Hazards of Chlorine

Chlorine Toxicity: What Is Known

• Exercising competitive swimmers absorb toxic levels of chlorine products in the course of a training session.
• Training two or more times a day will not allow the toxins to be completely cleared from the body in most swimmers.
• Children inhale more air per unit of body weight than adults.
• Young children absorb relatively greater amounts of toxins than older swimmers and therefore, are at greater risk.
• In hyper-chlorinated pools, even dental enamel can be eroded because of the increased acidity in swimmers in training.
• Exercise intensity and number of sessions increase the toxic concentrations in competitive swimmers.
• Greater toxin absorption occurs through the skin than through breathing. However, the breathing action alone is sufficient to cause hypersensitivity and “asthma-like” respiratory conditions in at least some swimmers.
• Over chlorination is particularly hazardous to the health of swimmers.