Chlorine and health

[TomAtlanta]

Below are some links to stories I found when I did a google on - pool chlorine health

What are your thoughts?

Chlorinated Pools May Increase Cancer Risk
http://news.discovery.com/human/chlorin ... ancer.html

Over-chlorinated pools have been linked with poor lung function, erosion of dental enamel, and an increased risk of bladder cancer.
http://health.families.com/blog/is-pool ... d-for-you#

 

[jblizzle]

I think this stuff becomes much more of a problem in public/indoor pools which do not have our recommended levels of CYA thus resulting in higher active chlorine levels.

There are many discussions about this in the forums ... Deep End I think.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[MikeInNH]

I'd be more worried about drinking tap water with elevated levels of chlorine plus they sometimes add fluoride. Search fluoride and see what kind of info you get. Seems everything we make is bad for us.

 

[JasonLion]

Essentially all of the "problems" with chlorine are actually problems with CC, which is a generic name for several different sanitizer byproducts. CC levels can get quite high in a poorly managed pool, and are far more common in indoor pools, where those studies are typically done. If you have an outdoor pool and take proper care of your water, the CC levels will be essentially zero, and all of the health risks you referred to will be essentially zero.

 

[TomAtlanta]

Thanks everyone for the info and reassurance.

 

[techguy]

I was getting into my shower this afternoon and could swear I smelled the chlorine in it. I will test my tap water next tie I have my kit out.

 

[257WbyMag]

I was getting into my shower this afternoon and could swear I smelled the chlorine in it. I will test my tap water next tie I have my kit out.

Public water supplies are chlorinated in the USA. They are also, usually fluoridated as well.

 

[loop_pea]

Your post got me thinking about what are the permitted chloramine levels are in tap water, but that thought didn't get me very far. Water companies are permitted to add both chlorine and ammonia to generate the chloramines, but there doesn't seem to be much control over the end result.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c ... _tap_water

 

[TomAtlanta]

Essentially all of the "problems" with chlorine are actually problems with CC, which is a generic name for several different sanitizer byproducts

I thought CC was combined chlorine

 

[JohnT]

Interestingly, the human immune system produces Hypochlorous Acid as an antimicrobial within the body in response to an infection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach#Ant ... l_efficacy

 

[ivyleager]

And make sure you test for dihydrogen monoxide. It's known to be lethal!

www.dhmo.org/facts.html

 

[chem geek]

See this post and subsequent ones in that same thread and this post.

 

[TomAtlanta]

Great info. Thanks.
On the general subject of water safety, how unsafe is algae? If you let your pool go green, is it dangerous to swim in it?

 

[Stuamurr]

Algae is more unsightly than unhealthy, although in the right conditions, algae blooms can create some unwanted bacteria, but a pool would need to be really badly maintained for those conditions to materialise.

 

[chem geek]

The main problems with algae are that it is slippery on surfaces and that it can cloud the water so that you can't see anyone who might be drowning (i.e. on the bottom).

 

[Smykowski]

Due to the warm spring, the inland lakes in Michigan have turned into algae havens about 4-6 weeks earlier than normal.

I figure it's a natural ecosystem, so I'm going to open up my beer and go for a swim.

 

[257WbyMag]

The real danger of algae being present in the pool is not the algae, but what other potential pathogens are growing in there.

I'm going to go ahead and lock this thread. Because any type of sanitizer-free pool is inherently unsafe and runs counter to what we teach here at TFP, I see no value in letting this thread continue.