Chloramines - combined chlorine problems Pool water problem -
combined chlorine (chloramines) Chloramines are the result of
insufficient free chlorine and usually result in a strong
chlorine odor in and around the swimming pool. Chloramines are
formed as a product of nitrogen and active chlorine
(hypochlorous acid - HOCl). The nitrogen is most commonly
introduced into the pool water as ammonia in the form of sweat
and (unfortunately) urine. Chloramines (combined chlorine) are
poor sanitizers and have a gaseous tendency. The presence of
chloramines (and dichloramines/ trichloramines in particular)
cause the following physical symptoms: - red, burning eyes; -
burning sensation in nose, throat and lungs; - dry, itchy skin
and dry hair; - breathing difficulty leading to "swimmers'
asthma" particularly in young children. In addition to these,
the pool has a tendency to discolor, becoming milky or green
with algae due to the low sanitizing ability of the combined
chlorine. Testing for combined chlorine in pool wate