Is pollen oxidized by chlorine?

[AK-]

So, I have seem someone posting that pollen does not consume chlorine. No point in point fingers…

Chlorine attacks organic matter and pollen is organic matter, so seems to be reasonable to believe chlorine will try to destroy pollen and be consumed in the process.

Now being reasonable does mean it is correct. But my experience (empirical evidence) at least is part suggests that is indeed correct.
To avoid problems after opening my pool this season I kept it most of the time covered and with FC almost at SLAM level (about 12-14ppm, but wasn’t trying to be precise in that). It stayed like that for 3 full days (about 84 hours given or taken). With the cover my FC was dropping about 2ppm/day. On the morning of the 3rd day I got quite some rain that washed a lot of pollen into the water. Next morning when I removed the cover there was an intolerable smell of CC… tears and had 3ppm of CC and FC was still above 10ppm.

Under those conditions there is absolutely no way algae consumed my chlorine and the only obvious thing to enter the pool was pollen.

So does chlorine consume pollen?

 

[ajw22]

I said it and stand by it.

Do you think that more then pollen got washed into your pool with the rain runoff?

Affect of pollen on free chlorine

We are in full pollen season here and my chlorine demand has gone from 2 pints/day a few weeks ago to a gallon or more now. I began to slam the pool but it occurred to me that it may be smarter to wait until the pollen subsides to do the slam. My water is crystal clear and I have zero combined...

www.troublefreepool.com

Pollen and chlorine usage

I'm in Connecticut and have been adding 1 - 1.5 gallons per day of 12.5% chlorine to my 18k gallon pool. I completed a slam and had it down to 2ppm oclt and I'm still using 1 - 1.5 gallons/day. In addition to the pollen it has been raining almost every other day. What should I expect to be using...

www.troublefreepool.com

Algae or pollen?

Trying to figure out what's going on with my pool and could use some help! Has a greenish yellow tint that has persisted for several days. I have yellow patches mostly on the floor of the pool, a little on the walls. It's definitely pollen season around here, and my pool cleaner has been sucking...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

I have said it as well. What I found in my sample size of *1*, was that anything fresh caused no change. Even dead, brown leaves in the fall. Anything already decaying, like certain flower petals or a rotten branch, we're full of organics that did consume FC. Leaves that made it in the pool and had all winter to fester, were also a big consumer.

 

[AK-]

Yeah. My experience with leaves is that is has no effect on chlorine whatsoever.

How long previously moist pollen takes to start decaying? If it is fast enough than that could explain my experience.

 

[AK-]

Does algae grow on top of a solar cover (dry half of the time)?

 

[ajw22]

Does algae grow on top of a solar cover (dry half of the time)?

Yes, algae and mildew which is a cousin of algae grows in damp areas.

 

[Newdude]

Does algae grow on top of a solar cover (dry half of the time)?

I had it in the flaps of the seams no matter what I did. It was nasty. Because I hated it, it lasted 5 seasons.

 

[AK-]

Humm… mildew… humm… last couple years I had issues with powdery mildew on my garden. I don’t know where it is coming from. Does chlorine react to spores?

 

[AK-]

I had it in the flaps of the seams no matter what I did. It was nasty. Because I hated it, it lasted 5 seasons.

Humm… that could be… I was assuming the stuff in the seam was pollen…

Side note: I wash my solar cover before the winter with bleach diluted at ~3%… so I’m quite sure is was algae free a week before.

 

[ajw22]

Humm… mildew… humm… last couple years I had issues with powdery mildew on my garden. I don’t know where it is coming from. Does chlorine react to spores?

Mildew washing into your pool will act like algae and if not killed by chlorine will become algae.

 

[Newdude]

so I’m quite sure is was algae free a week before.

Water goes stagnant and gets natsy quick. The morning dew and condensation from different temps on either side of the cover is enough to get the process started.

Maybe it was a one time freak occurrence of events. Maybe it's an early warning sign. I'd OCLT just to be sure you keep the upper hand in the battle, if there is one to be had.

 

[AK-]

Mildew washing into your pool will act like algae and if not killed by chlorine will become algae.

Ok that is probably the cause. Spores are also active this time of year. It could be that what looks like pure pollen is not and when everything got into the pool the chlorine responded. I’m glad I usually run my pool hot.

 

[AK-]

Water goes stagnant and gets natsy quick. The morning dew and condensation from different temps on either side of the cover is enough to get the process started.

Maybe it was a one time freak occurrence of events. Maybe it's an early warning sign. I'd OCLT just to be sure you keep the upper hand in the battle, if there is one to be had.

That was over a week ago. FC is holding pretty well since. To be honest what I noticed wasn’t the drop on FC, but the increase on CC. And I was already almost at SLAM level anyways.

 

[ajw22]

Algae is not visible in its early stages until you get a big green algae bloom. People look for what is visible for an explanation.

 

[Newdude]

That was over a week ago. FC is holding pretty well since. To be honest what I noticed wasn’t the drop on FC, but the increase on CC. And I was already almost at SLAM level anyway

So. You had events that made you question your chemistry. Anytime you wonder anything about the sanitization of the water, is cause for OCLT. OCLTs are free and easy.

If you pass, we have oodles of time to ponder what might have been, or where else to look for an explanation.

If you fail, you thank the test for the heads up and have a much easier battle.

 

[AK-]

Algae is not visible in its early stages until you get a big green algae bloom. People look for what is visible for an explanation.

In this case I was ruling out algae because the level of chlorine I had, but makes sense that I could be in the cover or be mildew/spores flying around together with the pollen.

Why the heck there so little scientific interest in pools? If I google “chlorine and pollen” there are those TFP posts followed by a bunch of garbage.

 

[AK-]

You had events that made you question your chemistry

I guess the issue is exact he opposite. I did not question my pool chemistry even once. I had a (now) obvious wrong assumption.

I’m going to do a OCLT just to be 100% sure, but I’m 99% sure it will pass.

 

[Newdude]

I’m going to do a OCLT just to be 100% sure, but I’m 99% sure it will pass.

I like your odds as well. Especially after almost slamming for days. There may have been a problem, and now it's gone.

OCLT and know.

Do so anytime in the future on the spot. It's better to know than to guess.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Chlorine attacks organic matter and pollen is organic matter, so seems to be reasonable to believe chlorine will try to destroy pollen and be consumed in the process.

As with most things in life, oversimplifications only get you so far before they begin to breakdown.

Chlorine attacks organic matter … yes, but not all organic matter.

Pollen is “organic” …. Yes, as in it is constructed of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms …

Therefore Chlorine must attack pollen … not strictly true.

The fact is, chlorine in a +1 oxidation state can attack certain atomic bonds in organic molecules IF the conditions are right. But some atomic bonds are too strong (have high enough bond energy) that chlorine cannot do anything. Pollen spores tend to have very tough, complex carbohydrate out shells composed of polysaccharides and aminosaccharides. Chitin, lignin and cellulose are organic compounds that are very tough and are largely unaffected by chlorine. This is why a little bit of plant matter (leaves) rarely affect chlorine levels - most of the organic matter is simply immune to chlorine oxidation.

Now if I take a wheelbarrow full of rotting plant waste and dump it in your pool, then that’s going to have an effect. But it does so because rotting plant waste is full of biological organisms, waste by-products like ammonia and hummic/fulvic acids, tannins, etc. That stuff will consume chlorine fast.

As others have stated, the surface of your cover was probably full of mildew, dust and … for lack of a better term … crud. When the rain washed that into your pool with high FC levels, KABOOM! … instant chloramine bomb.

 

[AK-]

As with most things in life, oversimplifications only get you so far before they begin to breakdown.

Chlorine attacks organic matter … yes, but not all organic matter.

Pollen is “organic” …. Yes, as in it is constructed of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms …

Therefore Chlorine must attack pollen … not strictly true.

The fact is, chlorine in a +1 oxidation state can attack certain atomic bonds in organic molecules IF the conditions are right. But some atomic bonds are too strong (have high enough bond energy) that chlorine cannot do anything. Pollen spores tend to have very tough, complex carbohydrate out shells composed of polysaccharides and aminosaccharides. Chitin, lignin and cellulose are organic compounds that are very tough and are largely unaffected by chlorine. This is why a little bit of plant matter (leaves) rarely affect chlorine levels - most of the organic matter is simply immune to chlorine oxidation.

Now if I take a wheelbarrow full of rotting plant waste and dump it in your pool, then that’s going to have an effect. But it does so because rotting plant waste is full of biological organisms, waste by-products like ammonia and hummic/fulvic acids, tannins, etc. That stuff will consume chlorine fast.

As others have stated, the surface of your cover was probably full of mildew, dust and … for lack of a better term … crud. When the rain washed that into your pool with high FC levels, KABOOM! … instant chloramine bomb.

Thank you