Today we have learned of the dangers of the public pool. We can top that off with a meal at the pool cafeteria, bar or restaurant in which we can eat contaminated lettuce and mayonnaise.
Isn't summer great.
3
I loved going to Camelback's waterpark every year. although one year, they started posting signs warning us not to go swimming if you have the stomach bug. I often wondered... why would they post that sign only AFTER we paid and got our wristbands? why not before...at admissions? or on the website? I think they try...they really do... but some people are just too excited to read everything and end up hurting themselves.
1
I was the most weirdest mom, but I do not go in pools where babies have diapers. I never took my infants to the public pool either (all are grown adults). I took them when they were tots out of diapers and would stay afloat in a vest on the adult side. A few years ago, we went to a dude ranch and there were babies in the adult side because the kiddie was closed. I told husband, please do not dunk your head in as babies are here. Sure enough, he dunked many times. He ended up in the ER with a massive ear infection. He learned his lesson that day. He was so ill and my bet was this same bug described in article.
4
Bring on the germs and bacteria...it's good for our immune system! What I don't like are the chemicals used to kill them...THAT will play havoc with your health. We need these germs to strengthen our immune system. Our immune system has gotten weak from disuse.
The Grander water revitalization system uses no chemicals and is great to managing some bacteria and algae. Taos used it for many years in their public swimming pool...it was great not to have my eyes smart with all the chemicals used in the pool.
Let's get more germs and bacteria in us!!! Stay out of public pool because of all the chemicals in them.
Some chemicals are needed to treat the water. It's only really bad when there's too much chemicals usually from treating a lot of excretion or disease that's been present in the water already. People need to learn when it is safe and unsafe to use a public swimming pool and common courtesy about where to use the bathroom hence the point of this article.
I have lymphedema in one leg and swimming is supposed to be good exercise for it. However I developed a nasty infection 2 yrs ago after joining the Y to use their pool and the bacteria entered through pores or tiny openings in my skin. I learned afterwards that chlorine doesn’t kill all bacteria. So much for trying something to help my health only to be hit with a potentially deadly infection. Never again!
2
Pools were always off limits to me, it might have been when I was 10 years old and read an article about dirty pool water in private homes...that was like 4 or 10 persons using a private pool, I did the math and came to the conclusion a public pool had to be a cesspool of germs...dozens of people entering and leaving the public pool water every 10 minutes...all those dead cells and germs, and anal particles, into the water...No thanks...
2
Swimming in a chlorinated pool with germs bets living in a germ free environment (if such a place even exists). For me personally, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Off to the community pool I go!
What a shame! Some of my happiest days as a child and teen were swimming and diving in the Olympic-size community pool at Shaw Park in Missouri. I won’t let this article « throw shade » on my memories, but I will take note for the future.
Yick. Another place to avoid.
Our local hospital opened a state-of-the-art fitness center with memberships available to the public. It features 2 indoor pools sanitized by UV light and additional methods other than chlorine. Children are not allowed in the pools (except for private 1 on 1 swim lessons). As a member and mother of 2 small children I was disappointed children have limited access to the pool - now I think differently! I have always loved swimming in the ocean the most. It is so beneficial for health.
8
In developed nations we have sanitation yet people are generally not sophisticated about personal hygiene,especially children .People who wish not to smell or smell themselves and to clean the bacteria from the residue and seepage from using the toilet paper will often bathe . Chances are nobody in a public pool has bathed recently and the bodily residue alone multiplied by a hundred would make anybody in contact ,by mouth ,sick.
6
Swimming is my main form of exercise. I swim 3-4 x/week in our suburban HS pool. At 66 y/o old I've literally swam here for thirty plus years without incident. Always concerned about hygiene, I asked the older pool manager once what she thought about the quality of our pool. She said it was the cleanest, best maintained pool she's ever seen. Our pool has the water replaced once a year at the annual pool rehab cycle. Much of this story here revolves around the quality of the management of the pool and how they maintain facilities. Fights have broken out though surrounding the issue of people NOT showering before they swim. I avoid the whirlpool totally now as they are just a fecal soup by another name.
4
Well this is horrifying. I always thought the massive amount of chlorine in pools killed everything. I was hoping my town would open a pool but maybe not anymore!
15
Wow. All set. Thank you.
7
The pool water at a well known swim club in Palo Alto CA is so polluted and the level of sanitizers needed makes the pool unusable.
6
wow
what pool?
not Stanford i hope
Unless one has UTI, there are no bacteria in urine. But of course there are other excretions from the human body that will infect any pool.
12
I think the point is not bacteria from urine but the fact that the urine reacts with. chlorine which makes less chlorine available to kill pathogens.
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From an NPR story: "Chlorine reacts with urine to form a host of potentially toxic compounds called disinfection byproducts. These can include anything from the chloramines that give well-used pools the aforementioned odor, to cyanogen chloride, which is classified as a chemical warfare agent. There are also nitrosamines, which can cause cancer. There's not enough evidence to say whether the nitrosamine levels in pools increase cancer risk, Blatchley says, but one study in Spain did find more bladder cancers in some long-term swimmers."
3
I have always felt that pools are disgusting and never swim in one. Everyone makes fun of me; now I am vindicated!
8
I became extremely sick on a vacation after swimming in a hotel swimming pool that had a lot of small children in it. I had to catch a plane the next day with what I now, after reading the article, think may have been crypto...I loaded up on Lomotil and made it home without incident-14 hours in planes or airports. It was absolutely miserable and I was still sick for about 10 days. This was an expensive hotel in Cape May. I noted signs all around: " If your child has an accident in the pool please report it immediately'. I think these are widely ignored. People have insisted to me that the ocean is a sewer and that they would never get in it. While I agree that the ocean is clearly an animal bathroom I've never been sick after swimming in it. Useful article.
I have a pool at home. Any adult who would urinate in a pool is a boor and a lout. There is always a handy toilet. 27% have confessed !?
32
I'm a regular swimmer and former competitive swimmer and water polo player, so I've spent untold hours in pools. I know that LOTS of people urinate in pools (though I'm not sure what the actual health risks of urine in the pool are- this article doesn't actually list any, which makes me wonder why urine was mentioned.)
More concerning to me are people with diarrhea and babies and toddlers wearing "waterproof" Pull-Ups or diapers. There is no way those are truly waterproof, and they are absolutely not watertight. Parents should not rely on those products to keep feces or urine out of the pool and need to regularly check their children's diapers, change them regularly, and enforce regular bathroom breaks.
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"Urine will combine with the chlorine in the pool to create other chemicals, leaving less chlorine available to act as a disinfectant and kill bacteria (and the chemical byproducts created will irritate your eyes)."
- Neutralizes the chlorine, which
- Creates irritating by-products
25
I wonder what CK was reading?
I have often wondered whether the use of chlorine/bromide was encouraging resistant organisms. Perhaps a column on that? Or just a response.
1
Ultraviolet light is used to treat drinking water - if chlorine is essentially ineffective against some parasites, would UV be a solution?
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Many pools and spas use Ultraviolet light based sanitizing systems in addition to Chlorine. They are effective but all systems take time to destroy infectious organisms. Dirt, skin oil, suntan lotion, and bacteria from people who fail to shower prior to entering a public pool plus urinating in the pool all bind up the free chlorine making it less effective.
Maintaining commercial pool chemistry is complex.
10
I am a pool owner so i find urinating in a pool to be disgusting and rude. Having said that, as a physician, I am unaware of any bacteria or parasites that are transmitted by most urine (occasionally parasites can infect urine, but it is unlikely that these would be the source in a pool). in terms of health, the dangers in pools come from other human orifices (moth and anus are much more likely)...The story of urinating in a pool , then jumping to health issues, makes me wonder if the author knows what they are talking about, or if knowledgeable is just using a click bait argument.
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Thank you for this comment! I made a comment asking what the risks were because none were mentioned at all, which made me wonder why the specter of urine contamination was raised.
8
Urine decreases the quantity of the chlorine per article:
"Urine will combine with the chlorine in the pool to create other chemicals, leaving less chlorine available to act as a disinfectant and kill bacteria (and the chemical byproducts created will irritate your eyes)."
2
Sorry, you're fighting a strawman here. The article never said that bacteria and parasites are transmitted through urine. So you're refuting something that was never said and then suggesting that the author doesn't know what they're talking about.
Here is what the writer did say "Urine will combine with the chlorine in the pool to create other chemicals, leaving less chlorine available to act as a disinfectant and kill bacteria (and the chemical byproducts created will irritate your eyes)."
This was a small part of the column which has a lot of other useful information as well.
14
Nothing to do with the article, just an old joke it reminded me of.
A boy comes home early from the pool.
"Why so early", his mother asked.
"The lifeguard chased me out of the place".
"Why?"
"I peed in the pool".
"Well, lots of kids do that".
"Yes, but not off the diving board".
32
Funny...my laugh of the day.
This is so unfortunate. While I know how beneficial pool time is for kids, I wish it was common to segregate pools - for adults and for families/kids. Probably like many other adults, I have arthritis and the ideal exercise is swimming (recommended by several of my drs.), but I don't even consider it because family/kid time is given priority over lap pool time, in my town anyway. Add to that the chance of getting parasites! No thank you! On a personal note, probably like most, I've had to deal with parasites and the consequences.
20
Exactly why I won’t do water aerobics at our local Y’s smaller and warmer pool: That’s where the kiddos swim.