Friday, September 4, 2009

New's ko po: There’s pee in the pool

A RECENT survey could make you think twice about jumping into a public pool. According to the poll, almost half of swimmers admit to one or more behaviors that contribute to an unsanitary pool, wrote Megan O’Neill for Rodale.com. And you’ve probably suspected as much, since the poll also shows 84 percent of us believe our fellow swimmers participate in unhygienic pool behavior.

THE DETAILS: The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted in late April and early May of this year by the Water Quality and Health Council, a body of scientific and other experts who advise the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

One in five respondents (17 percent) admitted to urinating in the pool, while almost eight in 10 (78 percent) are convinced that their fellow swimmers are guilty of this act. Plus, about a third (35 percent) jump in without showering first, and three-quarters (73 percent) think other swimmers do the same.

Even though most people seem wary of the hygienic standards of the swimmers around them, only 36 percent say that pool water cleanliness is on their mind when they take the plunge.

WHAT YOU CAN DO. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself, and other swimmers, from pool-related illness:

• Don’t swim if you have diarrhea. It sounds like common sense, but it bears repeating. And don’t send your kids to the pool if they’ve been having stomach problems.

• Get to know your pool operator. Ask pool management about the training employees receive to operate and keep the pool clean, and how often they check the chlorine and pH levels of the water.

• Test the water yourself. Inspectors aren’t on site every day, so what’s happening when they aren’t around?

To find out, the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends purchasing easy-to-use testing strips at a local hardware or pool supply store, and measuring the pH and chlorine levels before swimming. The pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8, and there should be one to three parts per million of free chlorine in the water, according to CDC standards.

No comments:

Post a Comment