I remember reading the below lines long back:
"Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. It is an insidious poison"
-- Dr. Joseph M. Price, MD, in Moseby's Medical Dictionary
In days when people select hobbies as part of their activity, swimming is also considered one among them. We are seeing the sharp increase of swimmers around our place just to keep them lean, slim and fit. There are booms of swimming classes mushrooming around places especially during summer vacation where children around 4 + are of main stream. Even parents rush to a nearest swimming centre to get their child registered among the few selected names and pay as per their limits. But people in pursue of health and fitness are unknowingly moving themselves towards the hazard… Cancer.
Yes, though sounds strange, it is now a known phenomenon that water causes cancer. Don’t be surprised, but yes, the chemical used to purifying water itself is causing cancer(Trichloroisocyanuric Acid). The high quantities of chlorine content used to ward off water contamination are major concern now a day. As there are no stringent measures to monitor the water and the chlorine content usage, the concerned people/authorities who take up water purifying process just mix chlorine into water and release the water for commercial/personal purposes. The same when used for drinking and cleaning is causing grave concern for human body and health. Though there are many research done on this field, what matters is the effect the high chlorinated water is causing on skin.
Few things to know about Trichloroisocyanuric Acid... (Retrieved from Wikipedia...)
Trichloroisocyanuric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula (C3Cl3N3O3. It is used as an industrial disinfectant, bleaching agent and a reagent in organic synthesis.[1][2] This white crystalline powder, which has a strong "chlorine odour," is sometimes sold in tablet or granule form for domestic and industrial use.
Use in water treatment
The compound is a disinfectant, algicide and bactericide mainly for swimming pools and dyestuffs, and is also used as a bleaching agent in the textile industries.
Applications: It is widely used in civil sanitation, pools and spas, preventing and curing diseases in husbandry and fisheries, fruits and vegetables preservation, wastewater treatment, algaecide for recycling water of industry and air conditioning, anti shrink treatment for woolen, treating seeds, bleaching fabrics, and organic synthesis industry
Benefits of TCCA in Swimming Pool-
Available with 90% chlorine concentration
Due to high chlorine content, handling is easy for large pools.
Reduces chlorine loss during day time. TCCA is stable it does not strip like any other halogen compounds.
Reduces algae growth.
Dissolves slowly in water, allowing for continuously metered dosing of available chlorine, especially when in tablet form.
Drawbacks of TCCA in Swimming Pool-
Cyanuric Acid (CYA) build-up from TCCA use can decrease the effectiveness of Free Active Chlorine (FAC) over time.
Such build up can only be reduced by dilution with water that does not contain CYA.
The economics of this effect can greatly reduce the cost-effectiveness of high chlorine availability in TCCA.
At high CYA concentrations, normal chlorine levels can be rendered ineffective, requiring either dilution by draining and refilling the pool or by adding abnormally high doses of chlorine to overcome this effect.
...So coming back to its effects on human beings...
From long time, we know that how the skin darkens if we swim in chlorinated waters of swimming pool for long durations. With the eyes, skin and hair getting direct exposure, the eyes turning red or hair turning dull are common symptoms. The most dangerous is skin which is protective sheet for human body. The skin cancer caused by chlorinated water is fast among young aged than adults as their skin is more sensitive and still under generation. The frequent exposure of children to these waters is more now a days and without suitable precautions, the swimming institutions are gifting “deadly diseases” to future generations. Neither the swimming coach nor the institute are concerned about these ill effects and what matters them is “Money”... But at end, it is children who suffer the consequences. The cause is the effects are not noted at initial stages and when the advance stage reaches, the treatment procedure and cost rise causing severe panic in those families.
Now what matters is we should take precautionary steps to avoid dangerous effects of
chlorinated water. The parents must take initiative into this and avoid children joining the swimming courses in places where there are alarming levels of chlorine content. The probable usage of removing chlorine and its odor problems is to filter the water with granular activated carbon (GAC) or by using suitable chemical-removing filter media, such as KDF which are available with many manufacturers now.
Also, the swimming institutes must monitor the water supplied and take measures to decrease chlorine levels by installing suitable equipments in their places and put details of chlorine content used in water, how safe the water is by pasting details of chlorine and purity levels of water.
Though the step may not be feasible in terms of monetary gains to these institutes, but still, a proper precaution can be taken or initiated from both parents and institutes where it will be beneficial to both child and parents, creating a healthy and stronger society with well grown and stronger children.
--- This post is written for the 'NO TO CHLORINE' contest by Bejon Mishra of 'HealthyYouFoundation' by Indiblogger. Please vote and support the campaign against Trichloroisocyanuric Acid...
"Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. It is an insidious poison"
-- Dr. Joseph M. Price, MD, in Moseby's Medical Dictionary
In days when people select hobbies as part of their activity, swimming is also considered one among them. We are seeing the sharp increase of swimmers around our place just to keep them lean, slim and fit. There are booms of swimming classes mushrooming around places especially during summer vacation where children around 4 + are of main stream. Even parents rush to a nearest swimming centre to get their child registered among the few selected names and pay as per their limits. But people in pursue of health and fitness are unknowingly moving themselves towards the hazard… Cancer.
Yes, though sounds strange, it is now a known phenomenon that water causes cancer. Don’t be surprised, but yes, the chemical used to purifying water itself is causing cancer(Trichloroisocyanuric Acid). The high quantities of chlorine content used to ward off water contamination are major concern now a day. As there are no stringent measures to monitor the water and the chlorine content usage, the concerned people/authorities who take up water purifying process just mix chlorine into water and release the water for commercial/personal purposes. The same when used for drinking and cleaning is causing grave concern for human body and health. Though there are many research done on this field, what matters is the effect the high chlorinated water is causing on skin.
Few things to know about Trichloroisocyanuric Acid... (Retrieved from Wikipedia...)
Trichloroisocyanuric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula (C3Cl3N3O3. It is used as an industrial disinfectant, bleaching agent and a reagent in organic synthesis.[1][2] This white crystalline powder, which has a strong "chlorine odour," is sometimes sold in tablet or granule form for domestic and industrial use.
Use in water treatment
The compound is a disinfectant, algicide and bactericide mainly for swimming pools and dyestuffs, and is also used as a bleaching agent in the textile industries.
Applications: It is widely used in civil sanitation, pools and spas, preventing and curing diseases in husbandry and fisheries, fruits and vegetables preservation, wastewater treatment, algaecide for recycling water of industry and air conditioning, anti shrink treatment for woolen, treating seeds, bleaching fabrics, and organic synthesis industry
Benefits of TCCA in Swimming Pool-
Available with 90% chlorine concentration
Due to high chlorine content, handling is easy for large pools.
Reduces chlorine loss during day time. TCCA is stable it does not strip like any other halogen compounds.
Reduces algae growth.
Dissolves slowly in water, allowing for continuously metered dosing of available chlorine, especially when in tablet form.
Drawbacks of TCCA in Swimming Pool-
Cyanuric Acid (CYA) build-up from TCCA use can decrease the effectiveness of Free Active Chlorine (FAC) over time.
Such build up can only be reduced by dilution with water that does not contain CYA.
The economics of this effect can greatly reduce the cost-effectiveness of high chlorine availability in TCCA.
At high CYA concentrations, normal chlorine levels can be rendered ineffective, requiring either dilution by draining and refilling the pool or by adding abnormally high doses of chlorine to overcome this effect.
...So coming back to its effects on human beings...
From long time, we know that how the skin darkens if we swim in chlorinated waters of swimming pool for long durations. With the eyes, skin and hair getting direct exposure, the eyes turning red or hair turning dull are common symptoms. The most dangerous is skin which is protective sheet for human body. The skin cancer caused by chlorinated water is fast among young aged than adults as their skin is more sensitive and still under generation. The frequent exposure of children to these waters is more now a days and without suitable precautions, the swimming institutions are gifting “deadly diseases” to future generations. Neither the swimming coach nor the institute are concerned about these ill effects and what matters them is “Money”... But at end, it is children who suffer the consequences. The cause is the effects are not noted at initial stages and when the advance stage reaches, the treatment procedure and cost rise causing severe panic in those families.
Now what matters is we should take precautionary steps to avoid dangerous effects of
chlorinated water. The parents must take initiative into this and avoid children joining the swimming courses in places where there are alarming levels of chlorine content. The probable usage of removing chlorine and its odor problems is to filter the water with granular activated carbon (GAC) or by using suitable chemical-removing filter media, such as KDF which are available with many manufacturers now.
Also, the swimming institutes must monitor the water supplied and take measures to decrease chlorine levels by installing suitable equipments in their places and put details of chlorine content used in water, how safe the water is by pasting details of chlorine and purity levels of water.
Though the step may not be feasible in terms of monetary gains to these institutes, but still, a proper precaution can be taken or initiated from both parents and institutes where it will be beneficial to both child and parents, creating a healthy and stronger society with well grown and stronger children.
--- This post is written for the 'NO TO CHLORINE' contest by Bejon Mishra of 'HealthyYouFoundation' by Indiblogger. Please vote and support the campaign against Trichloroisocyanuric Acid...
