Axiall, NSF Remind Health Inspectors About Risks Posed by Generic Pool Tablets and Stabilizers

 

With summer swimming season fast approaching, the ACCU-TAB(R) system commercial pool water treatment experts of Axiall Corporation /quotes/zigman/13873644/quotes/nls/axll AXLL -4.72% and NSF International remind aquatic health inspectors, pool owners and pool operators about the importance of using properly specified chlorine tablets in approved systems.

They have co-published a free booklet, "For Safety's Sake," explaining how to spot improper operation and warning about the dangers of using substitute tablets.

"As Memorial Day pool openings approach and recognizing that May is National Water Safety Month, this is an ideal time for NSF and for health inspectors to educate pool owners and operators on the importance of using only chlorine tablets specified on the nameplate of the feeder for use as part of an NSF-certified feeder system," said Dave Purkiss, general manager of the water treatment and distribution products program at NSF International, an independent developer of public health standards and certifications that help to protect the world's food, water, health and consumer products.

"Failure to use tablets specified in the Certification of the NSF Standard 50 chemical feeder system can not only put swimmers' health at risk, but it can also place the pool out of compliance with state and local health codes that require or follow NSF/ANSI Standard 50 certification," Purkiss said.

Substituting generic, or "knock-off," tablets may create health and safety risks for swimming pool and water park patrons that could lead to health code violations and shutdowns. It can result in the under-chlorination or over-chlorination of water due to varying delivery rates, and it can lead to formation of noxious fumes and even fire or explosion caused by mixing incompatible chemicals.

"This is also an excellent opportunity to reinforce the need to regularly monitor cyanuric acid (CYA) stabilizer levels in pool water," said Dr. Stan Pickens, senior research associate at Axiall.

While stabilizer helps protect chlorine from rapid degradation due to the sun's ultraviolet rays, too much CYA (even just 50 parts per million) can also slow the intended actions of chlorine in water. This becomes acutely important should a recreational water illness outbreak occur within a pool. Such outbreaks require immediate remediation with large quantities of chlorine. The contact time necessary for chlorine to eliminate parasites such as Cryptosporidium or Giardia can increase significantly due to the presence of CYA in the water. Cryptosporidium and Giardia are miroorganisms that can cause intestinal distress, including diarrhea, abdominal cramps and in some severe cases even death.

"To effectively manage outdoor pool water, we don't recommend any more than 20 to 30 parts per million of cyanuric acid," Pickens said. "And, if you are operating an indoor aquatics facility, the use of stabilizer is unnecessary."

To download or order a copy of the free booklet, visit www.accu-tab.com/poolsafety. For more information about the ACCU-TAB(R) system, visit www.accu-tab.com.