Hygiena 2008, 53(3):93-101
Risks of Allergic Diseases Associated with Chlorinated Pool Attendance
- Oddělení hygieny, Toxikologická jednotka, Katolická univerzita v Lovani, Brusel, Belgie
Human exposure to chlorination products has considerably increased during the 20th century especially after the 1950s with the development of public and leisure pools and other water recreational areas. When attending these aquatic environments, the populations of industrialized countries have been increasingly exposed to powerful chlorine-based oxidants, either through direct contact with chlorinated water or by inhaling them in the form of gases (trichloramine and chlorine gas) or of aerosols (hypochlorite/hypochlorous acid and chloramines). The existence of respiratory and allergic problems in competitive swimmers training in the chlorine-laden atmosphere of swimming pools has also been known for more than two decades. Serious concern about these chemicals arose, however, only recently when it was found that they could affect the lung epithelial barrier of recreational swimmers and increase the risks of atopic diseases such as asthma or hay fever. Furthermore, studies focusing on occupational exposures have demonstrated an increased risk of asthma and respiratory problems among swimming pool workers while ecological studies have brought to light associations between the prevalence of childhood asthma or eczema and the availability of swimming pools or the chlorine level in drinking water. Albeit unexpected, these findings are not really surprising. A variety of experimental studies have shown that hypochlorous acid and chloramines are membrane permeable oxidants capable of rapidly opening the tight junctions of epithelial layers. This led to the suggestion, supported by some epidemiological and experimental observations, that these oxidants closely linked to our Western lifestyle might act as adjuvant in the development of atopic diseases by facilitating the transepithelial penetration of allergens.
Keywords: chlorine, trichloramine, asthma, allergy, swimming pool, lung biomarkers
Published: September 2008 Show citation
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