Assessment of worker exposure to disinfection byproducts at indoor swimming pools in Québec / : Chemical and biological hazard prevention

Despite the divergences in the data found in the literature and the difficulty of establishing strong causal links, the data appear to minimize the potential risks related to the presence of DBPs and to prioritize controlling the microbiological risk, even though the benefits of swimming are highlighted. [...] A questionnaire (see Appendix C) was submitted online afterward to each of the participating facilities to collect information about the age of the facility, its bather load and the practices/recommendations issued to bathers with respect to hygiene, the configuration of the site and the swimming pool basin, the ventilation conditions and the treatment devices used. [...] The pumps were systematically positioned at the height of the most centrally located lifeguard chair to capture the air in the respiratory zone of a person standing at the edge of the swimming pool (approximately 150 cm above the water’s surface). [...] The visits were of variable durations from two to five hours, depending on the schedules of the participating sites and the volunteer subjects, and the availabilities of the team responsible for sampling. [...] The THMs and CAMs in the ambient air around the swimming pool were measured in an integrated manner over each of the periods at the breathing height of a man standing beside the swimming pool.