At the early XXth century chlorine base disinfection fostered the spread of mains water use and public bathing. Neither its gas form (chlorine gas) nor its liquid form (sodium-hypochlorite) had rivals for a long time. Even nowadays, these two products dominate the majority of the market. Later, during the 1950s isocyanurates had been discovered and started to spread. In their solid form they contain 50-90% of free active chlorine and thanks to this they conquered the private pool market.

Over the recent 20 years concerns arose regarded the harmful effects of chlorine and its by-products (trihalomethanes, chlorine-amines), particularly because of their proven carcinogenicity. When using chlorine base disinfection it is crucial that all dosing instructions should be observed and the rise of bound chlorine concentration should be avoided.

By this, the harmful side effects can be reduced. When applying isocyanurates do not forget about regular freshwater supply to prevent the acidification of water. If safety hazards are avoided, chlorine base disinfection can be the cheapest, but still efficient choice.