Chlorine disinfection by-products in swimming pools

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2011

Authors

Santos, AJM (Author) Other; Miranda, MS (Author) Other; Joaquim C G E Esteves da Silva (Author) FCUP

Book

Title: Chlorine Properties, Applications and Health Effects

Pages: 161-187

ISBN: 9781614709541

Indexing

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-YRD

Abstract (EN): Swimming pool water requires disinfection in order to protect swimmers frompathogenic microorganisms. However, disinfection has also unintended consequences.Chlorine, the most commonly used disinfectant, reacts with the organic matter (natural,human and synthetic) present in the pool water producing disinfection by-products(DBPs) which are of primary concern. Currently, more than one hundred DBPs havebeen identified in swimming pools including, trihalomethanes, haloacids, halonitriles,haloaldeydes, haloketones, halonitromethanes, haloamines, haloamides, haloalcohols andhalogenated UV filters. Some of these DBPs have been detected in the blood, alveolar airand urine of swimming pool attendants. Exposure to DBPs has been linked to adversehealth effects, like increased risk of asthma and other respiratory diseases as well asbladder cancer. Very recently, the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of swimming poolwater have been assessed. It has been found that the mutagenicity of pool waters wassimilar to that of typical drinking water, indicating that the levels of mutagenic DBPs aresimilar in both waters.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific