• An alternative to chlorine can sanitize a swimming pool.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Sanitation is one of the primary concerns of swimming pool owners. Properly sanitizing the water in which your family and friends swim destroys harmful microorganisms that otherwise could lead to health concerns. One of the most common substances used to sanitize pools is chlorine, but that harsh chemical isn't always preferable for pool owners concerned with the strong odor, bleached out bathing suits, burning eyes and dry skin that are commonly associated with chlorine. Luckily, they can use an alternative effective sanitation system for the pool.
  
  

Salt

• Saltwater pool sanitizing systems use chlorine to sanitize the water but in a different way than other systems. Saltwater pool systems generate chlorine from salt by using electrolysis. The chemical breakdown of the salt naturally produces the sanitizer that effectively kills bacteria, algae and other unwanted elements in the pool. Because of the way the chlorine is generated, the water has a much softer feel and virtually no odor, according to the EcoSmarte website.
  
  Pool owners never need to add chlorine to a saltwater sanitation system. The only sanitizing agent that may need to be added once or twice per year is salt. Although most of the salt separates into its base components, releasing the chlorine gas to perform sanitation, most of it re-bonds to form salt again, which means very little is lost in the process.
  
  

Bromine

• Bromine is most commonly used as a sanitizer in hot tubs because it reacts well in warm temperatures. but it can be used in pools.
  
  Bromine works in much the same way as chlorine to kill harmful bacteria and algae in a pool, but bromine produces less chemical odor than chlorine, making it more popular for some people who are sensitive to the aroma of chlorine. A chemical feeder distributes the bromine. It generally takes less bromine than chlorine to get the job done because much of the bromine remains in the pool even after a shock treatment that would burn off combined chlorine. The main downside of bromine is its tendency to leave odor on skin that is more difficult to rinse off than odor from other chemicals.
  
  

Copper and Silver Ionization

• When an electric current is sent through copper and silver, it releases sanitizing ions in larger amounts than other mineral sanitation systems, according to PoolInfo.com. The process is similar to methods used to sanitize drinking water.
  
  The copper ions kill algae, while the silver ions kill bacteria and viruses. This effective method of pool sanitation requires the presence of a trace amount of chlorine, but the amount is as low as what is commonly found in drinking water. The system's minerals are used up in the process and need to be replaced every couple of years, but the cost compared to other sanitation chemicals still makes ionization a sensible alternative.