The poisonous pee byproducts lurking in swimming pools.

Photo: flickr/tano_d'erePeeing in the pool, although considered a gross social faux-pas, seems harmless enough, right? And so much easier that getting out of the pool, drying off, and trekking to the nearest toilet. But what happens when the uric acid in your pee reacts with the chlorine and other chemicals in pool water? In this study, researchers from China Agricultural University and Purdue University studied the chemical byproducts that form when pee meets pool. They found that two chemicals, cyanogen chloride and thrichloramine, are formed by the reaction of uric acid and chlorine. When inhaled, these chemicals are known to affect multiple organs, including the lungs, heart, and central nervous system. So it seems that peeing in the pool has its own punishment -- it's just too bad it affects everyone.Volatile disinfection byproducts resulting from chlorination of uric acid: Implications for swimming pools "Cyanogen chloride (CNCl) and trichloramine (NCl3) are ...