Swimming Pool Where do the red eyes come from? By urine or rather chlorine?

Hotel and pool visitors assume that the water in the pool is cleaned. If you get red eyes when you are in the water for a long time, most people think that it comes from chlorine water. But that's only half the story, according to the US Water Quality and Health Council. Rather, the redness is due to a chemical reaction of chlorine with urine and sweat.

Red eyes in the pool are caused by a chemical reaction of chlorine with urine and sweat
Red eyes while swimming are a sign of urine and sweat in the pool
"The chlorine smell at the pool is not really chlorine," said Chris Wiant, chairman of the Water Quality and Health Council. "What you smell are chemicals that are produced when chlorine mixes with urine, sweat, and dirt from the human body." Tom Lachocki of the National Swimming Pool Foundation: "Swimmer's eyes are the color proof that someone peed in the pool."

Red eyes in the swimming pool due to urine. (Image: Rob hyrons - fotolia)

According to the American Center for Disease Control, the substances cyanogen chloride and nitrogen trichloride are produced. Both substances should not enter the body. Cyanogen chloride was used in combination with hydrogen cyanide in the First World War even as a chemical warfare agent. Nevertheless, the experts emphasize that there is no reason to panic and that the visit to the swimming pool should not be waived. For example, nitrogen trichloride is considered to be harmless in concentrations up to 18 percent. Also, the amounts of cyanogen chloride, which are caused by the chemical reaction with urine and sweat, are minimal.

Every visitor to the swimming pool can do something for clean water and against redness. "For a healthy pool experience, take a shower before swimming to remove sweat, dirt, cosmetics, and traces of fecal matter - yes, we all have something on our body, so please shower thoroughly," advises Wiant. And breaks to visit the sanitary facilities should be self-evident for everyone.