Myrtha Breathe at Paris La Défense Arena

For the first time, Myrtha Pools has installed its award-winning Myrtha Breathe system in the most important competition pool at Paris La Défense Arena, marking a significant innovation in the realm of aquatic sports facilities. This cutting-edge system, which has also garnered accolades in France, will be reinstalled in Sevran’s public pool after the Paralympic Games.

“The Myrtha Breathe system installed at Paris La Défense Arena allows us to improve air quality while saving energy and water,” declared Innocenzo Pochini, Myrtha Technical Director and Sustainability Manager. “According to French regulations, public pools typically need to change 30 liters of water per swimmer daily, but thanks to the Myrtha Breathe system, we can reduce this by 50%.”

The first day of the tests at Paris La Défense Arena, Pochini commented: “We are conducting several tests this week to prove the efficacy of Myrtha Breathe, with the assistance of Professor Blatchley from Purdue University. He will help us measure both water and air quality using new sensors, which will demonstrate a significant reduction in chloramines for the athletes at Paris La Défense Arena.”

Sensors for Water and Air Quality Testing

Myrtha Breathe is designed to remove disinfection by-products (DBPs) from the atmosphere of indoor swimming facilities. These by-products, including chloramines and haloforms, are known for their negative effects on health and infrastructure. Besides being dangerous to human health, the DBPs can attack pool surfaces and structures, causing premature degradation. Myrtha Breathe helps prevent this phenomenon, protecting accessories, infrastructure, and structural parts exposed to air, thereby contributing to the longevity of swimming centers.

Andrea Coletto, Leader of Myrtha Computational Engineering Group, stated, “This innovation required extensive research in hydraulics, bubble generation, fluid dynamics, chemistry, and biology. The bubbles generated in the gutter act like a sponge that absorbs chloramines, which are harmful to human health. In addition, they also help prevent bacterial proliferation.”

“The opportunity to install Myrtha Breathe in this facility is a dream come true. It allows us to conduct more tests in a high-demand environment like this indoor arena.”

How Does Myrtha Breathe Work?

The core of the Myrtha Breathe system is an overflow channel equipped with porous tubes at the bottom. Air is blown through these tubes, forming tiny bubbles that absorb the DBPs dissolved in the pool water, transferring them to the air inside the channel. A duct between the main and secondary channels sucks out the polluted air, preventing DBPs from escaping. This suction also occurs at the pool deck level, where DBPs tend to accumulate.

Adapting to La Défense Arena’s Existing Infrastructure

The integration of Myrtha Breathe into the Paris La Défense Arena arrived at an advanced stage of its design, so it required careful adaptation to ensure no interference with the facility’s ventilation system. The Myrtha installation team successfully navigated these challenges.

Riccardo Sarzi, Myrtha Deputy Site Manager, said, “The challenge was to install in just 36 days two 50m pools, the filtration and disinfection systems, as well as installing the Myrtha Breathe system for the first time in Europe and for the first time ever in a competition.”

The fast installation was due to the pre-engineered Myrtha technology. Behind every technology, there are tons of hours of trial and error, analysis, and improvement. Including our latest innovation, the Myrtha Breathe is the result of 4 years of research and collaboration with several universities and specialists, like Professor Ernest R. Blatchley III.

Testing at Paris La Défense Arena

Our Research and Innovation team conducted a series of tests at the Paris La Défense Arena, the largest indoor Arena in Europe. The aim was to demonstrate that not only in laboratory tests but also in the field, in a big indoor arena with swimmers competing for a medal, the Myrtha Breathe is able to cut the chloramines in the air above the water surface and help tackle bacterial proliferation.

The Myrtha Breathe stripping system reduced the amount of DBPs dissolved in the water of the competition pool at Paris La Défense Arena, maintaining high levels of free chlorine without increasing the volatility of the compounds used for disinfection.

The results confirmed that Myrtha Breathe improves air quality and contributes to sustainability thanks to a reduction in water consumption. The tests revealed that the use of the Myrtha Breathe system also optimizes energy consumption in facilities by improving water quality.

Benefits of Myrtha Breathe

1. Air Quality: Myrtha Breathe effectively removes DBPs from indoor pool air. This is crucial for the health of swimmers, especially professionals and children who spend many hours in the pool, breathing close to the water surface where DBPs are concentrated. Facility staff, such as coaches and lifeguards, also benefit from a healthier work environment.
2. Water Quality: Subsequent tests showed that Myrtha Breathe improves water quality. The DBPs stripping system reduces the amount of harmful compounds dissolved in the water, maintaining free chlorine levels and the effectiveness of disinfection without increasing the volatility of the used compounds.
3. Sustainability: Myrtha Breathe integrates with HVAC ventilation systems, contributing to the necessary exchange of fresh air to comply with regulations. The innovation also reduces energy and disinfectant consumption, supporting sustainability certifications such as LEED, BREAM, and GREEN STAR. The use of Myrtha materials, compared to tiles and concrete, extends the lifecycle of the structures, making them more environmentally friendly.

Myrtha Breathe represents a significant advancement in indoor pool management. This system creates a healthier and more sustainable environment for swimmers and staff while reducing the environmental impact and maintenance costs of facilities. The collaboration between Myrtha Pools and the academic world continues to bring crucial innovations to address current challenges in the sector.