squidkid.

As I research about the Ultraviolet (UV) being installed in the next couple days at the JCC pool, I keep reading more and more positive results it will have on our health and the carbon footprint we leave behind.

This is what the system looks like. It is really a fascinating process of how UV light has the ability to kill microorganisms and their DNA, destroying more types of bacteria, viruses, mold, and spores than the chemical chlorine ever could. I talked in an earlier post about how when urine or other kinds of bacteria bonds with chlorine, it forms chloramines, which creates that strong chlorine smell. Gosh, the more I learn about chlorine and chloramines, the more grossed out I get. Here is a blog I recommend that really gets into scary chlorine statistics. I’ll quote what one study here found: “… an increased incidence of asthma in children who swam regularly in chlorinated pools … In some cases the damage was equivalent to that found in heavy smokers. Even people sitting at the sides of pools, such as lifeguards and instructors, were found to be at risk.”

I’ve known great instructors who have quit teaching because of chloramine issues. I’ll keep you posted on the results. In the meantime, do you have an opinion or question about the UV system or chlorine? Please comment.