Chlorine has a disinfecting effect - but chlorine compounds in water cannot harm every germ: including E. Coli bacteria and pathogens that cause typhoid.
- Chlorine is a poisonous gas that renders many germs and viruses harmless. It is used in indoor and outdoor pools to protect people from disease.
- Today, pure chlorine gas is rarely used for disinfection, but mostly chlorine compounds, which break down into their constituent parts in the water and release chlorine.
- However, chlorine in water cannot banish all pathogens. Find out here how you can reduce the risk of contracting diarrhea * or any other illness .
Chlorine in water gives many a feeling of security: the additive eliminates pathogens in the water. What many do not know: There are stubborn germs and viruses that chlorine water cannot harm . These include, for example, hepatitis A viruses, E.Coli bacteria, which cause diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, or Salmonella Typhi - the bacteria that cause typhoid. An important rule - which many do not know or disregard - reduces the risk of these pathogens getting into the water.
The shower protects yourself and others from swimming
To ensure that chlorine-resistant pathogens do not get into the pool water, the following applies: Anyone who feels sick and has diarrhea does not belong in the outdoor or indoor pool. You think now that it goes without saying? A 2017 survey by the US Water Quality and Health Department paints a different picture. At the time, one in four adults stated that they went to the swimming pool despite suffering from diarrhea. Another worrying result of the study: around 50 percent of those surveyed said they never or rarely showered before swimming. However, a thorough shower before swimming is important to keep pathogens out of the pool as much as possible.
In the video: Disgust alarm: This is revealed by the chlorine smell in the swimming pool
Cryptosporidia in bath water: Parasites cause diarrhea
Do you have diarrhea, stomach ache and a fever after going to the swimming pool? Then E. coli bacteria could be behind it. Or cryptosporidia - parasites that can cause severe gastrointestinal problems in humans. "Infection mainly occurs through the ingestion of contaminated water (e.g. drinking water, ice cubes, bathing water)", as the Robert Koch Institute as the higher federal authority for infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases informs. Here, too, the following applies: Anyone who suspects they are infected with cryptosporidia If possible, you shouldn't go to the swimming pool , as the parasites survive in chlorinated water and can easily infect other pool visitors, as the Focus warns. (jg) * Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editorial network .
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