Ever wonder if pool chemicals can affect your body? Let's look into it!
What is Chlorine?
Chlorine is one of the top chemicals made in the US. It is made by electrolyzing sodium chloride brine. Chlorine is used in industry and household cleaners. Fun Fact: It was the first poison gas used in World War I. Chlorine is a yellow-green gas with a strong smell like bleach. It is heavier than air and can form explosive compounds with certain substances. When mixed with water, it creates hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid. Chlorine is often stored and transported as a liquid.
Where is Chlorine Found?
Chlorine is used for purifying water and plays a role in treating sewage and industrial waste. It is used the manufacturing of paper and fabric and acts as a whitening agent. Additionally, it is found in various cleaning products, such as household bleach (made from chlorine dissolved in water). Chlorine is also involved in producing chlorides, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, polymers, synthetic rubbers, and refrigerants. Where we exposed to it most, is in swimming pools.
How Does Chlorine Affect the Body?
Chlorine in drinking water is safe for humans, but it can still be absorbed through the skin when swimming in chlorinated water, leading to overexposure. This can happen faster than you expect. Exposure to chlorine can lead to different health issues, depending on the quantity of chlorine, duration of exposure, and method of exposure.
Respiratory Issues:
-Trouble Breathing
-Coughing
-Fluid Build up in Lungs
Digestive Issues:
-Sore Throat
-Vomiting
-Bloody Stools
-Stomach Pain
Eye Issues:
-Burning/Itching
-Blurry Vision
Skin Issues:
-Eczema
-Itchiness
-Pain, Redness, Dryness
Additional signs of overexposure include dizziness, migraines, stomach pain, and nosebleeds. Chlorine exposure may harm the circulatory system, leading to alterations in blood pH levels and reduced blood pressure.
Chlorine can also deplete iodine in our cells, which can be damaging to the thyroid. Thyroid tissue needs a significant amount of iodine and most people are already iodine deficient. Research has also shown that chlorine can lower testosterone levels. And finally, children with PANS/PANDAS and ADHD may have negative reactions when exposed to chlorine.
What You Can Do!
- Limit your time in the pool to limit your exposure.
- Rinse with clean water before entering pool.
- Cover skin with jojoba oil before swimming (BONUS: jojoba oil can double as a sunscreen)
- Detox with Iodine! Iodine can flood the cell receptors so chlorine is more easily excreted from the body. And taking iodine before swimming can help prevent chlorine from attaching to the cells.
- Purchase Rowe Casa's Swim Spray in our store!
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Rowe Casa says, "This spray neutralizes chlorine and protects skin and hair from chlorinated pool or water exposure. Sodium ascorbate (a form of vitamin C) is the super star in this spray, as it helps to change chlorine to an unharmful compound that can be easily rinsed from the skin and hair. This helps to prevent and relieve possible effects of chlorine exposure such as itching, burning, and dryness. ⠀⠀
Chlorine naturally reacts with organic compounds that are already present in water, creating harmful and toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) such as trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs can be even more concentrated when absorbed through the skin, possibly contributing to health risks that can affect the heart, nervous system, and can be linked to cancer."
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Happy and Healthy Swimming! -Sara
"You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.”
Proverbs 25:25
Resources:
n.a. (August 5, 2024) The Facts about Chlorine. Retrieved on July 1, 2024 from: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/chemical_terrorism/chlorine_tech.htm
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