Featured Image Credit: Linnaea Mallette
By Emily Persico
Do you pee in swimming pools on the down-low? If the answer is yes, then fear not— you are not alone.
In a new study, scientists found that every 1 in 5 Canadians regularly pee in the swimming pool. Whether or not you are Canadian, this has serious implications. Because there’s probably pee in your pool.
Researchers found up to 75 liters (that’s nearly 20 gallons!) of pee in a single pool using a method that, while not entirely accurate, represents an under-estimate, not an over-estimate. What’s worse is that the levels of urine in pools was paled in comparison to the levels found in hot tubs, which were three times the concentration in pools.
Fortunately, urine is mostly urea, ammonia, and creatinine. There aren’t really any urine-borne diseases swimming around the pool trying to get you sick. There is, however, plenty of chlorine-reactive constituents in urine that can irritate the eyes and lungs.
Basically, swimming in urine-filled pools or soaking in hot, urine-filled tubs isn’t going to kill you. In the end, though, we all know: the ocean is better, greater, and more awesome.