Urinating in a pool is linked to potential heart problems because the uric acid in urine reacts with chlorine to form a toxic chemical called cyanogen chloride, which can harm the heart and other organs if inhaled.
Cyanogen chloride can affect multiple organs, including lungs, heart and central nervous system via inhalation. "If swimmers avoid urinating in pools, then air and water quality would likely improve independent of other changes in water treatment or air circulation," the researchers said.
Chemical Reaction
When somebody pees in your pool, that pH level is altered. Chlorine and urine combine to form by-products called chloramines, which among other things, use up the chlorine which is better used to kill germs and bacteria.
Apart from being gross, that's also a potential health hazard. Chlorine reacts with urine to form a host of potentially toxic compounds called disinfection byproducts.
Peeing submerged, according to Fosnight, is also less-than-ideal for your bladder because you want the least resistance possible when you pee (meaning only air surrounding you—not water), and the pressure of being in water can make it so that your flow is fighting gravity and you might not empty your bladder (which is ...
The "21-second pee rule" comes from a scientific discovery that most mammals over about 3 kg (like dogs, cows, elephants) empty their bladders in roughly 21 seconds, regardless of their size, due to physics involving urethra length and gravity. For humans, this serves as a loose benchmark: urinating significantly faster (e.g., under 10 seconds) or slower (over 30 seconds) might signal holding it too long or an overactive bladder, though it's not an exact diagnosis.
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.
20 percent of adults pee in the pool
You're not the only one! About 20 percent of adults secretly do an occasional pee while swimming. Although, there are some people who will openly admit it.
It is an aqueous solution of greater than 95% water. Other constituents include urea, chloride, sodium, potassium, creatinine and other dissolved ions, and inorganic and organic compounds. Urea is a non-toxic molecule made of toxic ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Chlorine will kill any bacteria in urine, but can't remove the urine itself. The only way to get rid of urine in pool water is to drain the pool and refill it. Hopefully, the situation will not call for such drastic measures.
As great as it would be to have an obvious sign that someone has peed in the pool, there is no such chemical reaction.
The average Olympic-sized pool contains about 600,000 gallons of water or more, which means the pool has a 0.05% concentration of pee. That's about one part per 2,000. If the pool is well-maintained, the water will be clean and free of harmful bacteria.
During hot weather, people tend to spend more time in the water to cool off. This increased usage leads to more contaminants being introduced into the pool, such as sweat, sunscreen, body oils, and possibly, urine. These substances can alter the chemical balance of the water, leading to a high pH in a swimming pool.
First, schedule short breaks to encourage people to exit the water. For example, a 10-minute “adult only” swim time or an out-of-pool activity every hour encourages people to exit the pool and use the bathroom. Second, post signage that suggests using the bathroom and showering before getting into the pool.
Pee is your body's liquid waste, mainly made of water, salt, electrolytes such as potassium and phosphorus, and chemicals called urea and uric acid. Your kidneys make it when they filter toxins and other bad stuff from your blood. Many things, such as medications, foods, and illnesses, can affect your pee.
Common causes of smelly pee
certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee. not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) some medicines. vitamin B6 supplements.
Urine is not sterile. There are bacteria in healthy urine, although relatively low levels. If you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), higher levels of disease-causing bacteria are present. Urine from either healthy people or people with a UTI can infect an open wound.
When well maintained, public swimming pool water is safe. However, without proper swimming pool water safety precautions, these waters can contain unhealthy levels of chemicals or become contaminated with harmful bacteria.
An analysis of 31 pools and hot tubs found the sweetener -- or evidence of urine -- in every single one. On average, there were 8 gallons of urine in a 110,000-gallon pool and nearly 20 gallons of urine in a 220,000-gallon pool, which is about one-third of an Olympic-sized pool.
You may have heard that many swimming pools now have a chemical that will change colors if you urinate in the pool, similar to a pH test kit or pH paper strips. It's a myth, but that doesn't mean that scientists can't tell — it may just take a little more time, and a lot more science.
Golden shower (urolagnia), a slang term for the practice of urinating on another person for sexual pleasure.
Dehydration, urinary tract infections and exercise also may make urine foamy. But you should see your healthcare professional if you often have foamy urine that gets more noticeable over time. This can be a sign of protein in the urine, which is called proteinuria.
Causes Urinary tract Infections (UTIs)
Although holding your pee doesn't directly cause a urinary tract infection (UTI), not emptying your bladder can allow bacteria to multiply within the bladder. This is because passing urine helps to flush out the bladder and the rest of your urinary tract.
You might think that elephants take longer to empty their bladders than humans do, because pachyderms are so much larger. But you'd be wrong. Recent research shows that most animals, including humans, take the same amount of time to pee.