Investigation of some disinfection chemicals and water quality parameters in swimming pools in the city center and districts of Canakkale, Turkey.

In this study, the variations in concentrations of some disinfection chemicals such as cyanuric acid (CyA), free chlorine (FC), and residual chlorine (RC), which affect human health, were investigated in the water of swimming pools. In addition, quality parameters such as temperature, pH, and total alkalinity (TA) in 44 swimming pools located in the city center and districts of Canakkale, Turkey, were examined in the summer period. While FC and RC amounts were analyzed using tablet tests with N-N-diethyl phenylenediamine (DPD 1) and potassium iodine (DPD 3) using the colorimetric method in the comparator, TA and CyA levels were measured with a photometric method. Temperature and pH were measured using YSI 556 MPS. Levels of CyA, FC, RC, pH, temperature, and TA varied between 0.00 and 725.0 mg L-1 (108.0 ± 111.4 mg L-1), 0.00 and 5.00 mg L-1 (1.60 ± 0.962 mg L-1), 0 and 0.55 mg L-1 (0.087 ± 0.059), 6.40 and 8.20 mg L-1 (7.30 ± 0.038 mg L-1), 22.0 and 32.0 °C (27.6 ± 1.45 °C), and 0.00 and 391.0 mg L-1 (129.3 ± 89.0), respectively. The findings were compared to standard limit values of the Ministry of Health of the Turkish Republic and other countries. Not only maximum concentrations of CyA but also the average concentrations exceeded the standard limit values of different countries in July and August with high tourism activity in Turkey. Although there is no problem in view of average values of other quality parameters, there are some problems in view of the maximum values in pool waters compared to standard limit values.