Enzymes in aquatics
In applying this to the aquatics industry, and to put it into simple terms, enzymes significantly speed up the natural biodegradation process of non-living organic waste, thus helping to catalyze or breakdown bacteria in swimming pool and hot tub water more quickly. Non-naturally grown enzymes are formulated to react with and continuously breakdown non-living organic waste into smaller molecules until they are reduced to their elemental constituents—either carbon dioxide (CO2) or water (H2O).
Enzymes are a natural substance and have been around since the earth has been spinning. The modern definition of an enzyme seems to have been discovered in 1833, when French chemist Anselme Payen discovered the first enzyme, ‘diastase.’ A few decades later, while studying the fermentation of sugar to alcohol by yeast, Louis Pasteur came to the conclusion this fermentation was catalyzed by a vital force contained within the yeast cells called ‘ferments,’ which were thought to function only within living organisms. It was later discovered that enzymes function outside as well as within living organisms.
There is no question that swimming pool and hot tub water can benefit from the use of enzymes. While this statement is supported by the growth of enzyme products in the industry in recent years, it also makes sense to first take a closer look at the problems for which they can be used.
What is polluting pool and hot tub water?
Multiple manufacturers within the pool and hot tub industry teamed up to collect real world water samples of some of the most heavily used pools and hot tubs in North America (e.g. crowded health clubs and public pools) to see precisely what was polluting the water. Only once the true culprits were identified could more precise and powerful enzyme blends be created to best combat the issue of non-living organic contamination.
For example, some enzymes in broad spectrum blends are more reactive with fats and oils, while other blends are more effective at helping to breakdown ammonia-based compounds. The results of this type of broad spectrum enzyme blend yields thousands of potential reactions on non-living organic pollutants. It is the most effective way to breakdown the root cause of many of the most plaguing symptoms in pool and hot tub water.
In doing so, the final product is actually brewed from various botanical extracts, resulting in the appearance of a very dark brewed tea. Therefore, in order for the consumer to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to enzyme products, they should seek a broad-spectrum blend of enzymes specifically designed to meet the needs of pool and hot tub water treatment.
What are non-living organics?
The term ‘non-living organics’ is used quite often in the aquatics industry (in fact, it has already been used several times in this article); therefore, before going any further, it is important to understand what this term actually means.
Non-living organic contaminants is a term used to describe the vast and varied array of pollutants that are constantly introduced to pool and hot tub water via rain, wind, dust, dead plant matter and other botanicals (e.g. pollen, leaves, etc.). The primary culprit of non-living organic contamination, however, is bather waste in the form of sweat, lotion, sunscreen, and urine. It does not matter how clean a bather is, everyone leaves a little something behind when they exit the water. Non-living organic contaminants—whether environmental or from bathers—can wreak havoc on pool and hot tub water maintenance.
Proper amounts of sanitizer will keep the water free from disease and bacteria, keeping bathers safe from illness, while elevating the sanitizer level (i.e. shocking or super-chlorinating) may oxidize (i.e. chemically burn) some of the non-living organic contaminants out of the water. However, when it comes to setting the stage for the highest quality and the safest pool and hot tub water, the benefits of enzymes are abundantly clear.
