While this may seem merely unappealing, a 2014 study suggested that urine can actually combine with the chlorine disinfectant in swimming pool water to make potentially harmful chemicals. The researchers recommend that all swimmers avoid urinating in swimming pools to prevent these chemicals from forming.
Chlorine reacts with urine to form a host of potentially toxic compounds called disinfection byproducts. These can include anything from the chloramines that give well-used pools the aforementioned odor, to cyanogen chloride, which is classified as a chemical warfare agent.
Yes, chlorine and other pool chemicals will act as disinfectants and kill certain bacteria and algae. But urine isn't a living substance. It can't be “killed.” When you pee in the pool, the chlorine doesn't make it magically disappear.
Urine, a salty water solution containing low levels of urea (a waste product left after our bodies process protein), is greatly diluted in the already salty ocean. Swimmer urine makes a much more significant contribution in a pool, especially a crowded one.
Cyanogen chloride potentially can affect the central nervous system, heart and lungs. Trichloramine is an irritant. Bottom line: peeing in the pool may be convenient, but it is not healthy.
When this urine comes into contact with chlorine, it creates chloramines, which is what's giving off the odor. When your eyes burn while swimming, that's another sign of trouble. Cyanogen chloride is a chemical created when someone pees in a pool. It's a toxic chemical that causes your eyes to burn.
Swimming pools can be a breeding ground for germs despite offering a much needed oasis in the heat. This is due to urine in the water, people not showering before swimming and low levels of chlorine.
We like to believe that most people don't urinate in the pool we're swimming in, but they do. It's clear to us that this is the case, especially when kids swim. Studies have found that up to 40% of respondents admit to urinating while swimming in a pool.
The nitrates and phosphates that come from urine can actually increase algae growth that can suffocate and kill coral. But one person peeing can't actually do this level of damage. It requires the waste of many people being dumped into the ocean over long periods of time.
No Peeing on Land
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.
Pool chemicals kill most germs within minutes, but some live for days. Chemicals also break down pee, poop, sweat, dirt, and other gunk from swimmers' bodies.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) estimates that there are somewhere between 30 milliliters and 80 ml (1 to 3 ounces) of pee per person in a pool.
Non-living organic waste (bather waste) is a huge contributor to cloudy pool water. This includes body waste, oils, saliva, dead skin, sweat and urine.
There is currently no such urine indicator dye that exists. "Chlorine and other disinfectants are added to a swimming pool to destroy germs. Peeing in a pool depletes chlorine and actually produces an irritant that makes people's eyes turn red," said Michele Hlavsa, chief of the CDC's Healthy Swimming Program.
According to the World Health Organisation, companies need to have procedures in place to take care of any spillages. Using water and detergent clean the area. Once visibly finished, saturate with sodium hypochlorite 0.5% (10,000 ppm available chlorine). This is a 1:10 dilution of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite bleach.
What actually causes the distinctive, irritating smell around swimming pools is not chlorine–that's an urban myth–but volatile substances known as chloramines. Chloramines form in pool water when chlorine combines with contaminants brought into the pool by swimmers. Think urine, perspiration, body oils and cosmetics.
Peeing in the ocean is totally fine, but don't pee in protected areas like reefs or smaller bodies of water, especially swimming pools.
2. Urine nutrients become pollution when they enter the watershed. In the US, the nutrients in urine often pass through wastewater treatment plants and into rivers, lakes, and bays. Once in the aquatic environment, excess nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus) can cause harmful algal blooms (HABs).
The bottom line is that peeing in the shower is unlikely to harm you. So whether it's part of your water-saving efforts or you can't stop the flow sometimes, it's pretty much fine to pee in the shower. Just make sure you are using your own shower.
Take home message. Adult human urine is not sterile. The resident bacterial community may contribute to urinary health and disease in undiscovered ways.
One of the most common questions about the journey of water is “how long does it take for water to reach the bladder?” The average person can process about 33.8 ounces of fluid per hour, but only 20% of the water that you drink actually makes it through the entire process to the bladder.
Urine is about 95% water. It is not completely sterile of microorganisms, as many sources incorrectly state. But it doesn't contain any of the harmful microbes that can make you immediately sick—such as those you might ingest from contaminated wilderness water, and which are generally transferred through feces instead.
Water Pressure
As you submerge in water, hydrostatic pressure drives up your blood pressure a bit, enough to trigger your kidneys to respond by stepping up their filtration game and increase urine output.
Not removing chlorine can make your skin (and hair) dry out, stripping the natural, protective oils from your skin and leaving you itchy and dry, particularly if you're already prone to sensitive skin.
Hence when you swim, your body generates heat so that there is a balance in temperature of both inside the body and the outside environment. So, after swimming, when you pee, it feels warmer because the human body takes time to regain heat.