Is Peeing In The Swimming Pool OK? How Cleaning Products React With Urine
The strong chemical smell of swimming pools — from chlorine — is synonymous with the hot days of summer. Disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) help prevent microorganisms from growing in the pool, but these DBPs can be dangerous for our health when they react to organic matter, like urine.
In the video, "Is It OK To Pee In The Pool?" the American Chemical Society explains pools contain approximately 30 to 80 milliliters of urine per person in the pool. Urine contains a lot of urea, a compound that reacts with chlorine to create trichloramine, a compound that is behind the classic pool smell. It also happens to be what causes our eyes to burn and turn all red. This compound has been linked to respiratory issues such as asthma, meaning that it can be a serious problem for pool-goers. Pee causes nearly half of the total DBPs produced by recreational swimmers.
Moreover, new drugs on the market may also interact with pool disinfectants via urine to create even more DBPs that could have real consequences.
So, is peeing in the pool OK? No.
Instead, pee in the bathroom and also take a shower and rinse off every time you're about to get into the pool — for your health's sake.