the commercial systems division for Halogen, a Chicago pool equipment and chemical supplier.
Saltwater generators deliver a constant stream of chlorine, making chloramines less of an issue, which is good news for a swimmer's skin or eyes. The salinity is about 1/12th of the salinity of the ocean. Element and Elysian, two hotels that will be opening in the Chicago area this year, will have saline pools.
Still, there's plenty of debate over the true benefits of these pools. "They've been in the marketplace several times and never stay long," said LeBeau. "It's just not a good way to put chlorine in the pool. It's corrosive and creates other problems; even the electrical consumption to do the manufacturing in the equipment room is expensive."
When I recently tried the saline lap pool -- which had the familiar smell of chlorine -- at Xsport's State Street location, I was mildly annoyed by the salty taste of the water. The three other swimmers in the pool were either happy with the saltwater, or like me, noticed no significant difference. But Kevin Dutton, a 32-year-old Chicago chiropractor and budding triathlete, said that after his workouts, "I feel it on me the rest of the day."
For a list of pools around the world that use alternatives to chlorine, go to the "Healthier Swimming" blog at piscinasana.blogspot.com.
A pool chemistry glossary
Chlorine: In the pool industry, the generic word "chlorine" normally refers to any sanitizer that releases free available chlorine -- also known as hypochlorous acid -- when dissolved in water, according to the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. Chlorine sanitizers are the most commonly used pool sanitizer. Chlorine is also a strong oxidizer, which destroys contaminants, kills microorganisms and removes other impurities in the water.
Bromine: Any sanitizer that releases available bromine -- also known as hypobromous acid -- when dissolved in water. Also a strong oxidizer.
Ozone: A supplemental treatment used with a primary sanitizer such as chlorine or bromine. Ozone, a reactive gaseous oxidizer, is generated by a device called an ozonator, which disperses ozone into the pool water. Still, ozoneca harmful, so pool plumbing should be designed to minimize ozone exposure to swimmers.