Swimmers & Pool Workers Exposed to Harmful Compounds

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are a group of chemicals that are formed along with other disinfection byproducts when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in water.  Epidemiological studies suggest that HAA exposure during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy may be linked to birth defects in newborns, and some data suggests that HAAs may exert negative effects on the endocrine system. Mercedes Gallego, from the Universidad de Cordoba (Spain), and colleagues studied HAA levels in the urine of 49 volunteers who swam in or worked around an indoor and outdoor pool, finding that HAAs appeared 20-30 minutes after exposure, with over 90% of the exposures occurring as a result of swallowing pool water. While government regulations in the United States and Europe limit the levels of HAAs that can appear in drinking water, the study authors warn that HAA exposure from swimming pools, where water may contain higher levels due to recirculation systems that lengthen water's exposure to chlorine and provide more time for HAAs to form, is largely unmonitored and unregulated.