Although extreme amounts of nitrogen aren't good for the ecosystem, the small amounts of urea we produce feed into the ocean's nitrogen cycle. You could go so far as to say that your pee is one of many factors contributing to the circle of life in the ocean — meaning it's not hurting the fish.
Generally, peeing in the ocean is totally fine, the ACS says – and it may even be beneficial to marine life, as the nitrogen in urea combines with water to produce ammonium, which feeds ocean plants.
#3: Can Peeing In The Ocean Hurt You? Although it's unlikely, peeing in the ocean can cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). The ocean itself isn't the problem here — the issue is hygiene. Peeing flushes bacteria out of your body, which can hang out in your wet bathing suit for hours at a time and lead to infection.
U-M led research finds 'super-urinators' among fish that promote healthy ecosystems. Fish pee might sound disgusting, but it turns out it's very useful in promoting a healthy ecosystem.
One compound found in urine that is not found in the ocean is urea. It is an carbon-based compound that helps the body rid itself of nitrogen. But, as the video notes, the nitrogen in urea can combine ocean water to produce ammonium, a compound that acts as food for ocean plant life.
While they can smell human urine, they aren't particularly interested in it. Any tasty, smelly odorant is likely to get a shark excited but their sense of smell is no better than that of a tuna, and tiny amounts will go unnoticed.
Any bodily fluid released into the water is likely detectable by sharks. A shark's sense of smell is powerful – it allows them to find prey from hundreds of yards away. Menstrual blood in the water could be detected by a shark, just like any urine or other bodily fluids.
Human urine contains something called nitrates, which can cause increased algae in the water, making it toxic to the fish and other wildlife. "Urine, although sterile, is considered a biohazard and should be discarded appropriately.
Martius also speculated that the fish were attracted by the "odor" of urine. Later experimental evidence has shown this to be false, as the fish actually hunt by sight and have no attraction to urine at all.
Is the sea salty because of pee? Salt in the sea, or ocean salinity, is mainly caused by rain washing mineral ions from the land into water. Carbon dioxide in the air dissolves into rainwater, making it slightly acidic.
The NOAA estimates the oceans at 321,003,271 cubic miles or 1.338e21 L (1.3 sextillion). Dividing those out and you get 0.0002%, or 1 in 500,000 parts Human pee.
Ew! Not only is it disgusting, but urine in pool water also fosters the formation of harmful chemicals. As soon as body oils meet sweat, chlorine, and urine, DBP's (disinfection byproducts) start to arise. Organic matter from our bodies mixing with chlorine allows these DBP's to form and harm our health.
No Peeing on Land
It's true! To further safeguard the wildlife and environment, vessel-based visitors are not permitted to go to the toilet (or eat), on land; even in the vicinity of research stations or historic sites.
Nerves, brain structure, brain chemistry and behaviour – all evidence indicates that, to varying degrees, fish can feel pain, fear and psychological stress.
Urine is non-toxic, although it contains urea and other substances which can be toxic if they are not excreted and reach high concentrations in the body. (Incidentally, something is either sterile or not.
Since sharks see contrast colors, anything that is very bright against lighter or darker skin can look like a bait fish to a shark. For this reason, he suggests swimmers avoid wearing yellow, white, or even bathing suits with contrasting colors, like black and white.
Made of very strong and thick bone, dolphin snouts are biological battering rams. Dolphins will position themselves several yards under a shark and burst upwards jabbing their snout into the soft underbelly of the shark causing serious internal injuries.
Period Blood Dissipates in Water
This means the blood moves away from your body and moves along with the water in the ocean. In other words, if blood escapes your swimsuit, it isn't going to hang around your body attracting sharks.
FICTION: Sharks are attracted to human blood, so if you cut yourself at the beach, you will be attracting sharks. FACT: Sharks know the difference between fish and human blood and, while they can smell our blood, it is not a scent they associate with food.
The Pardachirus marmoratus fish (finless sole, Red Sea Moses sole) repels sharks through its secretions. The best-understood factor is pardaxin, acting as an irritant to the sharks' gills, but other chemicals have been identified as contributing to the repellent effect.
Apart from working as a fertilizer, urine also works as a natural animal repellent due to its smell. Diluted urine can be applied near plants; it is unnoticeable to humans, but it deters away animals that eat plants like rabbits and deer.
It should really go without saying, but you cannot go around touching the penguins. Penguins are tiny birds that are susceptible to human interference, and the last thing they want are some annoying touros getting down into their nests and trying to pick them up.
Because infection-causing bacteria could be present in some urine, there's a slight chance you could contract something, especially if you have a cut or other open wound on your foot. Infections such as MRSA can be transmitted via a shower floor.
The bathroom is full of handholds and footholds so that astronauts don't drift off in the middle of their business. To pee, they can sit or stand and then hold the funnel and hose tightly against their skin so that nothing leaks out. To poop, astronauts lift the toilet lid and sit on the seat — just like here on Earth.
Whether you like it or not, some people pee in swimming pools. Being in a pool containing pee doesn't sound appealing, but it isn't dangerous. Chlorine is added to swimming pools to kill germs, including microbes that are present in pee. A well-managed pool should destroy any harmful bacteria from urine.