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Chemicals in pool water associated with bladder cancer

Category: Cancer Detection and Tumor Markers

Individuals who have spent long periods of time in indoor pools may want to consider seeking bladder cancer testing, as a new study has found that chemicals used to treat the water may contribute to the growth of harmful tumors.

Researchers from the Environmental Protection Agency measured levels of disinfection by-products (DBP) - chemicals used to clean pool water that have been shown to cause harmful side effects - in the blood of swimmers that spent 40 minutes in a pool.

They found that levels of DBPs were higher than expected. Researchers noted that sustained exposure to such high levels of these chemicals could result in harmful genetic mutations that could lead to cancer later in life.

Additionally, researchers tested pool water and found many potentially harmful chemicals that are generally not reported to be in swimming water. The authors noted that these chemicals may not be as severe as the cancer-causing DBPs, but they can still kill cells.

The health agency plans on conducting further research to determine the long-term health effects of these chemicals.