Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

Fabio Aguilar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:02:07 GMT

We used our ChlorFree balls only 6 months last year so we should get through this season with them. How ever we were thinking of ordering more now so we would have them if we needed them. Are there any discounts for re-orders? I am going to get a couple extra for 2 friends that have those small quick set pools. If I had the money to invest in becoming a ChlorFree dealer I would. I tell everybody I know with a pool about ChlorFree. Our pool is so easy to keep clean and the cost is so much less. We were using bacquacil and spent $1500 in chemicals the summer before last year and the pool was still cloudy and we were constantly fighting algae. We were about ready to give up on having a pool but then I read about ChlorFree on Dr. Mercola's web site.

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

latvia Di — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 08:23:22 GMT

Check out what they use in Europe to keep pool water clean..Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) It's also used by some municipalities to purify their drinking water. After careful research, I am using it my swimming pool. I buy it from the local dairy division at the local farm supply store. 35% H202. ( Handle it very carefully. ) Use 1 cup for every 500 gallons. I have the peroxide test strips and keep the level between 50 to 100 PPM. Crystal clear clean water with no nasty chlorine. Read up about it! A lot of big aquariums and stream and fountain places use it because it won't hurt the living creatures in the water. Unless Dr. Mercola in all his wisdom tells me something different...I'm sold on this!

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

Allyn — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:03:45 GMT

My parents just got a really nice outdoor inground pool and its like a salt pool were you add table salt and the ionizer filter thing splits the salt for natural chlorine is this Okay and safe?

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

SueW — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:08:26 GMT

This makes a lot of sense about the chlorine in swimming pools. But when I was swimming once a week, I got no UTIs nor other infection. I just started swimming again this summer but just go once a week for 1 hour. I find that the pool doesn't smell of chlorine so they may be using less of it or perhaps partially ozone systems. (it's a park pool not real crowded).

Seems two extremes - one side says don't touch it or you'll die. The other side (I only saw one message to that effect) says "live live" and your body can handle it.

I find a lot of this stuff very confusing but feel that moderation tends to work well in such situations. When I was a kid we didn't have all the cancer and other diseases we have now (am talking the 1950's) but they DID have swimming pools so I'm thinking there might be other factors at work these days which contribute to the high cancer rate etc

I definitely DO NOT drink tap water (and have not consumed that since 1970). Also do not consume any artificial sweeteners. But to avoid everything would mean living in a bubble and no one knows if that would even be healthier.

Sue

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

Emilyette — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:14:16 GMT

I cleared up a lower back problem with a fast a few years ago. It was my kidneys that were causing pain. Now I can tell if I should avoid something. That includes swimming in a pool with chlorine. I swam for 3 evenings and I had major back pain for days while I did another fast to clear it up. I won't be doing that again.

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

Yod — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 23:14:41 GMT

Ah, the scent of fresh chlorine. Pitoowee!

Reuters article on

Swimming teachers and other people who spend a lot of time near chlorinated pools face an increased risk of breathing problems, Dutch researchers report.

Chlorine reacts with substances such as urine and sweat to create byproducts that can irritate the respiratory tract, most importantly chloramines, explain Dr. Jose Jacobs of the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands, and colleagues in a report in the European Respiratory Journal.

The research team surveyed 624 swimming pool employees and sampled air at six swimming pools. They measured trichloramine levels at all 38 pools included in the study to estimate long-term exposure among employees. Trichloramines are the most volatile type of chloramine, and are known to irritate the eyes and upper respiratory tract.

Compared to pool workers with the least exposure to trichloramines, such as catering employees or receptionists, swimming instructors were 2.4 times as likely to suffer frequently from sinusitis or sore throat, and faced a 3.4-fold greater risk of chronic cold, the researchers found.

Employees with high levels of exposure were at greater risk of a number of other respiratory symptoms compared to the general Dutch population, ranging from a 40 percent increased risk for tightness of the chest to a more than sevenfold greater likelihood of suffering breathlessness while walking with a person of the same age.

Trichloramine exposure is the most likely explanation for the breathing problems identified in the study, given that levels poolside can be three times higher than the established comfort level, the researchers write. The chemicals could boost a person's risk of asthma, allergies, and other breathing problems, they suggest, by making the airways more permeable.

Health and safety regulations for chlorinated pools address water quality, but not air qual

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

krapf — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:28:28 GMT

We have just switched the the Ecosmarte system of pool sanitation and maintenance which uses oxidation (creating purification through creation of hydrogen peroxide) and ionization. It uses ABSOLUTELY NO CHLORINE. We are swimming in pure drinking water and just love it!!! Also the company was sooooo very helpful and supportative and there to talk me through each step of the conversion. Spread the word that there is really a great system out there.

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

Cathyflwriter — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 03:31:53 GMT

Bacquicil is the trade name for polyhexamethylene biguanide this is NOT a peroxide based chemical. It changes the genes as you see the experiment below. I would not use it!

Michael J. Allen, Graham F. White and Andrew P. Morby

School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, PO Box 911, Cardiff CF10 3US, UK

Correspondence
Andrew P. Morby
morby@cardiff.ac.uk

The global response of Escherichia coli to the broad-spectrumbiocide polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) was investigatedusing transcriptional profiling. The transcriptional analyseswere validated by direct determination of the PHMB-tolerancephenotypes of derivatives of E. coli MG1655 carrying eitherinsertionally inactivated genes and/or plasmids expressing thecognate open reading frames from a heterologous promoter inthe corresponding chromosomally inactivated strains. The resultsshowed that a wide range of genes was altered in transcriptionalactivity and that all of the corresponding knockout strainssubsequently challenged with biocide were altered in tolerance.Of particular interest was the induction of the rhs genes andthe implication of enzymes involved in the repair/binding ofnucleic acids in the generation of tolerance, suggesting a noveldimension in the mechanism of action of PHMB based on its interactionwith nucleic acids.

Abbreviations: PHMB, polyhexamethylene biguanide

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

lavendarjazz — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 03:17:52 GMT

I once read about colloidal silver as a safe or healthier alternative water purification system for swimming pools but after it piqued my interest I didn't hear anything more about it. Has any one heard or does any one know anything about colloidal silver swimming pool systems? Are they safe? effective? affordable? Available? Where?

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

charshan — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:30:28 GMT

A problem with Cl (and bromine, which Dr. M. also mentioned) is that both displace iodine from our bodies. Most of us are in true iodine deficiency anyway (the other halogen -- this class of elements -- is fluoride -- another "safe" substance, right? ;), so without proper iodine levels we can't fight off the effects and absorption of chlorine (or fluoride, or the equally harmful bromine, which is found in food products containing citrus flavor -- think Mountain Dew).

The best pool in my opinion would be a seawater pool. Unfortunately, that's not a popular option. But you can also use iodine in pools (it comes in salt form and in liquid form). It's a great disinfectant and is the one halogen of the four which you could actually use when it soaks into your skin!

There is a great iodine supplementation forum at Curezone. I can't keep up with it because they are moving so quickly there, but I do have an e-mail I pulled together for iodine basics -- let me know at anderson3424@yahoo.com if you would like me to forward it. Iodine can prevent AND cure cystic conditions (FBD, ovarian cysts, etc.) and is great for skin (another reason to put it in the pool -- 20% of the body's iodine should be stored in the skin, and the thyroid and other organs will take it first).

Thanks for the interesting article and hope everyone has a great weekend!

Laura

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

dairyfree — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:01:58 GMT

I did not even want to open this article because we just put in a pool. I have to say, most of you (with all due respect cuz I can be fanatical about health too!!) sound like fanatics who do not have any fun! I I have been swimming in a pool my entire life and do not have the problems mentioned in the article. We cannot avoid ALL toxins....can't live in a bubble. Eat healthy, exercise, enjoy family/friends, read good books, listen to music, laugh and pray lots and remember God made our bodies equip to handle some toxins!! Isn't that why He gave us a liver? My family and I got lots of vitamin D, exericise, laugher and good memories. EVEN THOUGH I SWIM IN A CHORINATED POOL I SURE DO FEEL BETTER IN THE SUMMER!

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

DaveB_203 — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:26:49 GMT

Ozone should be used in place of chlorine as a pool cleaning agent. I just did a quick search on it and here's one place you can get it... http://www.absoluteozone.com/swimming_pools.htm?gclid=CO3f4pPelo0CFQHmgAodczjm2Q

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

mama4 — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:14:55 GMT

I've heard swimming ponds are gaining poplularity?? Supposed to be safer. They are more common in europe

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

DaveB_203 — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 00:52:09 GMT

re: Hidden Danger of Swimming Pools

saynotoquacks — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 00:10:51 GMT

Thank goodness I didn't join the swim team in high school because I didn't want to shave my legs in the winter!

In Michigan there is a lot of methyl mercury in our lakes. I am extremely allergic to mercury and get a reaction when I swim in a lake. I can also smell it. I love to swim across lakes and am a very strong swimmer, and love swimming more than any sport. But I wonder how much mercury I absorb through my skin?