Chlorine in Swimming Pools Increase Asthma and Allergy Risk

According to a new study, swim in the pool disinfected with chlorine can increase the likelihood that a child will suffer from asthma or allergies. The results of this study published in the online edition of Pediatrics 14 September 2009.

The study found that adolescents who spent more than 1,000 hours of swimming in a chlorinated pool, either inside or outside the home, possibly more than eight times the risk of asthma compared to teens who primarily swim in the pool with a disinfecting method using copper-silver.

Alfred Bernard, a professor of toxicology and director of research at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium said that the presence of a chlorinated pool has a very significant impact on the prevalence of allergic disease in the population studied.

When used properly, chlorine is a disinfectant that efficient and safe for swimming pools. However, if too much chlorine is added to the water or accumulate in the air in the pool room, inevitably result in irritation of swimmer's organs are in contact with water and air. There is now increasing evidence that the effects of these irritants can damage the airways regular swimmers, especially the children most vulnerable and most often swim in a chlorinated pool.







According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, more than 17 million people in the United States have asthma. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing. This airway diseases can be triggered by several factors, such as cold air, exercise and chemical irritation. Although chlorine has long been recognized as a material pengiritasi airway and trigger asthma, especially in the indoor pool, Bernard studies show that chlorinated swimming pools may play a role in the development of asthma and allergies.

This study included 847 Belgian adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18. All participants had been present in the swimming pool or outdoor room, but with varying levels of attendance. One hundred and fourteen children, was left primarily to swim in the pool with copper-silver disinfection, while the rest swam in the pool with chlorine disinfection.

The number of children with asthma rose in proportion to their exposure to chlorinated pool. Teenagers who swam for 100-500 hours in chlorinated pool has a 80 percent increased risk of developing asthma, while those who swam 500 to 1000 hours runs the risk of more than two times. When teenagers spend more than 1,000 hours of swimming in chlorinated water, the risk of asthma increased nearly four-fold. According to this study, the risk of asthma which currently has more than eight times higher in the group with more than 1,000 hours in a chlorinated pool than those who rarely swim in a chlorinated pool.

The risk of allergies was also increased significantly when the teenager spends more than 100 hours of swimming in a chlorinated pool. In fact, the risk of hay fever and other allergies more than doubled in a significant exposure in chlorinated pools.

Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, said the study highlights the fact that "asthma and allergies are caused by many different factors, and chlorine may have a potential effect. But this is a very early study, and we do not know what the whole picture."

He said that he did not advise parents to stop taking their kids to swim, even if they already have asthma. "If your kids suffer from asthma and you know that chlorine is a trigger, it's a good idea to try to limit their exposure, but you can not exclude your child from everything and every potential trigger. You must let them be children the child. "