Sun? Tick. Shorts and flip flops? Tick. Panic remembering all of those missed gym sessions over the last five months? Double tick.

Summer is basically here, which means it’s time to go SWIMMING.

And because we here at Metro.co.uk like to help you enjoy life’s simple pleasures as much as possible, here are a few things that will probably make you feel sick next time you step in a public swimming pool.

You’re swimming around in strangers’ urine

One in five people in the US have admitted to peeing in the pool, according to a survey conducted by the Water Quality and Health Council.

We’re guessing that figure’s not going to be much lower in the UK – so be on your guard.

There’s also shitloads (literally) of poo in your pool

The average swimmer offloads at least 0.14g of faecal matter into a swimming pool within the first 15 minutes of entering, according to a study from the US-based Centre for Disease Control.

This figure is likely to be even higher if the swimmer in question is a particularly gross individual who doesn’t see the need to wipe.

And it goes without saying that it’ll be even worse if someone is a genuine full-blown pool pooer.

For example, this pool in Scotland had to repeatedly close down because people wouldn’t stop leaving floaters in the water. Grim.

You can get diarrhoea

According to the CDC, there’s been a rise in people getting diarrhoea and other illnesses from contaminated pool water over the last two decades.

This is because…

Chlorine doesn’t kill everything

That’s right – no longer can you kid yourself that ‘the chlorine will deal with it!’

Sorry to tell you this, but – it won’t.

Apparently chlorine and other disinfectants don’t actually kill germs instantly, so you’re still at risk from some types of bacteria.

And as a result…

Some pools have E. Coli

Thanks to improperly potty-trained children leaking poo into pools, some is contaminated with E. Coli.

*Shudder*

That smell? It doesn’t mean the pool is clean

It’s actually caused by chlorine mixing with all that urine, sweat and other disgusting bodily fluids people have been secreting into the water.

So the dirtier your pool, the more it’ll smell. Nice.

Eyes itching? That’s not the chlorine

It’s actually all the urine in the pool. When chlorine binds with urine and faeces, it creates chemical irritants – and THAT’S what’s stinging your eyes.

Lovely, right?

Source:
courtesy of METRO

by Ashitha Nagesh

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