Pool chlorine not a health concern but what you bring into the water can be

Researchers at UBC Okanagan say some chemicals at public pools are bad for swimmers' health, and they're looking for energy efficient ways to reduce those risks.

Roberta Dyck is part of a research team bringing civil engineering and toxicology together to work on the problem.

"We're not talking about the chlorine itself, what we're talking about is what we call 'disinfection byproducts,'" she told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn.

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"The swimmers bring in things like skin and sweat and hair, and ... they have lotions and hair products. And those things that the swimmers bring in will react with the chlorine and generate these byproducts."

Dyck says the study is looking at chloramines which cause the burning feeling in many swimmers' eyes and trihalomethanes, both of which are potentially harmful to humans.

"It's not conclusively linked, these health effects and these compounds, but there are some indications there could be reproductive effects," Dyck said. "I wouldn't say [there is] urgency.We just want to make swimming as safe as possible."

Dyck says this research suggests why showeringbefore going in a pool is good, because it removes some impurities brought into the pool and reduces the amount of chlorine needed for pools.

Beyond that, Dyck says her team's goal is to find out how pool design, especially when it comes to air and water filtration can reduce the disinfection byproducts swimmers come in contact with.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:Deep (end) trouble? UBC-O researchers looking at health risks from pool chlorine and impurities