PH and chlorine in swimming pool water

         Going for a swim is fun for many. But if you’re not careful, you may have dry skin, change your hair color and, according to a new study, lose enamel. Dentists have long known that pool water can damage tooth enamel, if not treated properly.

        Since 1986, a survey published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that 39% of the 747 swimming swimmers suffered from broken enamel. In a recent report, New York University dentists analyzed the case of a 52-year-old man who complained of tooth sensitivity, dullness and loss of libido, in just the past five months.

       The only logical explanation for these sudden changes, the researchers pointed out, is that it was because he swam for 90 minutes a day. The loss of enamel occurs when the pH in the pool water drops too low, which means that it is highly acidic. If you ever go swimming and your eyes begin to drip or become hot when you first smell the water, it’s because of low pH (not necessarily because of too much chlorine disinfectant). When the pH is too low, water becomes corrosive and can damage surfaces like teeth, and stimulate the skin.

         In the 1986 study, the pH of the lake water was found to be only 3.7, much lower than the requirement of 7.2 to 7.8. The man in the study of the School of Dentistry, New York University admitted that he never treated the pool water properly, and did not know its pH.

        Another reason to care about the mismatched pH of the pool is that it can affect the effect of chlorinated water. When the pH becomes too low or too high, chlorine is either rapidly dispersed or its ability to disinfect. As a result, pathogenic bacteria can multiply.

        To protect yourself, you can buy the pH test, optimized from 7.2 to 7.8. Try both in the swimming pool and in the children’s play areas, they also need the same pH as the swimming pool.