Public Pools = DNA Damage? Sustainable Living Investigates...

Alright, who peed in the pool? Whoever it was has now threatened our DNA...

Sustainable living in the summertime takes a bit of dedication. With the warnings about toxins in our sunscreen but risks about skin cancer in the sky, do you really want to know that the public pool is messing with your DNA?Now there's something you don't hear everyday! New research shows that Public Pools that are cleaned with brominating agents should be tossed. Their best recommendation is to replace these agents with a balance of UV treatment and chlorine, but not chlorine alone. Why the big fuss? The findings of this study, published in the Environment Science & Technology journal and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, suggest that public pools are a lot more dangerous than one may think. They found disinfected pool samples "had more genomic DNA damage than the source tap water". So for swimmers, or frequent public pool goers you may want to take caution when selecting which pool to take a dive into.

The Risks

This specific gene mutation suggests that long-term exposure to these disinfectant byproducts can do the following:

• mutate genes


• induce birth defects


• accelerate the aging process


• cause respiratory ailments


• risk of inducing cancer

Since this research is new, additional research on the effect on humans will most likely be conducted to further explore the human health risks. But one thing is for sure, you better check your personal, public, or University pool's disinfectant strategy before adding swimming to your workout regime. Now keep in mind pool "swimmership" is at 339 million in the U.S. alone, warranting some sort of disinfectant standards (although read on to see what creative and eco-friendly solution can help solve this).

The Solutions

Some steps for pool-goers:

• First things first. Don't pee in the pool. These agents become more potent when mixed with organic matter such as urine. Stay out of the "warm" spots...these can't be good regardless of the toxicity.


• Take a shower before entering the pool because it reduces the amount of organic matter on your body.


• If you are the pool caretaker, remove any organic matter including leaves and organic 'waste' from your pool if you are using brominating agents like chlorine as a disinfectant.


• Check to see if there is a pool in your area that is cleaned by....ALGAE! Yes, algae. This is a growing phenomenon and we learn about the increase in hazards related to toxic chemical compounds. Our local pool's master re-model included a switch to algae. First, your skin feels better afterwards (no toxic and harsh chemicals sitting on top hoping to be washed off and so they enter our water table...). Second, when you swim and get water in your eyes or mouth, it isn't so bad after all. Lastly, you are reducing the amounts of chemicals your body is exposed to and since each persons body and genes are different, this is a good thing.

So don't shy away from the pool, find one with algae or othercreative and more sustainable living-style cleaning agentsthat can keep the water clean, youhealthy, and our ecosystem in better shape.

Photo Credit:First Milkman