Swimming pool is hazardous to health

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

American scientists have questioned the benefits of such a seemingly healthy activity as swimming in a pool. In their opinion, under certain conditions, such a pastime can increase the risk of cancer.

The fact is that disinfectants dissolved in pool water to prevent the spread of various diseases can react with sunscreen, or rather, with the nitrogen it contains.

As a result, the skin becomes covered with a kind of "toxic cocktail" of chemicals, which can cause gene mutation. These mutations contribute to birth defects, accelerate the aging process, cause breathing problems, and with prolonged exposure even cancer, writes The Telegraph.

Swimmers themselves can also reduce the toxicity of the pool water by showering before swimming and by not urinating into the pool, which will reduce the amount of carbon entering the water.

A group of researchers from the University of Illinois compared

samples of tap water and pool water. Using advanced DNA analysis technology, they found that pool samples were more likely to cause damage to human cells.

“All water sources contain organic matter, which comes from decaying plants, microbes and other life forms that have died a long time ago. But in addition to this organic matter and disinfectants, pool water contains sweat, hair, skin, urine, and various consumer products such as cosmetics with sunscreens. We compared different disinfection techniques and were able to prove that any pool water damages more DNA than any tap water. Therefore, the disinfection process should be approached with particular caution,”said the head of the study, Professor of Genetics Michael Pleva.

In particular, scientists advise avoiding the use of disinfectants containing bromine, and use a combination of ultraviolet radiation with chlorine.