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Ahmadpour E, Halle S, Valois I, Ryan PE, Haddad S, Rodriguez M, El Aroussi B, Simard S, Delpla I, Proulx F, Tardif R, Debia M. Temporal and spatial variations in the levels of prominent airborne disinfection by-products at four indoor swimming pools. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE 2022; 19:185-196. [PMID: 35119975 DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2022.2035741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to airborne disinfection by-products, especially trichloramine and trichloromethane, may cause various adverse health effects for the workers and users of indoor swimming pools. This study aims to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations in trichloramine and trichloromethane concentrations within and between swimming pools. Workplace measurements were carried out at four indoor swimming pools in Quebec (Canada) during the cold season. To fully represent daily operating conditions, sampling started 2 hr before the swimming pool opened and continued until 2 hr after closing. To quantify trichloramine and trichloromethane concentrations, 304 air samples have been collected. Temperature, humidity, and CO2 were measured-simultaneously every 2 hr. The results showed that both trichloramine and trichloromethane concentrations varied significantly in time. The observed daily variations in trichloramine and trichloromethane concentrations suggest that the common practice of collecting a single 2-hr air sample does not represent daily pool trichloramine and trichloromethane contamination levels and, consequently, does not represent the true exposure and health risks for workers that are present for a full 8-hr shift. This study recommends a new 8-hr sampling strategy or a full-shift strategy using a cassette with three impregnated filters as a valid and cost-effective solution for comparing time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations to permissible trichloramine exposure limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Ahmadpour
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Le Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephan Halle
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Valois
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Le Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Patrick Eddy Ryan
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Le Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sami Haddad
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Le Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Manuel Rodriguez
- École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional (ESAD), Université Laval, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Badr El Aroussi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Le Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sabrina Simard
- École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional (ESAD), Université Laval, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ianis Delpla
- École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional (ESAD), Université Laval, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - François Proulx
- École supérieure d'aménagement du territoire et de développement régional (ESAD), Université Laval, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert Tardif
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maximilien Debia
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Le Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Nitter TB, Hirsch Svendsen KV. Covariation amongst pool management, trichloramine exposure and asthma for swimmers in Norway. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 723:138070. [PMID: 32217397 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The association between asthma and exposure to the air in swimming facilities has been acknowledged. However, the variation in, long-term exposure to and management of the respiratory irritant trichloramine (NCl3) is not well understood. In this study, 313 swimmers above 18 years of age licensed by the Norwegian Swimming Association answered a questionnaire about health and swimming. The prevalence of asthma amongst the most-exposed swimmers was 36%. Two facilities, those with the highest and lowest reported prevalence of asthma, were chosen for further investigation. For each facility, a one-week-long monitoring campaign was performed, during which pool management, air and water quality were investigated. The results of this study showed that time of day, occupancy and pool management affect the concentration of NCl3, which ranged from 58 μg/m3 to 461 μg/m3. Furthermore, in one of the facilities, the concentration of CO2 was measured to evaluate whether this contaminant could be used to predict the number of pool occupants as well as the concentration of NCl3 in the air. The concentration of CO2 was significantly correlated with occupancy level (ρ = 0.82, p = 0.01) and NCl3 concentration (r = 0.80, p = 0.01). Furthermore, according to the random intercept model the concentration of CO2 explained 52% of the variation observed in the air concentration of NCl3. CO2 sensors to control the air supply can help reduce the air concentrations of NCl3 and balance the air supply based on occupancy level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Bergh Nitter
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway; Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, NTNU, Norway.
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