Indoor Swimming Pools May Expose Swimmers to Cancer Causing Chemicals

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives supports the idea that exposure to disinfectant by-products that could cause cancer occurs when swimming in indoor pools. The study looked at 49 swimmers, measuring various blood and exhaled gas values before and after workouts and two weeks later. The chemicals the swimmers were exposed to are related with cancer.

The results?

"After swimming, the total concentration of the four trihalomethanes in exhaled breath was seven times higher than before swimming. (see Reference)"

The study concludes that there is a potentrial for the by-products in indoor swimming pools to have a long-term, genotoxic effect on swimmers. That doesn't mean stop swimming, but hopefully pool experts will work toward a way to eliminate these harmful by-products from swimming pools.

REFERENCE: Kogevinas M, Villanueva CM, Font-Ribera L, Liviac D, Bustamante M, Espinoza F, et al. 2010. Genotoxic Effects in Swimmers Exposed to Disinfection By-products in Indoor Swimming Pools. Environ Health Perspect :-. doi:10.1289/ehp.1001959 Online: 12 September 2010