Public Swimming Pools Research Articles

Genome sequences of Mycobacterium sp. Elmwood and accompanying phage, isolated from a public swimming pool in Nebraska.

Genome sequencing of a non-tuberculosis Mycobacterium species, isolated from a public pool, shows that the genome contains several genes for antibiotic resistance and anti-phage defense, which are absent from other related Mycobacteria. Metagenomic binning also provided the genome of the accompanying phage, which is distinct from other mycobacterial phages.

Support for regulating smoking in private and public places by adults who currently smoke and recently quit smoking in Spain.

While indoor smoking restrictions are common, outdoor restrictions are still rare. We explored opinions and support for regulating smoking in different indoor and outdoor environments among adults who smoke and those who recently quit smoking, in Spain. The 2021 ITC EUREST-PLUS Spain Survey is a cross-sectional study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1006 adults aged ≥18 years who smoked cigarettes (n=867) or had recently quit smoking (n=139). Using Poisson regression with robust variance, we estimated adjusted prevalence and prevalence ratios of favorable opinions on regulating smoking in different indoor and outdoor environments and support for regulation in unregulated outdoor environments, by sociodemographic and smoking-related characteristics. There were highly favorable opinions for regulating smoking in places with minors (>95% in primary and secondary playgrounds, and cars with pre-school children and minors) and outdoor transportation (60-80%). There were less favorable opinions for regulating smoking in outdoor terraces of bars/pubs and restaurants (15-20%). Support for further total outdoor regulations on smoking was moderate for markets/shopping centers, public building entrances and swimming pools (40-60%), and low for restaurants/bars/pubs (29.2%). Having quit smoking, having no significant others who smoke and/or believing that cigarette smoke is harmful to others, were factors positively associated with favorable opinions and support for regulating smoking. The settings in Spain with the most favorable opinions for regulation among adults who smoke and have recently quit smoking are places with minors, private cars with others and outdoor areas of public transportation, while the settings with the least favorable opinions were outdoor terraces of bars, pubs, and restaurants. Support for further total outdoor smoking bans is generally moderate, but low for restaurants, bars, and pubs. Overall, these findings suggest the feasibility of extending smoke-free policies to other public and private settings to protect others from tobacco smoke exposure.

Water Quality Assessment of Outdoor Public Swimming Pools in Ovia North East, Edo State, Nigeria

Poor water quality management practices of public swimming pools have raised concerns about the health safety of these recreational facilities. This study evaluated the physicochemical properties and bacteriological quality of four (4) outdoor swimming pools in Ovia North East, Local Council of Edo State, Nigeria. Results of physicochemical analysis showed that water temperature (25.75 - 26.38°C), pH (3.78 - 6.1), electrical conductivity (37.5 - 72.5 mg/L), total dissolved solids (14.58 - 38.43mg/L), turbidity (0.75 - 4NTU), dissolve oxygen (6.03 - 7.43mg/L), residual chlorine (0.03 - 0.13mg/L), alkalinity( 7 - 26.5mg/L), hardness (6 - 36mg/L), were within the World Health Organisation and Environmental Protection Agency stipulated maximum permissible limit for recreational waters except for pH and residual chlorine levels. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in all the studied pools – total bacteria count (1 – 3 cfu/100mL), total coliform count (1 – 5 cfu/100 mL) and E. coli count (1 – 2 cfu/100 mL) predisposes the users of these facilities to microbial infection. The findings demonstrated that the swimming pools did not meet the required standards, particularly in terms of pH levels, residual chlorine, and microbial parameters. There is a need for ongoing monitoring of swimming pool water quality, improving bathers’ hygienic practices, raising awareness about the associated risks, and providing training for governmental inspectors

Neurodevelopmental toxicity of a ubiquitous disinfection by-product, bromoacetic acid, in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Disinfection of public drinking water and swimming pools is crucial for preventing waterborne diseases, but it can produce harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs), increasing the risk of various diseases for those frequently exposed to such environments. Bromoacetic acid (BAA) is a ubiquitous DBP, with toxicity studies primarily focused on its in vitro cytotoxicity, and insufficient research on its neurodevelopmental toxicity. Utilizing zebrafish as a model organism, this study comprehensively explored BAA’s toxic effects and uncovered the molecular mechanisms through neurobehavioral analysis, in vivo two-photon imaging, transcriptomic sequencing, pharmacological intervention and molecular biological detection. Results demonstrated BAA induced significant changes on various indicators in the early development of zebrafish. Furthermore, BAA disrupted behavioral patterns in zebrafish larvae across locomotion activity, light-dark stimulation, and vibration stimulation paradigms. Subsequent investigation focused on larvae revealed BAA inhibited neuronal development, activated neuroinflammatory responses, and altered vascular morphology. Transcriptomic analysis revealed BAA-stressed zebrafish exhibited downregulation of visual transduction-related genes and activation of ferroptosis and cellular apoptosis. Neurobehavioral disorders were recovered by inhibiting ferroptosis and apoptosis. This study elucidates the neurodevelopmental toxicity associated with BAA, which is crucial for understanding health risks of DBPs and for the development of more effective detection methods and regulatory strategies.

Ouabain, ATPase inhibitor, potentially enhances the effect of polyhexamethylene biguanide on Acanthamoeba castellanii

Acanthamoeba, a free-living amoeba, is commonly found in various natural environments, such as rivers and soil, as well as in public baths, swimming pools, and sewers. Acanthamoeba can cause severe illness such as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in humans. AK, the most recognized disease, can cause permanent visual impairment or blindness by affecting the cornea. AK commonly affects contact lens wearers who neglect proper cleaning habits. The symptoms of AK include epithelial and stromal destruction, corneal infiltrate, and intense ocular pain, occasionally necessitating surgical removal of the entire eyeball. Current AK treatment involves the hourly application of eye drops containing polyhexamethylene biocide (PHMB). However, studies have revealed their ineffectiveness against drug-resistant strains. Acanthamoeba can form cysts as a survival mechanism in adverse environments, though the exact mechanism remains unknown. Our experiments revealed that sodium P-type ATPase (ACA1_065450) is closely linked to encystation. In addition, various encystation buffers, such as MgCl2 or NaCl, induced the expression of P-type ATPase. Furthermore, we used ouabain, an ATPase inhibitor, to inhibit the Na+/K+ ion pump, consequently decreasing the encystation rate of Acanthamoeba. Our primary objective is to develop an advanced treatment for AK. We anticipate that the combination of ouabain and PHMB may serve as an effective therapeutic approach against AK in the future.

Association between exposure to airborne trichloramine and health effects in indoor swimming pool workers.

The main objective of this study was to comprehensively investigate the association between trichloramine (TCA) exposure and respiratory health effects in swimming pool workers. In this study, air sampling was performed for TCA concentrations at fixed locations (static measurements) and on individual workers (personal measurements) in six indoor public swimming pools during periods of high swimmer attendance over the winter school break. Health effects were evaluated using questionnaires and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) tests performed before and after the working day. In these swimming pools, the environmental TCA concentration ranged from 0.11 to 0.88 mg/m³. Worker exposure ranged from 0.05 to 0.72 mg/m³ for personal measurements. Furthermore, in each swimming pool, the average worker exposure to TCA exceeded the recommended occupational exposure limit of 0.35 mg/m³. Personal TCA measurements were consistently lower than static measurements performed around the pool, with a reduction ranging from 21% to 49%. This can be explained by the time that the workers spend in the pool area, office, and break room. The most common respiratory health effects self-reported by the workers were coughing, shortness of breath, and sneezing with prevalence rates of 38%, 37%, and 35%, respectively. This study demonstrated an association between TCA exposure and eye irritation. Analysis of the FENO tests revealed that individuals with preexisting asthma or allergies exhibited sustained FENO elevation. The findings suggest that occupational exposure to TCA in indoor swimming pools is a matter of concern. Implementing and improving workplace safety measures is crucial for safeguarding the respiratory health of swimming pool workers.

Sharia Swimming Pool: A Practice and the Factors that Affect Consumers

The swimming pool is a part of tourism, entertainment, and sports activities. The development of halal tourism demands swimming pool facilities that can better meet Sharia principles that benefit Muslim consumers. This study aims to reveal Sharia swimming pool management practices and explore why its customers choose Sharia swimming pools over conventional swimming pools. This research was conducted to reveal the halal lifestyle that has penetrated halal tourism, including swimming pools based on Sharia principles. This study uses a phenomenological approach to reveal the phenomenon of swimming pool practices and factors that affect its customers. This study interviewed 15 people with characteristics of high-intensity Sharia swimming pool use. It revealed that Islamic pool management practices include rules for members to enter, swimwear, facilities, and services provided. This study explores the factors influencing Islamic pool consumers by grouping them internally and externally. Internal factors impacting Sharia swimming pool users include comfort, halal lifestyle, and health. At the same time, the support of facilities, encouragement from others, and unpleasant experiences in public or traditional swimming pools are part of external factors. This study is expected to become a reference for Sharia swimming pool management practices and evidence of the findings of factors that encourage consumers to choose Sharia swimming pools.

Medium-term water consumption forecasting based on deep neural networks

Water consumption forecasting is an essential tool for water management, as it allows for efficient planning and allocation of water resources, an undervalued but indispensable resource for all living beings. With the increasing demand for accurate and timely water forecasting, traditional forecasting methods are proving to be insufficient. Deep learning techniques, which have shown remarkable performance in a wide range of applications, offer a promising approach to address the challenges of water consumption forecasting. In this work, the use of deep learning models for medium-term water consumption forecasting of residential areas is explored. A deep feed-forward neural network is developed to predict water consumption of a company’s customers for the next quarter. First, customers are grouped according to their consumption as these customers include both household consumers and special consumers such as public swimming pools, sports halls or small industries. Then, a deep feed-forward neural network is designed for household customers by obtaining the optimal values for those hyperparameters that have a great influence on the network performance. Results are reported using a real-world dataset composed of the water consumption from 1999 to 2015 on a quarterly basis, corresponding to 3262 clients of a water supply company. Finally, the proposed algorithm is evaluated by comparing it with other reference algorithms including an LSTM network.

Role of Free-Ranging Synanthropic Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) as Natural Host Reservoirs for Salmonella spp. in Germany.

Salmonella is one of the most common and pathogenic bacteria worldwide, causing severe enteritis in humans and representing a relevant intestinal illness in One Health for young, old and immunosuppressed patients. Various Salmonella serovars have been described to be responsible for human Salmonellosis. Birds represent natural carriers of different zoonotic-relevant Salmonella serovars and Anseriformes can not only transmit Salmonella spp. to humans but also manifest clinical Salmonellosis. In this study, 138 scat samples (n = 138) of free-ranging Egyptian geese (EG; Alopochen aegyptiaca) were collected in Germany, including 83 scat samples from city parks, 30 samples from 14 public swimming pools and 25 fresh caecal samples of dead EG. Collected EG scat samples were examined for the presence of Salmonella spp. according either to the ISO 6579 (2017) norm or to a combination of bacterial pre-enrichment and specific PCR for detection of Salmonella DNA. All 138 analysed EG faecal samples resulted Salmonella-negative. Furthermore, the survival of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Anatum in spiked EG droppings was tested in four different concentrations of chlorinated pool water. In vitro testing demonstrated that S. Anatum-spiked EG droppings were still infectious for up to six hours in chlorinated pool water according to current German regulations for public swimming pools. This study is to be considered as a baseline investigation to clarify the role of synanthropic EG as natural carriers of zoonotic Salmonella in cities; nonetheless, large-scale epidemiological studies, including higher numbers of samples as well as more urban locations, are needed for final conclusions on the occurrence of this intestinal bacteria in neozootic EG.

Nanomaterials in sunscreens: Potential human and ecological health implications.

Inorganic nanomaterials such as TiO2 and ZnO provide significant benefits in terms of UV protection, and their use generally has increased in commercial sunscreens. However, more recently there have been concerns about their potential human and ecological health implications, mostly driven by perception rather than by formal assessments. The large and increasing body of literature on these nanomaterials indicates that in most circumstances their risk are minimal. Penetration of the human epidermis is minimal for these nanomaterials, significantly reducing the potential effects that these nanomaterials may pose to internal organs. The excess Zn ion dose is very small compared to normal dietary consumption of Zn, which is a necessary element. The levels of residual nanomaterials or released ions in public swimming pools is also low, with minimal effect in case this water is ingested during swimming or bathing. In natural environments with significant water flow due to wind and water currents, the concentrations of nanomaterials and released ions are generally well below levels that would cause effects in aquatic organisms. However, sensitive habitats with slow currents, such as coral reefs, may accumulate these nanomaterials. The number of studies of the levels and effects of nanomaterials in these sensitive habitats is very small; more research is needed to determine if there is an elevated risk to these ecosystems from the use of sunscreens with these nanomaterials.

Physicochemical Quality of Public Swimming Pools in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The quality of water in public swimming pools is essential to the wellbeing of tourist and visitors who patronize them. When standard of treatment is compromised it become a threat to the swimmers. This study assessed the levels of heavy metals in 6 randomly selected public swimming pools in Yenagoa Metropolis, Bayelsa State. The sampling and analysis was carried out following standard protocols. Results on were reported for; Temperature (26.16 – 29.82 oC), pH (6.33 – 6.87), residual chlorine (0.44 – 4.14 mg/l), Total dissolved solid (36.18 – 81.44 mg/l), Turbidity (3.49 – 7.17 NTU), and Conductivity (70.22 – 177.94 mg/l). All values recorded were with the WHO permissible limit for recreational water. This study concludes that there is need to formulate the standardization and compliance monitoring as well as operational standards of public swimming pools in order to mitigate potential adverse effects and may arise from standard compromise.

What is the optimal pool lifeguard to patron ratio to prevent drowning? A virtual reality eye-tracking study

Lifeguards play a crucial role in ensuring patron safety at public swimming pools to detect victims in distress to prevent drowning. Whilst there are guidelines as to the ratio of lifeguards to patrons to ensure adequate supervision, there has been no empirical evidence to support these ratios. This research aims to ascertain the ideal ratio of lifeguards to persons in the water to detect a drowning victim within an appropriate timeframe to prevent death or neurological damage, using immersive virtual reality eye-tracking technology. Fifty qualified lifeguards in Victoria, Australia, viewed nine 120 s video clips filmed at a public pool, using a 360-degree GoPro camera to create a 360 view of one or two pools. Six videos contained simulated drownings, and three had no drowning. Videos were randomized with different scenes and patron numbers (25–115). Lifeguards noted if they identified a potential drowning and the time of identification. Results demonstrate that when the number of patrons exceeded 75, the lifeguards did not identify a drowning victim 50% of the time. A higher number of patrons in the pool also influenced the time taken by lifeguards to identify a potential drowning victim (>10 s). This study shows that with higher numbers of patrons in a pool, the ability of lifeguards to detect a drowning victim within the recommended time to prevent long-term effects decreases. Current guidelines for the ratio of patrons per lifeguard should be reviewed considering these findings.

Environmental surveillance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in recreational waters in tourist facilities of the Balearic Islands, Spain (2016–2019)

BackgroundPseudomonas aeruginosa is a major opportunistic human pathogen commonly connected with recreational water activities. Spain is a tourist destination where most of the establishments have swimming pool. Nevertheless, the prevalence of P. aeruginosa in public swimming pools in our country is unknown. This works aimed to survey the P. aeruginosa presence in tourist Spanish recreational waters. MethodTourist recreational water in hotels in the Balearic Islands were visited for four years (2016–2019). The levels of selected parameters were determined, and their correlation with P. aeruginosa contamination investigated. ResultsWe evaluated 11,014 samples from 254 facilities. Unacceptable levels of at least one legislated parameter were detected in 30.7% of cases, implicating closure in 15.9%, being P. aeruginosa the leading cause of closure. The prevalence of the pathogen was 14.2%, with lower presence in outer swimming pools. Disinfectant levels influence P. aeruginosa contamination, and bromine-maintained pools were more often contaminated than those treated with chlorine. Prevalence remained constant over the years, although it increased in 2019. ConclusionsP. aeruginosa prevalence in our recreational waters is similar to other countries, and the contamination rates depend on the installations and type and disinfectant levels. Corrective measures are still needed to improve pathogen control.

Occurrence of bromide and bromate in chlorinated indoor swimming pools, and associated health risks

Swimming is a physical activity that is accessible to people of all ages in all seasons. However, continuous organic and inorganic precursor load and disinfectant dosing make pool water chemistry much more complex than other disinfected waters. Carcinogenic bromate compound is one of the hundreds of disinfection by-products in pool water. The occurrence of bromate in pool waters depends on the precursor content of filling water, the disinfection process, operating parameters, and the purity of disinfectants. While the average filling water bromide concentrations of University Campus indoor swimming pool in Gülbahçe –Urla (SP1) and Buca public indoor swimming pool (SP2) were determined to be 182 μg/L and 11.0 μg/L, respectively, the average bromate concentrations of SP1 and SP2 were 59.4 μg/L and 68.3 μg/L. Estimated chronic-toxic health risks of accidental ingestion of pool water during swimming (between 10-3 and 10-1) were lower than the threshold level (‘1’). Although the carcinogenic risks in central tendency scenario (

Cue utilization and pool lifeguarding

Introduction: Amongst pool lifeguards, the capacity to identify drowning swimmers quickly and accurately depends on the interpretation of critical cues. However, assessing the capacity for cue utilization amongst lifeguards at present is costly, time-consuming, and largely subjective. The aim of this study was to test the relationship between cue utilization and the detection of drowning swimmers in a series of virtual public swimming pool scenarios. Method: Eighty-seven participants with or without lifeguarding experience engaged in three virtual scenarios, two of which were target scenarios where drowning events occurred within a 13 minute or 23 minute period of watch. Cue utilization was assessed using the pool lifeguarding edition of the EXPERTise 2.0 software following which 23 participants were classified with higher cue utilization, while the remaining participants were classified with lower cue utilization. Results: The results revealed that participants with higher cue utilization were more likely to have acquired experience as a lifeguard, were more likely to detect the drowning swimmer within a three minute period, and, in the case of the 13 minute scenario, recorded a greater dwell time on the drowning victim prior to the drowning event. Conclusion: The results suggest that cue utilization is associated with drowning detection performance in a simulated environment and could be employed as a basis for assessments of performance amongst lifeguards in the future. Practical Implications: Measures of cue utilization are associated with the timely detection of drowning victims in virtual pool lifeguarding scenarios. Employers and trainers of lifeguards can potentially augment existing lifeguarding assessment programs to quickly and cost-effectively identify the capabilities of lifeguards. This is especially useful for new lifeguards or where pool lifeguarding is a seasonal activity that might be associated with skill decay.

The importance of contingently public goods

The importance of contingently public goods

Revisiting Disinfection Byproducts with Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-High Resolution-Mass Spectrometry: Identification of Novel Halogenated Sulfonic Acids in Disinfected Drinking Water.

High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) coupled to either gas chromatography or reversed-phase liquid chromatography is the generic method to identify unknown disinfection byproducts (DBPs) but can easily overlook their highly polar fractions. In this study, we applied an alternative chromatographic separation method, supercritical fluid chromatography-HRMS, to characterize DBPs in disinfected water. In total, 15 DBPs were tentatively identified for the first time as haloacetonitrilesulfonic acids, haloacetamidesulfonic acids, and haloacetaldehydesulfonic acids. Cysteine, glutathione, and p-phenolsulfonic acid were found as precursors during lab-scale chlorination, with cysteine providing the highest yield. A mixture of the labeled analogues of these DBPs was prepared by chlorination of 13C3-15N-cysteine and analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for structural confirmation and quantification. A total of 6 drinking water treatment plants utilizing various source waters and treatment trains produced sulfonated DBPs upon disinfection. Those were widespread in the tap water of 8 cities across Europe, with estimated concentrations up to 50 and 800 ng/L for total haloacetonitrilesulfonic acids and haloacetaldehydesulfonic acids, respectively. Up to 850 ng/L haloacetonitrilesulfonic acids were found in 3 public swimming pools. Considering the stronger toxicity of haloacetonitriles, haloacetamides, and haloacetaldehydes than the regulated DBPs, these newly found sulfonic acid derivatives may also pose a health risk.

Swimming pool water disinfection by-products profiles and association patterns

The aim of this work was to determine and study the concentration of different groups of disinfection by-products (DBPs): trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, haloacetonitriles, haloacetones and combined chlorine (as an indicator of chloramine levels), in the water of 175 public swimming pools in Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). The study included chlorinated and brominated pools, indoor and outdoor, used for recreational and sports purposes, and filled with water from calcareous and siliceous soils. The most abundant were haloacetic acids, followed by trihalomethanes, with chlorinated or brominated forms predominating depending on whether the pools were disinfected by chlorination or bromination, respectively. All the 75th percentiles of DBPs were below the limits established by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), although the maximum values of trihalomethanes exceeded them. The same was true for dichloroacetonitrile in chlorinated pools and dibromoacetonitrile in brominated pools. All families of DBPs showed positive associations with each other, all being significant except for combined chlorine. Their mean levels were higher in outdoor pools than in indoor pools, significantly so in all except combined chlorine. Recreational pools showed higher levels of haloacetic acids and combined chlorine than sports pools. The concentrations of the different groups of DBPs were higher in the pools than in the mains water that fed them. This increase, especially that of the haloacetonitriles, as well as the high concentrations of brominated forms in the pools disinfected by bromination, make it necessary to focus on their toxicological implication. The differences in the DBP profiles of the filling network water were not transferred to the pool water.

Perancangan Smart Locker dengan Implementasi Sistem IoT dan Aplikasi Mobile Android

A locker is a storage facility that can be seen at several public facilities such as public swimming pools, a library, and sports facilities like a gymnasium. Most lockers at public facilities still use conventional locking techniques. This has a negative impact in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and security. Therefore, a QR-Code-based system that is integrated with the android application has been created to function for monitoring availability, borrowing lockers, and opening and locking lockers through the android application. Smart locker system using ESP32 as microcontroller and network that used to receive data sent from android application. When data is received, ESP32 will respond by activating the relay which controls the magnetic lock that replaced the conventional lock, while the android application is created for monitoring locker availability, borrowing lockers, and opening and locking lockers through the android application. This test is carried out for this application, which refers to the ISO 25010 standard with aspects of functional suitability, usability, and compatibility. The results of testing aspects of functional suitability and compatibility get 100% feasibility percentage results. Then for usability, it shows that from the 10-point questionnaire distributed to respondents, the percentage of feasibility results is 78.98% which is included in the acceptable category, this shows that the mobile application has good quality. The system test was done by pressing the button in the android application at the same time with two different devices and having a time difference while opening the lockers with a time average of 0.874 seconds.

Phytochemical and biological properties of the water extract from roots and leaves of Lactuca longidentata, an endemic phytoalimurgic (food) species of Central Sardinia (Italy)

Lactuca longidentata is an endemic species present in Sardinia (Italy). The present study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and biological properties of leaf and root water extracts obtained from L. longidentata. Phenolic composition, scavenging/reducing, and enzyme inhibition properties were investigated. In vitro studies, namely allelopathy assay, brine shrimp and Daphnia magna toxicity tests, and viability assay on C2C12 myocytes were also conducted for defining the limits of biocompatibility. Antimicrobial properties were studied against Gram + and Gram − bacteria, yeasts, dermatophytes, and fungi isolated as contaminants of public swimming pools. Colorimetric analyses indicated that leaves are richer than roots in total phenols and flavonoids, whereas chromatographic analyses confirmed that leaves are richer in catechins and chicoric acid. The leaf extract was also the most effective as antiradical agent. Within the limits of biocompatibility (concentration <200 µg/mL), the leaf extract was particularly effective in reducing the growth of Escherichia coli and Trichophyton tonsurans (MIC < 10 µg/mL). However, a similar potency was showed by the root extract against the swimming pool fungal species Rhodotorula, Auxarthron ostraviense, and Trichothecium roseum. Overall, the present study suggested new scenarios for this botanical resource, traditionally used as a food, but underestimated as a health-promoting agent.