SenseItAll (SIA): A Leading Platform for IoT Solutions in Water Sanitization
SenseItAll (SIA) stands out as the ideal platform for those seeking to develop IoT solutions focused on measuring free chlorine actives, including hypochlorous acid, in water sanitation applications.
How Chlorine Safeguards Pool Water:
Chlorine is added to water sources to sanitize and eliminate disease-causing microbes. When introduced into water, free chlorine transforms into hypochlorous acid, effectively neutralizing contaminants. However, when chlorine reacts with organic compounds like sunscreen or swimmers’ body fluids, it forms chloramines, also known as combined chlorine, which are expelled from the pool through offgassing.
The accumulation of chloramines contributes to the recognizable “chlorine smell,” indicating potential water quality issues. Regular monitoring of free, combined, and total chlorine levels is crucial to proactively address water quality concerns.
Understanding Chlorine Levels:
- Free Chlorine: Free chlorine, measured in parts per million (ppm), is the chlorine available to eliminate harmful microbes and neutralize contaminants. Monitoring free chlorine is integral to pool maintenance to avoid harmful contaminant levels.
- Combined Chlorine: Combined chlorine develops when free chlorine binds to contaminants during sanitization. A clean, sanitized pool should ideally contain zero combined chlorine, and consistently maintaining the proper level of free chlorine minimizes the likelihood of measurable combined chlorine levels.
- Total Chlorine: Total chlorine is the sum of combined chlorine and free chlorine. In sanitized pools with no combined chlorine, total chlorine is equivalent to free chlorine.
Safe Chlorine Levels for Safer Water:
Maintaining chlorine levels within the ideal range ensures water safety and reduces the buildup of chloramines. Pool water test kits can help identify levels outside the ideal range. Swimmers may notice a chlorine smell or experience minor eye or skin irritation when levels are not within the safe range. In such cases, swimmers should not enter the pool until proper treatment brings the levels within the acceptable range.
- Free chlorine: Ideal range 2.0 to 4.0 ppm, safe range 1.0 to 6.0 ppm
- Combined chlorine: Ideally less than 0.2 ppm, safe below 0.5 ppm
- Total chlorine: Should be equal to free chlorine most of the time
Applications of Free Chlorine:
Free chlorine serves as a widely used disinfectant in various water sanitation applications, effectively eliminating bacteria, viruses, and pathogens. Some key applications include:
- Drinking Water Treatment
- Swimming Pools and Spas
- Water Wells and Groundwater Treatment
- Wastewater Treatment
- Food and Beverage Processing
- Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
- Cooling Towers in Industrial Settings
- Laundry and Linen Services
- Veterinary and Animal Care Facilities
- Laboratories
- Emergency and Disaster Response
- Dental and Medical Procedures
- Cooling Systems in Power Plants
- Agricultural Irrigation
- Residential Water Disinfection
While free chlorine is effective in water disinfection, it is crucial to emphasize proper monitoring and control to maintain chlorine levels within safe and regulated limits, ensuring the well-being of both humans and the environment.