The first of what will probably be many emails, facebook posts, concerned articles etc on the chlorinated pool study
| So today there is a study hitting the newswires about increased signs of mutagens after swimming in a chlorinated pool. None of this is particularly new, it has been known for quite some time now that indoor chlorinated pools have higher levels of trihalomethanes in the air around them and that trihalomethanes induce DNA damage. The popular news article is here, http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0d3b024b6ebe95c3d3e432c5b75913d3.1c1&show_article=1 The actual research paper itself is attached, I encourage you to read the research paper itself. In reading it this morning one big question popped into my head, the results show increased markers of mutagenicity with increased exhaled bromine levels. However, the study design specifically mentions that the subjects swam for 40 minutes in a chlorinated pool, not a brominated pool/ So where did all the Bromine come from? And in fact there was no increased mutation signs associated with increased exhaled trichloromethanes. Now, what will happen next? If my crystal ball is working correctly then you can expect these things: 1. All your friends and neighbors will send you a link to this article through email and there will be lots of links on facebook, those links will partially be supplied by, 2. Your friendly neighborhood outdoor pool who will point out that this report says nothing of outdoor pools, and also your neighborhood pool who uses a different disinfectant. Those pools that use ozone or salt water might point out that they don't use chlorine. Although that is not to say that the chlorine in the salt water or especially the ozone won't induce dna mutations. But it wasn't studied in this paper. 3. Your other friendly neighborhood pool who uses chlorine as a disinfectant, they will point out that there have been years of good experiences with chlorinated pools and that even the study authors say you should keep swimming anc chlorine is an approved and safe disinfectant for pools. 4. Press releases, articles, maybe even interviews with usa swimming, us masters, and usa triathlon folks with much hand wringing. I figured you would want to get the jump on all of them, so enjoy. I'll see you at the next swim practice! |
