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Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

Swimming PoolsA new study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children who spend a lot of time at indoor swimming pools during their early years are more prone to developing asthma, recurrent bronchitis, and other breathing problems as they grow older, compared to others who do not frequent indoor pools.

The researchers believe that harmful gases trapped indoors from the chlorinated pools are to blame for the airway damage. The main culprit: trichloramine, or nitrogen trichloride, is created when chlorine reacts with ammonia, which can be found in the sweat and urine from swimmers.

Pediatrics 2007 Jun;119(6):1095-103


Dr. Mercola's Comment:

I previously ran articles about the problem of trichloramine in chlorinated pools. Asthma is just one of the many forms of airway damage that can be caused by nitrogen trichloride.

This is the reason that swimming instructors are more than twice as likely to suffer frequently from sinusitis or sore throat, and more than three times as likely to have chronic colds. Swimming pool employees are at a 40 percent greater risk for tightness of the chest, and are over 700 percent more likely to suffer breathlessness while walking.

What's more, the chlorine in swimming pools can cause other problems as well. Pregnant women exposed to chlorinated pools can experience spontaneous abortions and stillbirths, and their children can have congenital malformations.

Chlorinated water may also increase your risk of bladder cancer.

Swimming is both a great form of exercise and a vital life-saving skill for little ones. However, I don't recommend swimming in swimming pools, whether indoors or out, since your body absorbs more chlorine by swimming in a chlorinated pool than you would by drinking tap water for one week.

If you don't have access to a lake, ocean or other natural body of water, you could consider a swimming pool. Just be careful to frequent one that uses chlorine or bromine.

I just purchased a home recently and "inherited" a swimming pool. After much research I concluded that using an ozone machine was the best way to go.

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Article's Comment     ( 43 Comments )
 
 
 +25 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Russ Bianchi   
  
[ Joined on 09/06 ]
[ Posted on June 15, 2007 ]
Post Reply
Yeah, that's the ticket!

Chlorine is SAFE, just ask the millions (or should I say the survivors families and lineage?) gased in trench warfare in WWI.

Chlorine is SAFE, just ask the millions daily currently being poisoned consuming Splenda/sucralose.

Chlorine is SAFE, just ask all the widows and orphans or widowers of unexplained cancer casualties in the millions upon millions, who's only causal exposure to toxins was the chlorine in their drinking water.

SAFE = Sadistic Affirmations Fraudulently Enforced
 

 +1 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY kim's den   
  
[ Joined on 10/06 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on July 08, 2007 ]
 
Gator asked if anyone used H202. Well, we do! I have a small 2 man hot tub and I use Hydrogen Peroxide only. I buy it from a Home Hardware store that actually sells it to the local dairy farmers to keep the water for the cattle clean. It is 35% -which is very strong , but I only use a little at a time. It stays crystal clear and from what I have read people use it to take de-tox baths. It is actually good for you. I will keep using it until I learn otherwise. Maybe Dr. Mercola could help us out a bit more on this topic. I would eventually like to get a nice above ground pool. I used a product in the past called C-pool which is a copper sulfate solution and it was supposed to be a better option than chlorine pools. Does anyone have information on this product. For now I will stick the Hydrogen Peroxide.

            
 
Author of the Article
BY Gator   
  
[ Joined on 06/06 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on July 06, 2007 ]
 
I have heard there is a hydrogen peroxide solution that is safe and affective for use in pools.  Any info. on H2O2?

 
 +18 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY mmc88121   
  
[ Joined on 11/06 ]
[ Posted on June 15, 2007 ]
Post Reply
Every one who has had a basic chemistry class knows that Chlorine is a highly toxic chemical,  what would make it safer by mixing it with water?

Mary
 

 +6 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Caleb Eaton   
  
[ Joined on 06/07 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on July 07, 2007 ]
 
What is often missed is the connection between chlorine and thyroid problems. Look at the periodic table in any chemistry book...Iodine, Chlorine, and Fluorine are all in the second-to-last column. Elements in the same column are easily substituted/interchanged in the body. The thyroid needs iodine...something like 80% of the iodine in the body is in, or used by, the thyroid. When we feed the body fluoride and chlorine (toothpaste, drinking water, bathing water, Splenda, Teflon cookware, Prozac, etc) more regularly than iodine, we are asking for big trouble.

 
 +15 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Magnolia