Let’s talk about a cesspool.
As temperatures rise, the sound of pool sirens gets louder. While chemicals like chlorine and bromine do their best to kill bacteria and viruses, some germs remain afloat.
Enjoy your Fourth of July festivities, but beware of illnesses that can be contracted from contaminated pool water or from inhaling chemicals that have evaporated and turned into gas.
Pathogens linked to excrement in swimming pools
As HuffPost reports, diarrhea is the most common cause of swimming-related illnesses.
When there is feces in the pool, millions of germs are released into the water and people can get sick from swallowing even a small amount.
Worse yet, and even more common, a large-scale fecal incident isn’t the only way people get sick. Small particles of feces can easily be released from people’s bodies when they’re swimming, meaning you won’t see the danger.
Cryptosporidium, norovirus, giardia, shigella, and E. coli are common germs found in stool. Depending on the pathogen, symptoms may include fever, cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If swimming with children or babies, ensure diapers are changed away from the pool to avoid contamination and/or ensure frequent bathroom breaks.
Why doesn’t chlorine kill these germs?
Sometimes the ratio of chlorine, bromine, and pH isn’t exactly right, allowing germs to spread. In other cases, people are exposed to germs while the chlorine kills them.
Dr. Clare Rock, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told HuffPost, “That’s one of the reasons why, if there’s a fecal incident in a pool, lifeguards and pool operators follow a protocol before allowing people back in the water.”
Cryptosporidium, also known as crypto, has proven to be particularly resistant to chlorine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2015 to 2019, crypto caused 49% of infectious outbreaks in aquatic settings such as swimming pools, hot tubs, and water parks.
While chlorine or bromine can kill most germs within minutes, crypto can survive in a water source for a week or more.
People with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to serious crypto infections. If you have had diarrhea or have been diagnosed with crypto, the CDC recommends waiting at least two weeks after symptoms have resolved before swimming.
Swimmer’s ear
Swimmer’s ear is a bacterial infection caused by pool water in the external ear canal. When water sits in the ear, it destroys the protective earwax, creating an environment where bacteria can grow.
Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include pain, redness, swelling, itching, and discharge from the ear. This condition is more common in children and is not contagious.
Rock explained that to prevent and treat swimmer’s ear, “you can use a towel, but also pull the earlobe in different directions to get the water out…consider using earplugs or a swim cap to keep pool water out of the ear.”
Irritants
Skin, eye or throat irritation is a common consequence of swimming in a pool.
Rock explains, “The chlorine in the pool turns into a chemical irritant when it mixes with sweat, urine, and dirt. When you smell “chlorine” at the pool, you’re probably actually smelling these chemical irritants as they turn into gases in the air.”
Called chloramines, these irritants cause skin rashes, itching, red eyes, coughing, wheezing, and nasal irritation. Improper pH in a pool can lead to skin and eye irritation.
Why You Should Never Pee in the Pool
It is imperative to shower before swimming. A one-minute rinse before swimming is enough to remove most dirt or other substances that consume the chlorine or bromine needed to kill germs.
Experts agree that everyone should refrain from urinating in the pool, not only because it’s rude, but also because chloramines are formed when urine, sweat, and/or makeup combine with chlorine. These substances also decrease the amount of chlorine that can kill other germs.
Safety first
To assess the safety of a pool or water park, consider reviewing the facility’s inspection records from the health department.
HuffPost also recommends making sure the drain in the deep end of the pool is visible, that lifeguards are monitoring swimmers and, if there is no lifeguard, that a life buoy is present.
The first precaution swimmers can take is to avoid swallowing pool water and to stay dry if an open wound or cut is healing. If you must swim, use a waterproof bandage and cover the wound completely.
Illness aside, New Yorkers may have a hard time finding a safe place to swim this summer.
The ongoing lifeguard shortage threatens access to New York City’s public pools and beaches.
For those with a backyard and a little disposable income, The Post recommends a variety of inflatable pools, including the granddaddy of them all, the inflatable water park.