Is it OK to pee in the pool?
Pool season has arrived. Suspicion will soon mount about that child who managed to swim for four hours straight. When grandpa jumps in the pool straight after his five hour drive to see you with no bathroom break in between, eyeballs will roll. Questions will arise about that barbecue guest who
Posted — UpdatedPool season has arrived. Suspicion will soon mount about that child who managed to swim for four hours straight. When grandpa jumps in the pool straight after his five hour drive to see you with no bathroom break in between, eyeballs will roll. Questions will arise about that barbecue guest who consumed a six pack and floated in an inner tube for the rest of the day. There will be queries. There will be polite declinations to that offer to swim. "You put a lot of chlorine in your pool, right?" a friend might ask before dipping her toe in the shallow end.
Is it, or isn't it, OK to pee in the pool? That depends on your definition of "OK". Here is what experts have to say about urine in chlorinated swimming pools:
What can we draw from this meager assortment of research? We can conclude that it is still gross and bad to pee in the pool, and you shouldn't do it. Peeing in the pool produces chlorine by-products that can irritate eyes and the respiratory system. However, the amount of pee that it takes for any noticeable effect is up for debate. It depends on the size of the pool, as well as how diligently the pool's chemical balance is maintained. Pooping in the pool will make people more sick than peeing will, but nevertheless the CDC still advises all swimmers to shower with soap and to refrain from urinating in pools to limit the amount of organic compounds that they add to the magic soup that is swimming pool water.