Bromine & Nosebleeds

[Zadd]

We have a client that seems to get a nose bleed each time he comes to swim practice and gets into the bromine water. She says that it rarely happens in her Parent's salt water pool but occasionally. He is prone to bleeds and has a recent nose break injury; after the fact. Wondering if chlorine or bromine might cause bleeds?

 

[chem geek]

Yes, higher levels of chlorine or bromine can react with the chemicals in mucous protecting membranes in your nostrils and may also react with surface cells in the thinnest areas of skin near your blood vessels. However, this would be more likely to occur at higher active levels. So it's more likely to occur with chlorine when there is no CYA in the water or with bromine that is not moderated in its strength. This may be why it occurs more in bromine pools than in the saltwater chlorine generator pool that likely has CYA in it, especially if it is outdoors.

 

[Zadd]

Is there any solution you can help me with? I target 6.75 ppm Bromine each morning or 3p FC. By the time swim practice occurs in late afternoon it is probably closer to 5ppm bromine. I'm kinda limited as to how much lower I can go according to local health codes and the fact that I don't have automated feeding.

 

[chem geek]

I don't have a solution. If the pool was chlorine then you could have a small amount of CYA in it to moderate chlorine's strength and possibly have some supplemental oxidation since it's indoors (such as using a UV system). However, using bromine I don't know of anything to moderate its strength and as you say the code require a certain level to be maintained.