Assessment of exposure of adult swimmers and lifeguards to trichloromethane present in water and air of indoor swimming pools in Poland
author:
SŁAWOMIR GARBOŚ, DOROTA ŚWIĘCICKA
ORCID ID:
0000-0001-8714-424X , 0000-0002-4878-3257
No:
12/2025 Instal pp.58-63
DOI:
10.36119/15.2025.12.10
Concentrations of trichloromethane (TClM) in swimming pool water (SPW) and in air were determined in a total of
thirteen indoor swimming pool facilities located in Poland. Disinfection of swimming pool water with sodium
hypochlorite and gaseous chlorine leads to the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) in SPW, primarily TClM, whose
concentrations can reach a maximum of 28.1 μg/L in sports pools. On the other hand, TClM concentrations in the air
of halls of indoor swimming pool facilities can reach values up to 150 μg/m3
.
In the assessment of exposure of adult swimmers, the share of the daily inhalation dose of TClM is dominant,
accounting from 88.2% to 98.3% of the chronic daily intake (CDI) of this chemical compound, taking into account all
three exposure routes: accidental oral intake of SPW (0.22-1.5% CDI), dermal contact with SPW (1.5-10.3% CDI)
and inhalation of TClM with the air. Nevertheless, taking into account the observed levels of TClM concentrations in
SPW of sports swimming pools and in the air, it can be concluded that the exposure of adult swimmers is negligible
(Hazard Quotients << 1).
Taking into account the estimated exposure of lifeguards to TClM (mainly inhalation exposure) and the legally defined
value of the maximum admissible concentration (8 mg/m3), it can be concluded that the observed concentrations of
this compound in the air of swimming pool halls do not adversely affect the health of this professional group.
Keywords:
About Authors:
Dr Sławomir Garboś https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8714-424X ‒ Department of Nutrition and Nutritional Value of Food, National Institute of
Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
Dr inż. Dorota Święcicka https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-4878-3257 ‒ Department of Environmental Health Safety, National Institute of Public
Health NIH – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Corresponding address: sgarbos@pzh.gov.pl
