Axiall, NSF Help Health Inspectors Prepare for Summer Swimming Season With a Reminder About Generic Pool Tablet and Stabilizer RisksBooklet highlights safety and health dangers for improper use of chlorine systems ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2014-- With the summer swimming season less than two weeks away, the public expects the water at commercial pools and water parks to be properly sanitized. A primary factor in meeting this expectation is the proper operation of chlorinating equipment. NSF International and the ACCU-TAB® system commercial pool water treatment experts of Axiall Corporation (NYSE: AXLL) are reminding aquatic health inspectors, pool owners and pool operators about the importance of using properly specified chlorine tablets in approved systems. They have co-published a free guide, “For Safety’s Sake,” explaining how to spot improper operation and warning about the dangers of using substitute tablets. “As Memorial Day pool openings approach and recognizing that May is National Water Safety Month, this is an ideal time for NSF and for health inspectors to educate pool owners and operators on the importance of using only chlorine tablets specified on the nameplate of the feeder for use as part of an NSF-certified feeder system,” said Dave Purkiss, general manager of the water treatment and distribution products program at NSF International. “Failure to use tablets specified in the Certification of the NSF Standard 50 chemical feeder system can not only put swimmers’ health at risk, but it can also place the pool out of compliance with state and local health codes that require or follow NSF/ANSI Standard 50 certification.” Substituting generic, or “knock-off,” tablets may create health and safety risks for patrons that could lead to health code violations and shutdowns. It can result in the under- or over-chlorination of water due to varying delivery rates, and it can lead to formation of noxious fumes and even fire or explosion caused by mixing incompatible chemicals. “This is also an excellent opportunity to reinforce the need to regularly monitor stabilizer (CYA) levels in pool water,” according to Dr. Stan Pickens, Senior Research Associate at Axiall. “While stabilizer helps protect chlorine from rapid degradation due to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, too much CYA (even just 50 ppm) can also slow the intended actions of chlorine in water. This becomes acutely important should a recreational water illness (RWI) outbreak occur within a pool. Such outbreaks require immediate remediation with large quantities of chlorine. “The contact time necessary for chlorine to eliminate parasites such as Cryptosporidium or Giardia can increase significantly due to the presence of CYA in the water,” Pickens said, explain that Cryptosporidium and Giardia are microorganisms that can cause intestinal distress, including diarrhea, abdominal cramps and in some severe cases even death. “If you are operating an indoor aquatics facility, the use of stabilizer is unnecessary. To effectively manage outdoor pool water, we don’t recommend any more than 20 to 30 ppm of cyanuric acid.” To download or order a copy of the free booklet, visit www.accu-tab.com/poolsafety. For more information about the Accu-Tab system, visit www.accu-tab.com. About Axiall Axiall Corporation is a leading integrated chemicals and building products company. Axiall, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has manufacturing facilities located throughout North America and in Asia to provide industry-leading materials and services to customers. For more information, visit www.axiall.com. Source: Axiall Corporation Investor Relations Axiall Corporation Martin Jarosick, 770-395-4524 or Media Axiall Corporation Alan Chapple, 770-395-4538 or Axiall Water Treatment Products Frank Schiffman, 724-325-5998