= = = = =

The results of a recent study revealed that 1 in 5 Americans admitted to peeing in the pool. Keep in mind that more people probably pee in the pool and just didn’t want to admit it. Gross!

If you’re taking a refreshing dip in a pool with four other people, odds are one of you is urinating. This is not gross-out myth, but cold, depressing fact from a recent survey conducted by the Water Quality & Health Council, a scientific research group sponsored by the American Chemistry Council.

The survey, conducted in April, asked nearly 1,000 adults whether they urinate in pools. One in five bravely admitted their mistakes. And those are the ones who admitted it.

…

It is easy isn’t it? Maybe that’s because many of us were taught as kids that chlorine counteracted any accidents. Technically, that’s mostly true. If pool operators maintain proper chlorine and pH levels, most waterborne germs are killed on contact.

But 54 percent of public pools tested by the WQHC last year failed to provide the proper chlorine levels and 47 got low marks for pH balance. You can blame poor pool maintenance, but frequent urinators don’t help.

…

To find out of your pool is safe, look for some tell-tale signs of bacteria.

“Check if you see the bottom,” says Dr. Wiant. “If a pool is clear it’s likely very clean and balanced, but if it’s it cloudy or the sides are slimy, those are signs that bacteria is prevalent and the pool isn’t filtering out germs the way it should.”

Hyper-vigilant swimmers can also purchase pool test strips at any drug store and do their own scientific assessment. “They’re easy to use,” he adds, “just crack one open and dip it in the pool and you’ll be able to tell right away if the pool is clean.”

Another signal it’s time to get out of the pool: burning, stinging eyes. Although it’s not seriously harmful, when “urine combines with chlorine it becomes an irritant,” Wiant says. So if you find yourself squinting in pain after a dive, ask yourself why that person doing the backstroke in the next lane looks so relaxed. It’s not that nice of a day. ( source )

Do us all a favor, folks and PLEASE stop peeing in the pool! The Center for Disease Control has monitored pool water quality for many years now and the number of illnesses contracted from contaminated swimming pool water has increased steadily.

Some blame the increase on poorly maintained pool water but in the end it comes down to one thing in our minds: Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Shower before swimming: If everyone removed the oils and other bodily secretions from their bodies before entering the pool the chlorine and filter would have less to clean up.

Shower after swimming: Clean the pool off of you after a swim. We suggest this for two reasons: 1) Chlorine dries out your skin; 2) Perhaps a fellow swimmer, one of the 20% that admits to peeing in the pool, unknowingly had a contagious health condition that he or she passed into the water at some point. Do you REALLY want to walk around with THAT on your skin the rest of the day?

Preventative measures

Aside from showering before a swim and using the proper urine receptacles (Toilets, people! Use the toilets!) when nature calls, keeping an eye on pool water quality will go a long way towards making sure everyone has a safe, clean and enjoyable time in the pool.

Detecting a strong chlorine smell in swimming pool water does NOT always mean the water is safe. If, for example, the pH goes out of range the chlorine will not work nearly as effectively at neutralizing unwanted bacteria and other organic contaminants.

Therefore we, like the article, suggest testing pool water before diving in. Easy-to-use pool water test strips like the Pool Check 3-Way test kit give accurate, reliable water test results for free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity in under a minute.

= = = = =

So what have we learned? Hopefully you have learned NOT TO PEE IN THE SWIMMING POOL ANYMORE and will urge all those around you to stop peeing in swimming pools, lakes, oceans, rivers, etc., too!

Oh, and we also suggest maintaining proper water chemistry in your pool at all times. This means you will need to TEST the pool water for critical pool water quality parameters including, but not limited to free chlorine, total chlorine, pH, and total alkalinity on a regular basis.

For that task we recommend Pool Check 5 Way Test Strips currently available in our Water Test Kit Store. This product comes in a bottle of 50 and has a total test time of less than a minute!

Testing of public pools?

While we would LOVE to think all operators of public pools keep a vigilant eye on the quality of their pool water… we worked in the pool industry for a while and came across a number of pools that LOOKED clean and tidy but had all sorts of water quality issues that could have resulted in swimmers getting sick if a harmful bacteria or parasite had found its way into the water.

Before hopping in the water you should take a minute to use a product like the Pool Check 5 Way Test Strip to make sure the water contains, at the very least, a proper amount of free chlorine.

If you’re taking a refreshing dip in a pool with four other people, odds are one of you is urinating. This is not gross-out myth, but cold, depressing fact from a recent survey conducted by the Water Quality & Health Council, a scientific research group sponsored by the American Chemistry Council.

The survey, conducted in April, asked nearly 1,000 adults whether they urinate in pools. One in five bravely admitted their mistakes. And those are the ones who admitted it.

…

It is easy isn’t it? Maybe that’s because many of us were taught as kids that chlorine counteracted any accidents. Technically, that’s mostly true. If pool operators maintain proper chlorine and pH levels, most waterborne germs are killed on contact.

But 54 percent of public pools tested by the WQHC last year failed to provide the proper chlorine levels and 47 got low marks for pH balance. You can blame poor pool maintenance, but frequent urinators don’t help.

…

To find out of your pool is safe, look for some tell-tale signs of bacteria.

“Check if you see the bottom,” says Dr. Wiant. “If a pool is clear it’s likely very clean and balanced, but if it’s it cloudy or the sides are slimy, those are signs that bacteria is prevalent and the pool isn’t filtering out germs the way it should.”

Hyper-vigilant swimmers can also purchase pool test strips at any drug store and do their own scientific assessment. “They’re easy to use,” he adds, “just crack one open and dip it in the pool and you’ll be able to tell right away if the pool is clean.”

Another signal it’s time to get out of the pool: burning, stinging eyes. Although it’s not seriously harmful, when “urine combines with chlorine it becomes an irritant,” Wiant says. So if you find yourself squinting in pain after a dive, ask yourself why that person doing the backstroke in the next lane looks so relaxed. It’s not that nice of a day. ( source )

Do us all a favor, folks and PLEASE stop peeing in the pool! The Center for Disease Control has monitored pool water quality for many years now and the number of illnesses contracted from contaminated swimming pool water has increased steadily.

Some blame the increase on poorly maintained pool water but in the end it comes down to one thing in our minds: Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Shower before swimming: If everyone removed the oils and other bodily secretions from their bodies before entering the pool the chlorine and filter would have less to clean up.

Shower after swimming: Clean the pool off of you after a swim. We suggest this for two reasons: 1) Chlorine dries out your skin; 2) Perhaps a fellow swimmer, one of the 20% that admits to peeing in the pool, unknowingly had a contagious health condition that he or she passed into the water at some point. Do you REALLY want to walk around with THAT on your skin the rest of the day?

Preventative measures

Aside from showering before a swim and using the proper urine receptacles (Toilets, people! Use the toilets!) when nature calls, keeping an eye on pool water quality will go a long way towards making sure everyone has a safe, clean and enjoyable time in the pool.

Detecting a strong chlorine smell in swimming pool water does NOT always mean the water is safe. If, for example, the pH goes out of range the chlorine will not work nearly as effectively at neutralizing unwanted bacteria and other organic contaminants.

Therefore we, like the article, suggest testing pool water before diving in. Easy-to-use pool water test strips like the Pool Check 3-Way test kit give accurate, reliable water test results for free chlorine, pH and total alkalinity in under a minute.

Pool Check 4+ Test Strips

Pool Check 5 Way Test Strips

Pool Check 6 Way Test Strips

]]> http://watertestingblog.com/2012/06/01/lots-of-americans-pee-in-the-pool-a-cold-warm-fact/feed/ 0 http://watertestingblog.com/2010/07/27/urine-sweat-skin-and-cosmetics-in-pool-water-may-cause-cell-damage/ http://watertestingblog.com/2010/07/27/urine-sweat-skin-and-cosmetics-in-pool-water-may-cause-cell-damage/#respond Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:50:04 +0000 http://watertestingblog.com/?p=2045 Taking a leak in the swimming pool… now shown to potentially cause harmful cell damage. As if the whole ‘Ewwwww! GROSS!!!’ factor shouldn’t have ALREADY given people incentive not to do it, right?

Well we all know how lazy OTHER people… ahem… can be.

Public swimming pools are more dangerous than you might think, a new study suggests. When sweat and urine, among other organics, mix with the disinfectants in pool water, the result can be hazardous to health.

The findings, announced this week, link the application of disinfectants in recreational pools to genetic cell damage that has been shown to be linked with adverse health outcomes such as asthma and bladder cancer.

Pool water represents extreme cases of disinfection that differ from the disinfection of drinking water as pools are continuously exposed to disinfectants. But with so many people cooling off and exercising in pools and water parks (339 million visits across the United States each year), the disinfectants are a must to prevent outbreaks of infectious disease.

Chlorine and Pee Don’t Mix

The problem occurs when the sanitizers mix with organic matter.

“All sources of water possess organic matter that comes from decaying leaves, microbes and other dead life forms,” said study researcher Michael Plewa, University of Illinois professor of genetics. “In addition to organic matter and disinfectants, pool waters contain sweat, hair, skin, urine and consumer products such as cosmetics and sunscreens from swimmers.”

These consumer products are often nitrogen-rich, and when mixed with disinfectants, these products may become chemically modified and converted into more toxic agents.

Long-term exposure to these disinfection byproducts can mutate genes, induce birth defects, accelerate the aging process, cause respiratory ailments, and even induce cancer, according to the researchers. While the new study did not examine actual effects on humans, it suggests such research might be warranted. ( source )

So listen up, all you nasty bastards and batardettes out there who find it too burdensome to cart your fun -in-the-sun frolicking butts to the bathroom: STOP PEEING IN THE POOL!

Oh, and for all of you who think, “It’s my pee, so it won’t hurt me,” all the other pee rule violators think the exact same thing.

Other Articles of Interest

• Swimmers Disobeying ‘Closed’ Signs Run Risk of Serious Illness
• West Nile Virus and Water Quality
• Myth: Chlorine Kills All Bacteria in Water
• Taylor Test Kits for Pools and Spas

One in five people admitted to peeing in a swimming pool, in a recent poll of Americans.

In fact, the survey conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council found that almost half (47 percent) of the subjects admitted to one or more behaviors that contribute to an unhealthy pool.

Here are some of the survey’s other findings:

• About one-third (35 percent) say they don’t shower before entering the pool.
• 63 percent were unaware of illnesses associated with swallowing, breathing or having contact with contaminated pool water.
• Less than one quarter consider the frequency of pool cleaning and chemical treatment (23 percent) and even less (16 percent) think about chlorine levels to maintain clean pool water.

“Swimming is a fun and healthy activity for old and young alike. Proper water chlorination helps protect swimmers from germs that can make swimmers sick,” said Michele Hlavsa, an epidemiologist in the Division of Parasitic Diseases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “But swimmers also have role to play in maintaining a clean and healthy pool. Unhygienic behavior brings germs into the pool and makes it harder for chlorine to do its job.”

The survey was conducted online between April 30 to May 3, 2009, among a national sample of 1,000 U.S. adults, using the field services of TNS Omnibus. Results were weighted to reflect the adult population based on U.S. Census figures, including age, gender, geographic region, household income and household size. The margin of error for the study was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The Water Quality & Health Council is a body of independent scientific experts, health professionals and consumer advocates who serve as advisors to the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association.

The CDC urges pool users to follow these six tips for healthy swimming:

• Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.
• Don’t swallow pool water.
• Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.
• Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often.
• Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside.
• Wash your children thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before they go swimming.

Unclean water can lead to recreational water illnesses (RWI’s) — diarrhea, respiratory illness, and ear and skin infections. Children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems can suffer from more severe illness if infected. According to the CDC, these illnesses are on the rise. Between 2005 and 2006, 78 outbreaks were reported in 31 states — the largest number of outbreaks ever in a two-year period. Close to 4,500 people were affected.

To check that your public pool is properly chlorinated, the Water Quality and Health Council recommends the use of portable pool and spa testing strips, easily purchased at pool supply stores and discount retailers, in addition to trusting your basic senses.

“A smelly pool is a dirty pool,” said National Consumers League President Emeritus and Water Quality and Health Council Vice-Chair Linda Golodner. “Look for water that’s clean, clear and blue. Check for tiles that feel smooth and clean. Make sure there are no strong odors. Listen for pool cleaning equipment. Using your senses help you recognize the difference between a healthy pool and one that needs cleaning and treatment.” ( source )

OK, so now that we nave most likely grossed you out, made you sick to your stomach, or worse… we will provide you with a way to help protect yourself against contaminated, dirty, and potentially harmful pool water:

So ask yourself, punk… Do you feel lucky enough to NOT test that pool or spa water you and your kids feel like jumping into?