According to a study conducted at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, swimming in a pool with chlorine would increase the chances of a child susceptible to asthma and allergies to develop these diseases.
The study found that, by irritating the swimmers' airways, chlorine products in the water and air of the pools produce an important additional effect on the onset of asthma and respiratory allergies, such as rhinitis.
In this investigation, which happens to other related ones carried out by the same team, and to other studies that gave similar results, the health of 733 adolescents who swam in chlorinated pools was compared with 114 adolescents (control group) who mainly swam in pools sanitized with a concentration of copper and silver.
The results showed that the risk of asthma and allergy was not modified by swimming in pools disinfected with copper-silver (unlike those of chlorine) and children without allergic tendency were not more at risk of developing allergies.
According Alfred Bernard, toxicologist of the University and director of the study,
"The impact of these chemicals on the respiratory health of children and adolescents would be much greater, at least five times greater, than that produced by passively breathed cigarette smoke."
The study has been published in the journal "Pediatrics" with the title "Infant Swimming Practice, Pulmonary Epithelium Integrity, and the Risk of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Later in Childhood" ('Child swimming practice, Epithelial lung integrity and disease risk allergic and respiratory later in childhood ').
I wonder if the tendency to allergies will be even greater in younger children, surely yes. That is why I think it is important to know more thoroughly the relationship between pool chlorine and childhood allergies and, if necessary, standards on the levels of these substances in the water and air of swimming pools should be reviewed and established.
