A Scientific Reason to Stop Peeing in the Pool [View all]

[HAB911]

“There are two kinds of people in the world,” a lifeguard told mental_floss recently. “Those that pee in the pool, and those that deny it."

We really don’t care that you’ve peed in the pool before. But we—and the American Chemical Society—do have one pretty compelling reason you should stop: your lungs. Read on and check out the video below if you think you’re ready for the truth.

It goes something like this. Standing water, like that in a swimming pool, is a breeding ground for germs, many of which could make us sick. To kill those germs, we dose our pools with disinfecting chemicals like chlorine. Ahhhh, yes. Chlorine. One of summer’s most distinctive, nostalgic aromas.

Except it isn’t. Or rather, chlorine is only part of it. The other essential chemical component is you … and your pee. And your poop particles. And your sweat.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/84911/scientific-reason-stop-peeing-pool