Cooling Pool
Cooling Pool
It’s hot, it’s humid – a perfect day for a swim, right? Well maybe.
Read this before you take that plunge.
Zapping bacteria
As appealing as a dip in a clear, blue swimming pool might be in these dog days of August, frequent dipping results in quite a bit of chlorine exposure.
In the e-Alert “Toxic Tub” (7/19/07) I told you how the swimming pool, hot tub, and the daily shower expose us to considerable chlorine absorption through the skin, which may contribute to atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries). HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explained that when chlorine molecules scar the inner lining of the arteries, the body protects itself by painting a thin film of cholesterol over the damaged area.
In that e-Alert I also noted that a friend of mine has a pool that’s treated with a salt ionization process in place of chlorine. And while that may be less harmful than a traditional pool, it might still cause problems, according to this note I received from an HSI member with the initials F.L.
“Jenny, I hate to disagree with you about the new ‘salt’ systems for pools and spas. They do produce chlorine, albeit it is at a much lower level and is emitted more evenly.
“The method I use is a combination of an Ionizer and Ozonator. Ionizers put silver and copper ions in the pool/spa water and the ozonator produces ozone, which zaps bacteria and then dissipates quickly. The copper is an antifungal and will prevent the growth of algae, and silver, as I’m sure you are aware, is a multipurpose antibacterial. The silver and copper ions remain in the pool and offer a constant level of protection.
“We started with just an Ionizer fourteen years ago but found during the quickly heating temps here in Vegas that it took too long for the Ionizer to keep up with the heat and we had to use some additional oxidizer. The Ozonator is a perfect companion with the Ionizer and keeps my pool and spa clear all the time with little oversight. No, I am NOT in the pool business. I am allergic to chlorine and have extremely sensitive skin.
“There are a lot of people out there sensitive to chlorine so I think you need to let them know that there IS chlorine in the ‘salt’ pool.”
Cover that scalp
Those who make use of large public or private pools don’t have any say in the method of bacteria control. Socan chlorine exposure be offset in some way? A member named John sent this note: “I swim in a large pool at a university twice a week. What can I do to counteract the effects of chlorine in the water?”
Good question. But when I ran it past Dr. Spreen, he began by saying that he didn’t have much in the way of good news.
Dr. Spreen: “In a home pool you can try ozonated filter systems, which is what they use in Europe (where chlorine is illegal for pools). I don’t think bromine systems are much better because it’s still highly reactive (that’s why it’s used, of course) and in the same group in the Periodic Table.
“The most absorptive site on the body’s surface is the scalp, so an effective cap (the operative word being ‘effective’) would offer some quantitative absorptive help. I do, however, believe (and cannot prove) that ingested chlorine from drinking city water is worse, as the absorptive capacity from within the gut is far better than through skin (the gut is designed to do just that).
“Since chlorine is an oxidizer (that’s how it kills bugs, etc.), good antioxidants are an ‘insurance policy’, such as alpha lipoic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, etc.
“For immersion in high-chlorine swimming pool water you could try a scuba dry-suit, but for most swimmers that’s not a satisfactory solution. I still cringe to think of how much time I spent in swimming pools.”
You can find more specifics about the dangers of chlorine in the e-Alert “Toxic Tub,” available at this link: http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200707/ea20070719a.html
