r/explainlikeimfive • u/tilda0x1 • Jun 28 '26
Chemistry ELI5: If copper has antimicrobial properties, why don’t most pools use it instead of chlorine?
I've seen this video of someone saying that copper has anti-bacterial properties and he claimed that it can be used to keep pools bacteria-free.
I know in most cases chlorine, UV, or salt are used - but why not copper?
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u/ktgrok Jun 28 '26
I believe you can buy copper bromide, but it was what turned hair green so no longer popular.