The average swimming pool – 25 meters long with 830,000 liters of water – contains 75 liters of urine. But that’s not all that’s in the water. This is even more in it and that’s how harmful it is.
The thought of urine in the bathing water quickly arouses some repugnance. Strange when you consider that some people drink a glass of their own urine every morning and competitive swimmers consciously pee in their training water.
The idea behind this is that urine is sterile and free of bacteria. It would also be good for health. However, in recent years a number of studies have been conducted showing that urine is not sterile at all and has no proven health benefits. And that is in your bathing water.
Irritant Chemicals
Swimming water contains chlorine, which is added because it kills bacteria and algae. A pleasant thought and with that it seems that the bacteria from urine are made harmless. Nothing is less true. Ironically, the chlorine along with urine forms chemicals that are irritating to the eyes, respiratory tract and skin. Among swimmers, this sometimes leads to exercise-induced asthma and red eyes.
These chemicals are called disinfection by-products (DBPs): substances that are created by a combination of organic and inorganic matter with chemical substances.
Between 200 and 300 DBPs
And it’s not just urine dissolved in your bathing water. Sweat is also heavily represented. Of all human substances in bathing water, between ten and twenty percent comes from sweat. Half of the rest consists of urine and half of substances that wash off the skin through the water. This includes make-up, hair gel, sunscreen, other care products and poo residue that rinses out of the buttock crevice.
In total there are estimated to be between 200 and 300 DBPs in the bathing water. The health effects of far from all these substances are known.
Is swimming unhealthy?
Due to the amount of exercise, swimming is usually seen as a very healthy activity. And – especially in warm weather – it is also a very pleasant activity. In that regard, there is good news: despite the irritations you may experience when swimming – exercise-induced asthma and red eyes – bathing water is safe and it is still very healthy to swim regularly.
This is what you can do against DBPs
It may be obvious, but by taking a shower before swimming you can reduce the amount of DBPs in the swimming water. By taking a shower you already rinse part of your skin. It is also best to go to the toilet before swimming.
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