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Chlorine and Respiratory Problems

THEY LOOK FIT AND HEALTHY, BUT ARE LIFEGUARDS AND SWIMMING TEACHERS AT INDOOR POOLS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE TROUBLE BREATHING?  NEW EVIDENCE MAKES A SPLASH ON THIS ENVIRONMINUTE.

A RECENT STUDY SHOWED THAT PEOPLE WHO SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT INDOOR POOLS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ASTHMA OR OTHER BREATHING PROBLEMS.                             

WHY? DICK HEEDERIK, AN ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT UTRECHT UNIVERSITY IN THE NETHERLANDS, FOUND A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND LEVELS OF CHLORAMINE – A CHEMICAL THAT’S PRODUCED WHEN CHLORINE REACTS WITH THE AMMONIA FOUND IN SWEAT, SALIVA, OR URINE – SUBSTANCES OFTEN FOUND IN PUBLIC POOLS.

HEEDERIK: CHLORAMINE IS VERY VOLATILE AND IT’S A VERY WELL-KNOWN IRRITANT.

BECAUSE WARM WATER TEMPERATURES, POOR VENTILATION, AND HIGH CHLORINE CONCENTRATIONS CAN ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRODUCTION OF CHLORAMINE, BETTER INDOOR POOL MANAGEMENT MAY BE THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE THESE RISKS. 

To learn more read the article in Zee News.

To read the study, visit the European Respiratory Journal.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org