www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
Supplying the public with reassurances that there are non-chlorine options which will reduce the effect of allergic reactions in swimming pools is moving too slowly.
A research team from Edinburgh University, studying the effects of chlorine in skin complaints and asthma, has claimed that there is growing evidence, especially in Europe, that non- chlorine products can offer a ‘better pool environment’.
“There is a real need now for such products to undergo thorough testing for efficacy. The pace of this analysis is at the moment too slow,” a spokesman for the team told SPN. The Health Protection Agency has had feedback from alternative treatment suppliers that the standards and claims quoted for chlorine are not referenced. New products are expected to achieve minimum safety standards but these are not validated for chlorine.
The HPA has also been told that “the worst thing for all concerned would be that the protocol, by being unachievable, becomes by default a means of protecting the sales of chlorine”.
New and alternative treatments to kill bacteria in swimming pools must prove their effectiveness before they can be approved for widespread use.
AllergyFree OCT 2011 SPN
A draft guidance document from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Task Force on Biocides is under review following feedback from relevant organisations.
The report says, “For many years, disinfection of swimming pools and spa pools has relied mainly on chemical disinfectants based on chlorine and bromine.
“The efficacy of these traditional disinfectants is well established with regard to different kinds of pathogenic microorganisms. New types of chemical disinfectants however, which lack that established record, should be shown to be effective against pathogenic microorganisms under conditions found in swimming pools and spas before they can be approved for use”.
The OECD is a forum of countries committed to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies. The document describes how applicants could demonstrate that a proposed new pool and spa disinfectant would satisfy efficacy criteria. The OECD report says that before any biocide efficacy testing is conducted involving exposure
of human volunteers, the substances should undergo risk assessment.
Efficacy can be maintained in a pH range consistent with bather safety and comfort and in the presence of ion and other solute concentrations commonly found in pool water where appropriate water quality maintenance is practiced.
The document sets out the processes for any new system trying to win approval and prove its efficacy. The procedures are seen as being demanding and costly.
“Tests should be carried out at 25° to 30°C for swimming pools and 34° to 36°C for spa pools and at a pH that is consistent both with good efficacy of the chemical disinfectant being tested and acceptable for the comfort and safety of bathers. If parallel hypochlorite controls are incorporated into the testing protocol, such chlorine controls should be carried out at a pH of 7.2 to 7.3.
Simulated pool water should be used that reflects typical pool source water and good pool water maintenance practices. In this way, the lowest effective concentration identified for the disinfectant will be compatible with real use conditions.
SPLASH POOL INVESTS IN PROVIDING RELIEF FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS i FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Providing relief to asthma and allergy sufferers has always been one of the priorities at the Splash@Riverside swimming pool near Blackburn. The pool was built and opened two years ago to provide swimming lessons for all age groups and has been a huge success in teaching young and old to swim and have confidence in the water.
When the pool opened the priority was always to offer as much consumer re- assurance as possible about the quality of the water, and keeping any allergy issues at bay. “The quality of our water has always been a priority for us. Our pool is also more eco-friendly and better for the environment and visitors by being completely bacteria and infection free! This means that the pool is perfectly suited for babies and small children with delicate skin. It can also provide some relief to asthma and allergy sufferers compared to a normal chlorine pool,” say the owners.
“Our new ultra violet system is installed which means we can now keep our chlorine levels down to 1 part per million.” Splash invested in the Eclear system from Polypure UK – the natural freshwater oxygen process, chlorine free pool purification system.
The Splash pool in Blackburn has worked hard at reducing the impact of allergies from children and adults at their pool lessons
Eclear pool systems claim to be able to eliminate the effects on asthma, acne, psoriasis, seborrhoea, eczema, dental enamel damage and red eyes through use of the pool.
F POLYPURE UK ( 01489 890800 :
www.eclearuk.com
71 PLEA TO SPEED UP EFFICACY TESTS ON NON-CHLORINE PRODUCTS
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