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SALT LAKE CITY — If everyone is honest, they probably identify with Olympians Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, who admitted to relieving themselves in the pool while training and competing in the Games.
However, it turns out that when urine mixes with chlorine, the chemical reaction does not negate the effects of your pee. It creates something new and potentially harmful.
A new study in the journal “Environmental Science and Technology” reveals that when uric acid mixes with chlorine, it can form new compounds. Within an hour of mixing, chemicals trichloramine and cyanogen chloride are created, which can cause lung, heart and nervous system problems.
“Given that uric acid introduction to pools is attributable to urination, a voluntary action for most swimmers, these findings indicate important benefits to pool water and air chemistry that could result from improved hygiene habits on the part of swimmers,” said study author Ernest R. Blatchley III, a professor of civil engineering at Purdue University, in a statement.
So not only is it gross, but now there’s a good reason to make the trip to the restroom between laps. Although it would take a huge amount of urine in the chlorine to be deadly, it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.
