What's In The Water? A Newschannel 3 Special Report

SPECIAL REPORT (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Whether it's a trip to an indoor water park or a series of swimming lessons, lots of kids love spending time an indoor pool. But what many parents likely don't realize is just what's in the water.

When you walk into the area of an indoor pool, the first thing that likely hits you is the smell of what most of us think is chlorine. But it might surprise you to learn that what's in the air actually has a lot to do with what we bring into the water with us.

And whether it's taking swimming lesson's or doing laps, you're not only immersed in the water, but you likely drink a little, and breath in the air above.

Lurinda Hoogstraten's two daughters visit the Gable swimming pool on WMU's Kalamazoo campus every week. According to state law, they're required shower before jumping in.

"They know that's the rules of the pool, that's what they do," said Hoogstraten.

Still, at many indoor pools, people take a dip without rinsing off, which means they bring with them all the lotions, hair sprays, and make up from the day. But the even greater violators are sweat and urine, which like it or not, end up in our swimming pools as well.

"That's why the chlorine is there," said Hoogstraten.

But how does the chlorine actually react? That question brought Newschannel 3 to Purdue University in Indiana, where researchers are looking at not just what's in the water, but what's in the air.

"You really aren't smelling chlorine, you are smelling some of these by-products," said Purdue Professor of Environmental Engineering, Ernest Blatchley.

That's because volatile compounds form when chlorine mixes with the human substances that end up in pool water. Right now, Professor Blatchley says the environmental engineers at Purdue are studying samples from all sorts of sources, looking at levels of sweat and urine.

"They range from lap swimming pools at health clubs, pools at day care facilities, pools at high schools, and also indoor water parks, splash parks," said Professor Blatchley.

The goal is to improve the water and air in indoor swimming areas, in order to protect the health of swimmers.

"Some evidence to suggest in fact there is a link between use of indoor swimming pools and asthma, especially in children," said Prof. Blatchley. "We're interested in other adverse toxilogical effects in humans. What we really are interested in is how to prevent them."

The next study will go beyond sweat and urine, and target skin and hair care products, looking for signs of what happens indoors when people take the plunge.

"They should take it seriously because what they bring into the pool inadvertently will react with the chlorine present in the pool," said Prof. Blatchley. "So they are effecting themselves as well as other people using the pool."

Researchers want to remind swimmers that when they walk into a pool area, it's not chlorine they are smelling, but the by-products of the chlorine combing with other substances. It's not a sign that the pool is really clean.