Yet another study showing a connection between chlorine byproducts and respiratory issues has been released, this one linking the chloramine exposure to hay fever.
The research, conducted at the GSF-National Research Center for Environment & Health in Neuherberg, Germany and published in Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that byproducts may damage the lining of the lungs. This causes the lungs to be more susceptible to allergens.
?Impaired integrity of the lung epithelial by exposure to chlorination byproducts might facilitate a closer contact to allergens and therefore could result in higher rates of hay fever,? the authors stated.
Researchers interviewed about 2,600 adults between 35-74 years of age on medical history and swimming pool attendance. Those who swam up to 11 times a year during childhood were 74 percent more likely to develop hay fever. Those exposed to a chlorinated pool more than once a week were 32 percent more likely to have hay fever.
The findings are consistent with a recent special report by Aquatics International, which cited several studies concerning asthma and other respiratory illnesses caused by poor ventilation and regular exposure to chlorine byproducts. The report found that these issues can be prevented with proper air turnover, good patron hygiene, and secondary disinfection products such as ultraviolet systems.
