How Much Urine Is in The Swimming Pool? Study Reveals

Researchers from Canada conducted a study to determine how much urine is in a swimming pool. Swimming in a pool with urine could cause asthma and eye irritation, according to researchers.

The researchers discovered that a swimming pool is positive for urine with the presence of acesulfame potassium (ACE) in the waters. Lindsay Blackstock, one of the researchers and a Ph.D. student of analytical and environmental toxicology at Alberta University, said that even though no one would admit to peeing in a pool, obviously, somebody has to be doing it.

The study was conducted in two unidentified cities in Canada. The team examined two public pools for three weeks for ACE. The first small pool has 110,000 gallons of water and the other big pool contained 220,000 gallons. They tested the water for ACE, which is an artificial sweetener commonly found in processed foods and drinks. It is also found in urine that passes straight through the body undigested, according to The Independent.

So, how much urine is in the pool? The results showed that based on the ACE measurements, there were about 7.92 gallons of urine into the smaller pool and almost 20 gallons into the bigger pool.

Furthermore, The Huffington Post reports that the researchers also examined 250 samples from 31 other pools and hot tubs. They found that the ACE levels were up to 570 times greater than the amount of urine found in tap water.

The study indicates that urine has nitrogenous compounds like ammonia, urea, amino acids and creatinine. These compounds could react with disinfectants and trigger eye and respiratory irritation. The researchers said that professional swimmers and pool workers have asthma that has been associated with their long spending time in the pool.

Blackstock recommended increased public education about swimming hygiene practices. She also advised all pool users to rinse off excess personal care products in the provided showers before entering public pools. She added that all must be considerate of others and make sure to exit the pool to use the restroom.