In summer, the swimming pools become strips of freshness. But behind splashes and diving hides a less glamorous little reality: urine. Because often comes from bathers (young and old) this moment when an urgent desire occurs. And as we know, in some, the calculation is quickly done: “A small pee in cubic meters of water will not change the face of the world …”. A drop of water in the ocean? Not so sure. According to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology Lettersa 900,000 liter swimming pool can contain up to … 80 liters of urine. So, is it just a little “swimming secret” without consequences or a real problem for health?
Summer cocktail: when urine meets chlorine
In reality, urinating in a swimming pool is not limited to “raising your pee in water” as you think. Urine naturally contains urea, ammonia and creatinine, nitrogen compounds that react with chlorine. This reaction forms disinfection by-products (SPD), whose chloramines are called. What Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, toxicologist at the HuffPost media, explains.
These chloramines are responsible:
- Of the characteristic smell that many attribute to chlorine (it is a mistake: pure chlorine feels nothing. If it feels, it is that there is already a lot of pee!);
- Irritation of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract;
- Aggravated problems in asthmatic people or suffering from respiratory diseases.
Can a little pee put you in danger? The truth that splashes
So let’s stay moderate. Peeing in the pool will not kill you, in fact (or no one in your field). From an infectious point of view, urine is generally not carrying major pathogens that chlorine cannot eliminate. It is therefore not a direct vector of diseases as would be stool in water.
On the other hand, the accumulation of chloramines is a very real problem. In poorly ventilated pools, these gases accumulate just above the surface and can:
- Irritate the eyes and the skin;
- Cause a cough or respiratory discomfort;
- Promote asthma in children;
- And even constitute a professional risk for lifeguards.
In short, if only one person urinates in a large well -maintained swimming pool, the immediate impact is probably minimal. But in a small swimming pool or when there are a lot of bathers, chloramines concentration can quickly increase.
Salt water pools? No better!
It also does not escape salt water pools. These also produce chlorine (by electrolysis). The same chemical reactions therefore occur there when introduced urine or any other organic matter.
How to limit the problem?
The answer is simple. Already, get out of the swimming pool to urinate in a dedicated place. But other reflexes can also keep a clear and healthy water to refresh you all summer (and not swim in a culture broth). Experts recommend:
- Shower with soap Before to enter the water;
- Go through the pediluve: feet are an important source of bacteria;
- Wear a bath cap to limit organic particles;
- Avoid peak hours to reduce exposure to chloramines;
- Take advantage of the smell: the more it smells like “chlorine”, the more the swimming pool is saturated in chloramines … and therefore the less healthy it is.
And as the doctor reminds us, “Beyond the point of view of public health, it is simply a bad behavior“.