That innocent little tinkle in the pool may not be as benign as one might think….. because EVERYONE IS DOING IT.

You’re romping around in the pool have a fabulous time and OOPS, you need to GO ! What do you do ? Now be honest !

You know what you should do……

The Protocol

You should interrupt your bliss. Climb out of the pool, locate you towel, and dry yourself off so you are not dripping. Then you should hoof half a mile to the swimming pool change rooms and locate the loo. If you’re male or wearing a bikini – it simple. Drop and drip !

But if you’re a girl wearing a one piece costume, it is a tad more complicated.

Getting the costume to slide down your body and drop to your knees is relatively easy. The challenge is getting it back on. A wet costume does not slide very easily, it takes quite a bit of wiggling to manoeuver it back on.

The reality

So………….. sometimes, you gingerly look around and S-W-I-S-H. You may wiggle the water a little, to mix things up. You usually feel a little ashamed and probably a little revolted, YUK !

You’re not alone.

Even professional swimmers admit to relieving themselves IN THE POOL, sometimes.

YUK ! YUK ! And more YUK !

Stop over reacting

It is only urine…………… which is really just a mixture of waste metabolites, mixed in with a few thousand harmless viruses and bacteria and a few of your own cells. Nothing you haven’t seen before.

And the pool water has been treated with chlorine, a potent disinfectant, which is designed to obliterate the nasties.

No harm, no foul.

Not so fast. The danger is not microbial, it is chemical.

Bad pool chemistry

A team of Chinese researchers mixed up batches of urine and chlorine in the lab and recorded what happened.

Don’t worry, there wasn’t an EXPLOSION.

But the mixture created trichloramine (NCl3) and cyanogen chloride (CNCl) in amounts that are high enough to be noticed. Both of the chemicals are associated with negative health reactions in sensitive people. They are linked with lung troubles.

Oops.

Pools are full of …………

Trichloramine (NCl3) and cyanogen chloride (CNCl).

Analysis of swimming pool water always finds copious amounts of these “noxious” materials – this research explains where it is coming from.

That innocent little tinkle in the pool may not be as benign as one might think….. because, EVERYONE IS DOING IT.

Swim, splash, play

If you’re in a chlorinated pool – don’t tinkle.

PS. If you do happen to do it, move away fast……….. you might just lessen your exposure.

Further reading

Pink pigments in cranberries help you “tinkle” better	Caffeine going down the drain to stimulate the fishes	Acne happens when a wild pool party is curtailed by security

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