title: Swimming pool chlorination: a health hazard?
abstract: A pilot study addressed potential effects of long-term exposure to chlorination products in swimming pools. The indicator compound chloroform was detectable in blood from competitive swimmers in an indoor pool (mean = 0.89 +/- 0.34 microgram/l; n = 10), but not in outdoor pool swimmers. No hepatotoxic effect was indicated by serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) or gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) enzyme levels. beta-2-microglobulin, an indicator of renal damage, was significantly elevated in urine samples of the slightly, but significantly, younger indoor swimmers. The precise ratio between these 2 possible causes, age and chloroform exposure, as well as the mechanism of the former, remain to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aiking
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: van Acker
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Feenstra
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Valkenburg
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D002713:Chlorine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002725:Chloroform / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D013551:Swimming Pools; D013997:Time Factors; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D002713:Chlorine; D002725:Chloroform; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase