They either love it and trust it...or hate it and don't. That is the feeling of most homeowners when discussing chlorine as a sanitizer in their swimming pools. And Southwest Florida residents certainly have first hand knowledge of swimming in chlorinated pools.

For those who hate or distrust the use of chlorine in their swimming pool, or for those who are building a home with a swimming pool and want an up-date on technology, there is good news. You now have a choice. Technology has advanced past the last hundred years of chlorine use to turn to alternatives for sanitizing private swimming pools. Oddly enough one of the "new" methods dates back thousands of years.

The ancient Greeks were the first to discover the sanitizing power of copper while the ancient Egyptians kept their water in silver containers to prevent contamination. Early American pioneers moving west across the continent put both copper and silver coins in their water supply, which consisted of large wooden water casks. The moving wagons caused agitation of the coins in the water casks, which discharged ions that killed the algae and bacteria thereby providing the pioneers with safe drinking water on their long trips.

The United States began the use of chlorine as a sanitizer for water systems, in 1904. Ninety years later the Environmental Protection Agency raised "skin absorption of chlorine" to its top 10-carcinogen watch list according to the July 1994 issue of the Washington Post. During the mid 1970's monitoring efforts began to identify a link between toxic chemicals in the water and elevated cancer mortality risks. By July 1991 a report published in the U.S. News and World Report confirmed that chlorine used to disinfect water produced carcinogenic traces. Even the American Journal of Public Health warns us "skin absorption of contaminants has been underestimated".

Scientific studies have linked chlorine and its by-products to cancer of the bladder, liver, stomach, rectum and colon as well as heart disease, arteriosclerosis, anemia, high blood pressure and allergic reactions. What you dont know about chlorine could hurt you.

With all this attention over the last 20 plus years it is no wonder that many educated consumers have started to seek out and require non-chlorine sanitizing alternatives for protection of their family in their own swimming pools.

Some frequently used disinfection systems today are the Silver/Copper Ionization Systems, Aqua Catalyst Units, Baquacil, two types of Ozone units, and Ultraviolet Light Systems. These different systems are sold through retail pool stores, pool builders, and private individuals. The cost difference is wide, the expertise of the representative diverse, and the availability of the replacement parts a definite consideration before making a specific choice.

Copper/Silver Ionization Systems
There are many different manufacturers of Copper/Silver Ionizers. This process was developed by the NASA Space Program to disinfect water on the Apollo missions and progressed to common pool sanitation units. Two probes made of copper and silver are placed in the circulation pipes and fed with low voltage electricity. As the ions move back and forth between the probes, the flowing water carries them into the pool to do their disinfection work. This process requires much less time spent sanitizing the water but requires a weekly addition of a small amount of non-chlorine shock. The monthly costs are substantially reduced because fewer chemicals are needed. Other than its initial cost the major negative of this system is a tendency to stain the pool surface a light blue copper color. The consumer must be made aware of this possibility before purchasing this system.

Aqua Catalyst Unit
The Aqua Catalyst Unit (Vision System) is an offshoot of the copper/silver process. A cartridge filled with catalytic copper/silver beads is installed in-line after the pool pump. As the pool water flows through the cartridge, the beads bounce back and forth creating an extra molecule of oxygen that disinfects on contact. A very small amount of copper and silver leach into the pool for disinfection. The positive aspects of this system are that it rarely stains the pool and it reduces the workload. The negative side is that it is a weaker ionization process requiring an additional non-chlorine shock. `

These systems provide cleaner, healthier pool water that feels softer and has no odor. The water is safe for skin, eyes, hair, swimsuits, pool liners and equipment. It is safe for landscaping and the environment. Stabilizer (cyanuric acid) is not required and fewer adjustments are needed for pH and total dissolved solids.

Biguanide/Hydrogen Peroxide
Biguanide was originally used in Phisohex soap as a sanitizing germ killer. It can also be found in contact lens solution and liquid make-up. Hydrogen Peroxide was originally evaluated as a food plant sanitizer and a topical antiseptic for humans. The Baquacil system uses these two chemicals along with an algaecide to produce the beautiful crystal clear water it is famous for. Baquacil is added to the pool water only twice a month and is safe for the body, clothes, pool equipment, vinyl liner, landscape and the environment. The sanitizer level, which remains constant, is not affected by sunlight, heat or pH changes.

The down side to this system is that any leak in the filtration system can cause bubbles or foam to appear on the pool surface. Also an inadequate or dirty filtration system can cause hazy water and/or organic debris to accumulate around the waterline of the pool. Baquacil, which is incompatible with many pool products, is more expensive than chlorine. It is harmless to pool equipment but has been known to cause filter lids to crack. The consumer test kit is inaccurate and water mold also known as pink algae can be extremely hard to kill.

Two Types of Ozone
Experiments with ozone as a germicide were conducted in France over a century ago. By 1893 Holland had constructed and was operating the first drinking water treatment plant using ozone for disinfection. Later ozone was used to treat European swimming pools. Today there are over 2,000 swimming pools in Europe using ozone systems.

Simply put, ozone is O3 or three atoms-per-molecule of oxygen instead of two. It is a very effective oxidizer and disinfectant, able to kill the E.coli bacterium 25 times faster than the killing form of chlorine. Most ozone units used on spas are the ultraviolet type. They work by passing dried air past a special lamp, which emits a toxic wavelength of light into all water moving through a quartz chamber. The water is sanitized directly and immediately. The maintenance on this unit is minimal.

The second type of ozone generator is known as corona discharge and works by creating small electrical arcs inside an air-filled chamber. The strong electrical charges split some of the O2 molecule in half, creating O1, which attach to the remaining oxygen molecules and form ozone, O3. The corona discharge unit produces a higher level of ozone, which is better suited for pool use. However, smaller corona discharge units for spas have been recently introduced. The maintenance on this unit is maximum.

Ozone can demonstrate chemical savings, is superior to chlorine, increases bather comfort and improves water clarity. It is unstable and requires a small amount of additional sanitizer. It has a short lifespan and cannot tolerate high bather loads. It is not compatible with conventional synthetic clarifiers and needs fine particle filtration equipment.

Ultraviolet Light Systems
Ultraviolet light is found between visible light and x-rays. Because it is radiant energy traveling in the form of waves it has the power to destroy microorganisms at 254 nanometers by penetrating their outer cell membranes. A UV unit is made up of a UV lamp and a quartz sleeve, which is placed inside a cylindrical chamber. The water flows over the sleeve, which allows maximum transmission of the UV light into every part of the cylinder. The lamps need to be replaced about every 8,000 to 9,000 hours for the best performance.

Ultraviolet light treatment does not add anything to the water or generate harmful by-products. It is fast, efficient, effective, economical and a friend to the environment.