Do you gill good burgers? That’s the holy
grail — a great hamburger.
You’ll never find one as good
as the one you cook yourself. Not in a
restaurant, anyway. Soooo good that
there’s no condiments needed.
Nevertheless, at a cookout, I sat
at a table covered with condiments,
relishing that incredible flavor only
a perfect bun-to-burger ratio can
produce. My eyes came to rest on a
jar of pickles — brand facing away
from me — and lazily scanned the
ingredients. There were the things you’d
expect: cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt. I
wouldn’t have guessed red bell pepper,
but okay, whatever. Then, my eyebrows
shot up as I saw something I have on
my route truck, a chemical I use on my
pools: calcium chloride.
I use that to increase calcium
hardness. It’s a significant factor in
balancing pool water. However, as my
pickle jar label indicates, it is also a key
ingredient in pickle brine. The calcium
chloride contributes to the preservation
of pickles, helping extend their shelf life
and preventing them from becoming
mushy.
I saw something else on that pickle
jar label that I use in pools: Aluminum
sulfate (Alum). I use it primarily as a
floc. Apparently, it is also used in pickling
to preserve the bright green color of
pickles, by creating an environment
where harmful bacteria cannot thrive.
In fact, as I’ve discovered in
researching this article, Alum is used
in bread and cake recipes, in doses as
high as 100 ppm. Next time you’re in
the supermarket, take a walk down the
spice aisle. It is right in the middle of
the McCormick’s Spice display. Alum!
Now, as my friend Wayne Ivusich
— I’m sure you remember him as
the Titan of Titration and the Ruler of
Reagents — likes to say, “People want
to swim in water, they don’t want to
swim in chemicals,” which is so true.
They don’t. They’re suspicious of them.
They think: Chemicals, bad. Pickles
and cake, good!
But as I’ve just demonstrated,
sometimes it’s the same chemicals.
Which really proves the point that
it’s wrong to denounce all chemicals
without distinction, same as it’s wrong
to denounce all people in a group
without distinction.
It’s really the amounts that are most
important.
When adding things to pools, and
addressing the concerned faces of
questioning customers, I’ve always used
my tuna fish analogy: Do you eat tuna fish?
You do? (That’s okay, ma’am. According
to surveys, three out of four Americans do,
too.) Now, let me ask you: Is it okay to eat tuna fish daily? No? Why not?
That’s right, because it contains
mercury. IT CONTAINS MERCURY! But
people still eat it. Why? Because tuna fish
is okay to eat as long as you stay within
the recommended guidelines, right? It’s
the same thing here. We use chemicals
within the recommended guidelines,
and we’re good. Most guidelines for
chemicals in pool water mirror those in
the EPA’s guidelines for drinking water,
which we gulp down without a thought.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
You thought that’s all? Calcium chloride
and Alum? Just getting started. Let’s
talk about boron, and the form we use
in pools, borate.
When chlorine became challenging to
find in the pandemic years, borate saw
a resurrection in popularity, and with
good reason: The oxyanion is an algastat
(aids in preventing algae from becoming
established), which means using it could
help stretch our chlorine supply.
Before that, the primary use of
borates in swimming pools was to
buffer against an upward drift in pH.
Water feeling softer on the skin is a side
perk of establishing a borate level in a
swimming pool, as well as enhanced
water clarity and additional protection
against solar U.V. chlorine degradation.
However, boron, the element in borate,
is also a mineral that occurs naturally in
the environment. It can be found in a lot
of foods, like fruits and vegetables, such
as avocados, oranges, apples, bananas,
pears and peaches, as well as broccoli,
cauliflower, carrots, spinach, potatoes,
tomatoes and onions.
Again: Chemicals, bad. But fruits
and vegetables, good!
What about algaecides and algaestats?
Well, copper, which we use in pools
to fight algae, is an essential nutrient
for the body. Together with iron, it
enables the body to form red blood
cells. Sufficient copper in the diet may
help prevent cardiovascular disease and
osteoporosis, too.
Poly [oxyethylene (dimethylimiunio)-
ethylene (dimethyliminio)-ethylenedichloride]
is the active ingredient in
what we call a Polyquat, or POD, or
sometimes Poly 60, or some other
number that indicates the percentage in
a specific algaecide.
You’re not likely to find it on the
ingredient list of the foods you purchase
because it’s an unintended additive
used to treat the water used to make
the product. Still, you eat it all the time.
You’ll find traces in fruit juices, refined
sugars, wine, beer, dairy products, and a
host of other processed foods. Again, it’s
the amount that is important.
Bicarb, a common pool chemical, is baking soda, the key ingredient in baking scrumptious apple pie!
AS WHOLESOME AS APPLE PIE
Best of all is old fashioned baking soda,
used to make apple pie!
Baking soda is the “chemical” we
use to increase total alkalinity, but we
call it sodium bicarbonate. It’s used in
all kinds of baked goods (bicarb reacts
with acidic components in the batter,
producing carbon dioxide gas that helps
the dough or batter rise), from pancakes
and waffles to biscuits, pretzels, crackers
and quick breads, like banana bread
and zucchini bread, to create a rise
without needing yeast. Baking soda is
even added to the water when boiling
particular types of pasta to help it cook
evenly and maintain texture.
Wait for it…
Chemicals, bad. Pancakes and
waffles, good!
Let’s not forget soda ash (sodium
carbonate). That is the chemical we use
to raise pH in every state in the country
except Florida. Chinese steamed buns often use a small amount of soda ash
(sometimes listed in the ingredients as
“alkaline salts” or “lye water”) to achieve
the desired texture and color. The
sodium carbonate also helps the buns’
browning and affects their chewiness.
Traditional pretzel recipes sometimes
use a food-grade solution of sodium
carbonate or sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda) to dip the pretzels in
before baking because it gives pretzels
that pretzel crust and pretzel flavor. Also,
some Asian noodle recipes, especially
ramen, use sodium carbonate to give
the noodles a familiar texture and color.
Large quantities of soda ash in foods
can lead to health risks; but it’s the
amount that’s important. It is considered
safe for consumption in minimal doses.
D.E., TOO? YOU’VE GOT TO BE
KIDDING
Some people, let’s call them morons,
consume “food-grade” diatomaceous
earth. We also call this powder D.E., and
use it to filter pool water. It comes from the
exceptionally well-preserved (not fossilized)
silica shell wall of prehistoric diatoms
(mustard algae). For some reason, the
D.E. eaters believe it offers health benefits.
I’d say they ‘drank the Kool-Aid,’ but
saying they ‘dined on the diatom’ is more
accurate. Even though there is little to no
supporting evidence, some filter media
munchers think they’ll get a digestive
‘cleansing,’ ridding their bodies of worms,
parasites, and toxins from the gut. Others
claim it benefits their cholesterol, skin,
hair and nails. Then, some look to D.E. as
a source of silica to strengthen hair and
bones. Again, these claimed benefits lack
substantial scientific support, so if you are
considering swallowing D.E. for a digestive
backwash, please consult a doctor first.
And try not to inhale the powder.
What does all this add up to? One
man’s pool chemical is another man’s
delicious repast. And a customer’s
prejudice against all chemicals is usually
a matter of ignorance. From swimming
pools to plates, health and safety comes
down to amounts and dosing and
keeping within recommended ranges.
(Think about pool chemicals
the next time you bite into a tangy,
delicious pickle!)
