9 years ago
1
Pee, not chlorine, causes red eyes from swimming pools: That so-called chlorine smell is actually a chemical reaction with bodily waste
U.S. public health officials confirm that it's not chlorine giving red-eye to swimmers, as many believe — it's people who pee in the pool.
Continue Reading http://www.cbc.ca
Join the Discussion
While it is a nice catchphrase the cdc seems to missing the shelf here. The smell is indeed chlorine and not anything else and not necessarily from pee depending on pool occupancy. The disinfectant most commonly used in pools is trichlorine when it comes contact with acid it creates low levels of Chlorine gas which you can smell. The acid actually comes from many sources sweat on your skin for example or yes pee. But the smell is most definitely chlorine. The red eyes are a after effect of exposure to chlorine gas which is quite irritant. Their premise stands though smellier pools are more contaminated but the chlorine is effectively taking care of that.