To pee or not to pee? This is the question kids, and even adults, ask themselves every summer as they swim in public pools.
Are there risks to peeing in a pool?
Let's consider what urine is made of. 95% is water, and the other 5% consists of by-products of digesting food and drink, such as:
- Urea . A compound produced in the liver that acts as a carrier to dispose of excess ammonia and nitrogen.
- Uric acid . This substance is produced when your body digests certain foods and liquids. It is an antioxidant and also helps repair damaged cells.
- Electrolytes such as sodium, chloride, potassium, and phosphorus.
- Tiny debris , such as dead blood cells, and (depending on your lifestyle) chemical traces of tobacco, drugs, vitamins, and other substances filtered out of the blood through the kidneys.
The levels of these substances in normal urine are not high enough to cause danger. So if you decide to pee in a pool, or swim in someone else's diluted urine, it's not necessarily harmful.
That said, a surprising number of people pee in public pools. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average swimmer spills 1 cup of urine into the pool.
One survey also found that about 51% of Americans use swimming pools as "public bathtubs," swimming instead of showering or swimming without showering after exercising or yard work. 40% of Americans admit to having peed in a pool as adults - so you can imagine how many adults don't admit to doing this dirty deed.
But if urine is harmless, why do these numbers matter?
Urine from the bladder can also be contaminated with bacteria from the urethra or genitals as it passes. These bacteria, the same ones that live on your skin or in your mouth, are generally considered harmless, and most swimming pools are treated with chlorine and other chemicals to reduce the risk of spreading any illness to others. But chlorine can bind to anything the body excretes, including sweat, urine, feces, and thousands of microbes on your skin.
When this happens, a chemical reaction occurs that reduces the amount of chlorine available to kill bacteria and produces chemical irritants called chloramines, which can cause skin irritation. These chloramines tend to give off a chemical smell that most people associate with chlorine. But a healthy pool won't smell like chemicals, which means if it smells highly chlorinated, the water is likely full of chloramines, urine, and other byproducts.
Increased urine can lead to increased levels of chloramines, which can adversely affect your skin, eyes, and in rare cases, your ability to breathe the air surrounding your swimming pool.
To maintain a healthy swimming environment, it is important to practice good hygiene and avoid urinating in the pool. When urine combines with chlorine, it forms compounds that are harmful to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
In almost all cases, it's better to hold it in until you can use the restroom rather than peeing in a public pool.
Can you get a urinary tract infection from peeing in a pool?
If bacteria enter your urinary system, you may develop a urinary tract infection (UTI). Characterized by abdominal or lower back pain, urinary incontinence, painful frequent urination, and burning or bloody urination, a urinary tract infection is a troublesome infection that, fortunately, is easy to treat and is common.
Pools seem to be a breeding ground for bacteria, especially when everyone is peeing in the open. But in most public pools, there's probably enough chlorine to kill most bacteria that can cause UTIs.
However, if you're worried about a UTI, make sure to shower before and after swimming, keep your hands and genitals clean, and avoid peeing in your swimsuit. A moist, bacteria-filled environment may lead to an increased risk of infection.
While chlorine is used to disinfect pool water and reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, it does not completely eliminate the risk of urinary tract infections. Regular pool maintenance, adequate disinfection and proper water treatment are also crucial to ensuring a safe swimming environment.
Is it really harmful?
Urine itself is not dangerous, except for possible eye and skin irritation. But it's probably in everyone's best interest to follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
We need to use designated restroom facilities, maintain good hygiene habits, and do not urinate in the pool to prevent the pool from turning into a biochemical experiment.
