Hygiene & Health

As a lifelong swimmer, and professional Triathlete, swimming is in my blood. It strengthens my discipline and keeps my body in tip-top shape, and it's also downright enjoyable. Life can be a constant blur of training, traveling, racing and coffee (my weakness), but swimming is my one constant. ... Read More »

Ok, this could get gross, but stick with me! As a new Mom I am constantly bombarded with “do this”, “do that”, “use this product”, “buy this toy” sales pitches to the point that I’m starting to wonder which end of the baby is up. And I have to admit, here and there I sometimes fall victim to the sexy ads, alarming wording and overall “must have” nature that surrounds parenthood.... Read More »

Whether it’s for swimming lessons, swim meets, swim parties, water aerobics or just plain splashing around on hot day, your family will probably spend some significant time in a pool this summer. As a research microbiologist specializing in water quality and public health safety, I’d like to correct four common swimming pool myths to help your family enjoy a “Healthy Pools” summer.... Read More »

Swimming is a fun and healthy activity for people of all ages. However, improperly chlorinated water puts swimmers at risk for recreational water illnesses like diarrhea and ear and skin infections. Test strips are an easy way to check the water and maintain a healthy pool. When testing pool water, swimmers should be sure that... Read More »

Unhealthy pools are more common than you may think. Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), underscores the importance of protecting yourself and your family at the pool this summer. The CDC reports a disturbing statistic: About 1 out of 8 public pool inspections conducted in 13 states in 2008 resulted in pools being closed immediately due to serious code violations. The venues that had the most disinfection violations were kiddie/wading pools and water play areas.... Read More »

A recent Scientific American column grossly overplays an unsubstantiated risk associated with drinking water chlorination. It overlooks the benefits of chlorine as an inexpensive and highly effective disinfectant and does not recognize that the regulatory limits for chlorine and disinfection byproducts were set following a thorough review of credible health data. The article blatantly promotes a... Read More »

Do you know what’s in your public pool? A recent Water Quality and Health Council survey found that almost half (47%) of respondents admit to one or more behaviors that contribute to an unhealthy pool.  One in five (17 percent) say they’ve urinated in the pool – and eight in ten (78 %) are convinced... Read More »