Is there a chemical to detect urine in the pool?

[Guest]

On a slightly different but similar note, I was hoping to hear thoughts on blood in the pool. I'm sure everyone may be grossed out, but kids have scabs that get wet and rip off and bleed, or feet that bleed after being in the pool for 30 hours straight, etc. Is blood a major concern, like a Caddy Shack evacuation? Or just another intruder the chlorine will seek and destroy?

Bloodborne pathogens are quickly killed by normal FC levels. The CDC says that commercial pools do not need to be closed down after a blood spill but some commercial pools do it as a matter of course.
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthySwimming/bloodandvomit.htm

Vomitus in pool water is actually more common and more of a problem. It is treated the same as for a formed stool fecal accident.

 

[opl3sa]

Not that this makes it any less gross, but technically urine is sterile unless you have a urinary tract infection.

The real question is how long and how much chlorine does it take to remove it from your pool?

Urine is sterile until it reaches the urethra where the epithelial cells lining the urethra are colonized by facultatively aerobic Gram negative rods and cocci.
Urine is toxic and can be irritating to skin and eyes.

This is from wikipedia article on urine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine

Ryan

 

[Thinkly]

I have a sign that says my pool has a "Uretek Urine Detector." It is supposed to be humorous but I can tell people take it seriously because everyone gives a nervous laugh.

 

[257WbyMag]

Urine is sterile until it reaches the urethra where the epithelial cells lining the urethra are colonized by facultatively aerobic Gram negative rods and cocci.

It is sterile. If you have gram negative rods and cocci in your urethra, you have a urinary tract infection. There is no normal flora in the urinary tract and thus, it is sterile.

 

[257WbyMag]

I have a sign that says my pool has a "Uretek Urine Detector." It is supposed to be humorous but I can tell people take it seriously because everyone gives a nervous laugh.

I think that is fairly hilarious. :lol:

 

[hawkeye]

this is kinda funny we have a 1 1/2 old nephew and he came over for a swim this weekend, i always test the water everyday, me and my wife are the only ones who swim in it, and it never have any cc when i did the testing later that night the cc was up to 0.5....so i figured it was pee

 

[Grape Ape]

Funny topic and very informative. We have a compromise for our 3 year old, told him he can just go pee behind the shed.. hopefully easy enough for him that he won't go in the pool. Thought it was a great idea until he got in trouble at school the other day on the playground.. peeing behind the tree. Had a hard time explaining that one (to him and the teacher!)

I suspect they are used to it. We live accross the street from and community center and city park, but the bathrooms in the community center and at the ball field are each 80-100 yards from the playground which seems to be too far for some of the nannies.

 

[exhausted.pool.mom]

I told my 6 year old nephew that we put this chemical in the pool. Later he came up to me and said, "The water never turned red!"

HILARIOUS :lol:

 

[JamesW]

It is not easy to detect when a kid pees in the pool. Unless, of course, they do it while they are standing on the diving board.

 

[WorBry]

My wife just knows when someone has, or is in the process of, peeing in the pool. Sixth sense, highly developed intuition or maybe the self-satisfied expression on the culprits face? I can't be sure.

 

[chem geek]

1 cup of urine contains 2891 mg N of nitrogenous compounds (mostly urea) so in a 10,000 gallon pool would use up at least 0.6 ppm FC though not right away (but probably within a few days if the pool is exposed to sunlight; urea is slow to get oxidized by chlorine). I have personal experience of this effect in Unusual Chlorine Demand -- Peeing in the Pool.

 

[tedjack]

Use and IR scope, ($50 in Army surplus store). Pee is 98.6 degrees and the water is usually 70 - 80 degrees. You should see right through the water and bust the perpetrator easily.

 

[chem geek]

Welcome to TFP!

The water for swimming is usually not much below 78 degrees and may be up to 85 or higher, but that's a clever idea. It certainly works for soldiers. Thanks for posting it.