So I've been thinking about SWCG and the creation of free dissolved chlorine and sodium ions. Chlorine as a dissolved gas will, to some extent, outgas rather than sanitize, which leaves an excess of sodium ions which have to go somewhere.
I'm no chemist, but I have an idea that the free sodium maybe combines with H20 to create a sodium hydroxide or a sodium hydroxide hydrate, both of which are strong bases. Neutralizing NaHO is done normally with HCl which is what we normally use to bring pH down in SQCG pools. It seems logical that this is mostly what happens in a SWCG pool to the free sodium ions. If it is correct, NaHO, even in solution, is corrosive to aluminum; but I don't recall seeing any warnings about not using aluminum parts when using SWCG in pools. NaOH is also a mild corrosive to glass. So does SWCG cause premature degradation of underwater pool light glass lenses which are in constant contact with the pool water?
Besides that, I've read that sodium ions participate in osmotic cell pressure regulation in living organisms. If any sodium ions remain dissolved and don't become NaOH or other compounds, won't that have an effect on the body? It looks like the sodium ions produced by SWCG are bad news any way you look at it. Or are there not enough sodium ions produced to be of concern?
In essence if the pool has 3 ppm total chlorine it should also have an equal number of sodium atoms as well.
I'm no chemist, but I have an idea that the free sodium maybe combines with H20 to create a sodium hydroxide or a sodium hydroxide hydrate, both of which are strong bases. Neutralizing NaHO is done normally with HCl which is what we normally use to bring pH down in SQCG pools. It seems logical that this is mostly what happens in a SWCG pool to the free sodium ions. If it is correct, NaHO, even in solution, is corrosive to aluminum; but I don't recall seeing any warnings about not using aluminum parts when using SWCG in pools. NaOH is also a mild corrosive to glass. So does SWCG cause premature degradation of underwater pool light glass lenses which are in constant contact with the pool water?
Besides that, I've read that sodium ions participate in osmotic cell pressure regulation in living organisms. If any sodium ions remain dissolved and don't become NaOH or other compounds, won't that have an effect on the body? It looks like the sodium ions produced by SWCG are bad news any way you look at it. Or are there not enough sodium ions produced to be of concern?
Regardless of whether they are safer, I still like my SWCG because it is far easier to maintain my pool with it, and the buffering nature of the salt water feels better to the eyes, whether it is safer or not.
If there is a chemist out there, perhaps you can comment to whether this is essentially correct and how concerned anyone should be about the effects of the released sodium ions when using a SWCG and whether those effects are safer than conventional cal-hypo, di-chlor, tri-clor or other sanitization options.
If there is a chemist out there, perhaps you can comment to whether this is essentially correct and how concerned anyone should be about the effects of the released sodium ions when using a SWCG and whether those effects are safer than conventional cal-hypo, di-chlor, tri-clor or other sanitization options.
