: why does saltwater systems in pools kills bacteria and algae, while the sea is full of life?
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At any given moment the saltwater swimming pool contains: salt (NaCl) water (H2O); sodium, chlorine, hydrogen, and oxygen ions formed from them; and the recombinant products formed from the ions, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and Hydrochloric acid (HCl). These molecules form, break up and reform constantly. The Chlorine is one of the active germ-killing ingredients in the pool.
Problem is Chlorine, Hydrogen, Sodium and Oxygen ions also form gases e.g., Cl2, H2, O2, NO and NO2 that disperse to the atmosphere. Water also can evaporate as water vapour. So over time the pool loses its saltiness and germ killing qualities so more water and salt must be added periodically
The germs killed by chlorine in a pool cannot survive the relatively high concentration of salts in the water. However the sea is full of life that has developed with the even higher concentration of salts, acids and ions in the seawater. Most of the life in the sea would not survive in a saltwater pool.
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