Swimmers losing body hair due to high pH!

[TomBorg]

Berkeley High School (in Berkeley, CA) had to close its pool when parents alerted them, saying that their children were complaining of burning eyes, bleached hair, and loss of body hair!!!!!! That's what a pH of 8.5 can do.

City closes school pool after kids show serious symptoms

The article explains how it happened. My question is, how long did it go on? Were they not testing on a daily basis? (A semi-public pool requires testing of chlorine and pH at least once per day.)

 

[linen]

From how the article reads, it actually sounds like the irritation was from chloramines (Combined Chlorine...aka CC)...which makes more sense.

 

[JamesW]

I'm thinking that there were many problems other than just the pH being out of balance.

 

[Patrick_B]

I agree, and do not think 8.5 would cause body hair loss. Sorry, but I am not buying that one.

 

[woodyp]

That sure would be a nice, cheap replacement for Nair if it was true! So what could be causing the hair loss in a pool folks? FC of 9,000?

 

[duraleigh]

I would assign about the same value to a printed media article somewhere around the value of my dog explaining to me the importance of chasing cars.

If you have ever read a printed "news media" article on a subject in which you are well versed, you most always find their "facts" and implications to be ludicrous.

 

[JohnT]

I would assign about the same value to a printed media article somewhere around the value of my dog explaining to me the importance of chasing cars.

If you have ever read a printed "news media" article on a subject in which you are well versed, you most always find their "facts" and implications to be ludicrous.

You sound exactly like me. You must be a cynical old %^&* too!

Some aspects of my work are covered in the news from time to time, and the errors are unbelievable.

 

[HouTex]

I would assign about the same value to a printed media article somewhere around the value of my dog explaining to me the importance of chasing cars.

If you have ever read a printed "news media" article on a subject in which you are well versed, you most always find their "facts" and implications to be ludicrous.

You sound exactly like me. You must be a cynical old %^&* too!

Some aspects of my work are covered in the news from time to time, and the errors are unbelievable.

Yep. It's even worse if the subject of the story is you or your company/employer. Often times the story is exactly the opposite of the truth.

 

[macgulley]

I love this quote from the school system information officer, “I stuck my hand in there,” he told HuffPost, “and when I pulled it out, all five fingers were still attached.”
Sounds like a legitimate alternative to using all those expensive chemicals to test the water. (where's that sarcasm font when I need it?)