Search

The chlorine disinfectants are used to disinfect swimming pool water; in reaction with compounds dissolved in water, they cause the formation of many new substances, which are the disinfection by-products. Inorganic chloramines (mono-, di-, and trichloramine) also belong to this group of problematic substances. In a case of mono- and dichloramine, their negative effect on swimmers’ health has not been observed; however trichloramine can cause skin and eye irritation, as well as cause inflammation of the airways, potentially also asthma. The article presents the dynamics of trichloramine formation from the nitrogen compounds that are introduced into the pool water along with body fluids such as urea, creatinine, glycine, histidine, arginine, uric acid, hippuric acid, and ammonia. Beside the individual human body fluids, their mixture and the sample of swimming pool water were also studied. These studies were conducted for 1–79 h. The research results showed that the dynamics of trichloramine formation differ for particular compounds. Urea, creatinine, ammonia as well as hippuric acid react slowly with chlorine; however trichloramine concentration in water remains at a similar level in up to 6 h. In the case of arginine, despite the rapid depletion of free chlorine, trichloramine concentration remained high up to 24 h of incubation. Glycine, histidine, and uric acid are precursors, for which trichloramine was formed with the highest rate in the first hour of observation, after which the concentration of both trichloramine and free chlorine dropped rapidly. The studies have shown the other compounds present in swimming pool water can reduce the reactivity of free chlorine, and in the consequence the smaller formation potential for trichloramine occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]