Pee in the pool

Michael J. Beach of the Centers for Disease Control's Healthy Water program recently revealed why people often get stinging red eyes while swimming in pools. It's the chlorine in the water combining with pollutants such as pee and sweat:

"Chlorine binds with all the things it's trying to kill from your bodies, and it forms these chemical irritants. That's what's stinging your eyes. It's the chlorine binding to the urine and the sweat."

I view this info as part of the CDC's continuing campaign to really gross people out about swimming pools, since it follows up on the report they released back in 2013 (posted on WU here) about the high level of fecal contamination in pools.

More info: abc13.com, cdc.gov
Image source: Flickr (D Spa Resort)

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Sun Jun 21, 2015
Category: Body Fluids

Comments

South Park has a couple of funny episodes about peeing in the pool.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 06/21/15 at 10:50 AM

There's got to be a new American Motto in all this gloom & doom coming out of the District of Calamity (Chuck the prognosticator). You know, something to replace such old, out of date saws like, From my Cold Dead Fingers and Live Free or Die or that old classic The Land of the Free. Maybe something like, Scared into Submission or Sheep are Easier to Control than Wolves or even BOO! Your Gubment will Protect You.

Nope, not bitter at all...

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 06/22/15 at 12:32 AM

As opposed to swimming in a river or lake, I'd rather take my chances in a concrete pond.

Posted by KDP on 06/22/15 at 09:32 AM

After I wrote the above, yesterday, I got to thinking about all the years I swam & skied in the Mississippi river. They call it "The Muddy Mississip" for good reason but there are other things, sinister things, floating in the river.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 06/22/15 at 09:37 AM

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