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Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

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41–50 of 353 posts

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#43
post #9

"Approximately 58 per cent of Canadians admitted to peeing in the pool at least once in a recent survey of 9,500 people conducted by Travelocity." Never looking a Canadians the same ever again.

This blows my mind. I’ve never considered doing this in a pool at any age and can’t believe anyone else would either. Yet half of the population apparently has, and they think everyone else does it too.

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#44

As a longtime swimmer and water polo player, my eyes have been absolutely wrecked by harsh pools many, many times. However, I don’t think it’s pee. First off, every swimmer pees in the pool. I have been a part of tens of thousands of man-hours in the pool and seen people get out to pee maybe three times. I have been in the first games of the day at water polo tournaments and have seen them chlorine shock the water fo…

> First off, every swimmer pees in the pool A friend expressed this to me once when I caught her peeing in the pool and I was honestly skeptical that "everyone does it" as I would have never felt comfortable doing that. Still don't.

Yup. It's pretty crazy (and gross) that people think this. People don't have any trouble urinating in the proper place in other contexts.

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#45

This has been well-known by swimmers for a long time: chlorine itself is pretty much fine for you. It's the chemical reaction of chlorine with waste products, including human waste, that produces toxic byproducts and the concomitant "pool smell." If you swim in a well-maintained pool (e.g. one of my university's competition swimming pools), there's no "pool smell."

The scent of bleach and the scent of "pool smell" are almost exactly the same to me.

That is because both are the same thing: sodium hypochlorite

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#46

I've always wanted a product that you could add to the swimming pool water that reacts to human urine by coloring the water immediately surrounding the pee-er. Say a neon orange or red. Over time, the colored water gets diluted and disappears. Maybe pee-shaming is what's required to stop people from doing it.

Have you ever seen the south park episode, "minorities in my water park?" lol

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#47
Chlorine reacts with pretty much any organic compound (hair, sweat, skin, urine) to produce chloramine. And yes, while this is the thing that irritates your eyes, it's not to say that chlorine is harmless either. There is evidence for respiratory and organ damage from extended exposure to chlorinated pools.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4351252/

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#48
post #9

"Approximately 58 per cent of Canadians admitted to peeing in the pool at least once in a recent survey of 9,500 people conducted by Travelocity." Never looking a Canadians the same ever again.

This blows my mind. I’ve never considered doing this in a pool at any age and can’t believe anyone else would either. Yet half of the population apparently has, and they think everyone else does it too.

Just wait until you hear what's in the ocean!

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#49
post #9

"Approximately 58 per cent of Canadians admitted to peeing in the pool at least once in a recent survey of 9,500 people conducted by Travelocity." Never looking a Canadians the same ever again.

Finland had a serial pooper scare last year.

Serial pooper takes fourth dump in Oulu's Raksila swimming hall pool https://metropolitan.fi/entry/serial-pooper-takes-fourth-dum...

Re: Pee, Not Chlorine, Causes Red Eyes from Swimming Pools: CDC (2015)

#50

As a longtime swimmer and water polo player, my eyes have been absolutely wrecked by harsh pools many, many times. However, I don’t think it’s pee. First off, every swimmer pees in the pool. I have been a part of tens of thousands of man-hours in the pool and seen people get out to pee maybe three times. I have been in the first games of the day at water polo tournaments and have seen them chlorine shock the water fo…

> First off, every swimmer pees in the pool A friend expressed this to me once when I caught her peeing in the pool and I was honestly skeptical that "everyone does it" as I would have never felt comfortable doing that. Still don't.

I don't do it, but I also don't really care if other people do.
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