This new study says that one in five people relieve themselves in the pool. Both Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps were questioned, and replied that they do it all the time. Lochte says that the pool "is the biggest and most expensive toilet of all time, and it's all mine".
Our youth program has more than a dozen swimmers with inhalers on deck, 9 kids had pneumonia at the same time, and many masters have had their fare share of sinus infections. The health risks almost seem to outweigh the benefits of our sport at times.
Just curious if this is really as widespread as they say. ...Without admitting to be a pool pisser, how many of you are aware of this practice, and how can we make it stop?!
link to study
Researchers estimated that over the 3-week period, swimmers released 7.92 gallons of pee into the smaller pool, and nearly 20 gallons into the larger one.
Common or not, peeing in the pool isn’t so harmless. When uric acid in human urine mixes with chlorine, a toxic compound called cyanogen chloride and trichloramine is formed. CNCI can harm the central nervous system, the lungs and the heart, while NCI3 has been associated with acute lung injury.
think about this:
800 kids jump in the pool
all of them wiz a full quart (not that they can but an easy number to use)
800x1qt = 200gal
The sad part is...this equation absolutely holds true according to the study.
The gross part is, that back in the tech suit days, many a masters swimmer (and age groupers) admitted to adding more warmth to the warm down pool rather than grappling with their suit.
We have a huge facility for our meets which is a ten lane 50 meter (with a diving tank) ....Even though it may seem like a drop in the bucket, it's hard to imagine the equivalent of 4 or 5 oil barrels (of pee) being dumped into the water. The off gassing of the chlorine was always brutal at this place, and no wonder everyone had a cough or itch after a weekend long meet.
think about this:
800 kids jump in the pool
all of them wiz a full quart (not that they can but an easy number to use)
800x1qt = 200gal
The sad part is...this equation absolutely holds true according to the study.
The gross part is, that back in the tech suit days, many a masters swimmer (and age groupers) admitted to adding more warmth to the warm down pool rather than grappling with their suit.
We have a huge facility for our meets which is a ten lane 50 meter (with a diving tank) ....Even though it may seem like a drop in the bucket, it's hard to imagine the equivalent of 4 or 5 oil barrels (of pee) being dumped into the water. The off gassing of the chlorine was always brutal at this place, and no wonder everyone had a cough or itch after a weekend long meet.
