Search

Issue addressed Caregivers have a crucial role to play in keeping children safe at public swimming pool facilities, with the most common factor contributing to childhood drowning being a lapse in adult supervision. Methods A mixed methods approach was used to collect observations (n = 301) and interviews (n = 10) with caregivers of children aged 0-10 years at two public swimming pool facilities located in the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia (WA). Results Of the 449 children observed, children aged 6-10 years were significantly less likely to be provided with ideal supervision (26%) compared to younger children aged 0-5 years (62%). Of the caregivers who were using their mobile phone while supervising children (n = 100, 22% of children observed), none provided ideal supervision. Overall supervision levels among caregivers differed with gender, with only 44% (n = 74) of female caregivers providing ideal supervision, compared to 72% (n = 96) of male caregivers. The 10 interviews revealed several themes, including the following: caregivers' perceptions of their supervision responsibilities; barriers to supervision; and awareness and perceptions of a communications campaign designed by the Royal Life Saving WA Branch, known as Watch Around Water (WAW). Conclusion Caregiver supervision at public swimming pools remains an important issue, particularly the use of mobile phones and its deleterious impact on supervision. The WAW program plays an integral role in educating caregivers of supervision responsibilities. Furthermore, this study adds to the limited evaluation of the WAW program, and thus will help guide future improvements to ensure caregiver supervision is consistent. SO WHAT?: Further research is needed to create strategies to reduce mobile phone use among caregivers, in order to provide safer swimming environments.

Background: Since the swimming pool water quality as an attractive sports center lead to adverse effects on human heath, in this study, microbiological and physicochemical parameters of water of Abyaran and Laleh indoor swimming pools in city of Hamedan City in 2015 were investigated. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of fifty four water samples were collected from the shallow, medium depth and deep areas of two indoor swimming pools. Physicochemical parameters including temperature, pH, turbidity and free residual chlorine were measured on site. All samples were tested for the presence of bacterial contamination by specific mediums. Results: The mean values of water temperature and pH and also the mean contents of free residual chlorine in 100 percent of samples were lower than the standard levels, while, the mean values of turbidity in 100 percent of samples were higher than the standard levels. Meanwhile, in 100 percent of collected water samples from both swimming pools no microbial contamination to Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Staphylococcus Aureus were observed and therefore users don't at health risk. While due to the total coliform and fecal coliform in 100 percent and 33.33 percent of analyzed water samples respectively were also found to be above the expected levels, users were at health risk. Conclusion: Due to the mean values of turbidity and presence of coliform bacteria in analyzed water samples collected from Abyaran and Laleh swimming pools in city of Hamedan City were observed above expected levels, therefore, the quality control of public swimming pool water is recommended.

The physicochemical and bacteriological assessment of pool water samples from selected hotels in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria was investigated. A total of 10 pool water samples were collected from five pools before and after use following standard procedures. Physicochemical and bacteriological analyses were performed using standard methods. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was carried out according to CLSI procedures. Physicochemical analyses showed that the pool water samples were clear and colourless. The different parameters examined for each of the hotel showed varying degree of values. On the average, it was observed that values for turbidity, temperature and total dissolved solids were above the WHO and EPA permissible limit after use. The total bacterial, coliform and Escherichia coli counts of the pool water samples were higher after use than before use. A total of 21 isolates were recovered and presumptively identified as Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From among the 21 isolates, 14 (66.7%) were Escherichia coli, 5 (23.8%) were Enterococcus faecalis while only 2 (9.5%) were Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All the isolates tested for antibiotic sensitivity showed considerable resistance to some of the antibiotics used. Findings from this study showed that some of the pools sampled did not meet up to WHO and EPA standards. Hence, the need for an effective and urgent intervention in constant monitoring of recreational facility to safeguard the health of the pool users.

Background The poor water quality of recreational and rehabilitation pools, has been correlated to insufficient disinfection or human contamination, and can be a vehicle for transmitting diseases to users. Because people with different characteristics attend public swimming pools with different purposes, the pool water quality control is essential to minimize hazards related to unsafe water. Methods This study was based on data collection of 144 samples between 2018 and 2020 in therapeutic and recreational pools (indoor and outdoor) in the Bragança district. The proportion of the number of bathers were estimated, as well as the microbial parameters: Total coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, total Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus coagulase-positive and mesophilic microbial count. Results The E. coli, enterococci and mesophilic microbial count were not found in any sample. Unsafe pool water was mainly contaminated by both photogenic P. aeruginosa (6.3%) and total Sthaphylococcus (10.4%). Levels of P. aeruginosa in therapeutic pools was greater than in recreational pools (indoor and outdoor) (10.5% vs 6.8% and 4.5%, respectively), while total Sthaphylococcus was absent in therapeutic pools and represent 13.6% and 10.6% of positivity in indoor and outdoor swimming pools, respectively. The bathers number medium of therapeutic, indoor and outdoor pools was 4.8, 3.4 and 6.9, respectively. Conclusions Overall, the results endorse the good water quality of these swimming pools, mainly by the absent of faecally-derived bacteria. The presence of P. aeruginosa in therapeutic pools can be explained by the type of users, while the high number of bathers may promote the growth of some microorganisms, particularly in outdoor pools.

There is a dearth of research conducted on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of swimming pool patrons and staff to determine their understanding of the importance of Cryptosporidium and its transmission in swimming pools. We conducted a KAP survey of public swimming pool patrons (n = 380) and staff (n = 40) attending five public swimming pools in Western Australia (WA). Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Cryptosporidium varied between patrons and staff but were generally limited. Only 26.1% and 25.0% of patrons and staff had heard of Cryptosporidium, while 17.4% and 10.0% knew that it causes diarrhoea, respectively. Thirty-one percent of patrons were aware of their pool policy concerning gastroenteritis and Cryptosporidium, compared to 62.5% of staff. Less than 50% of patrons demonstrated awareness of how features within the pool environment were relevant to the control of Cryptosporidium. Only about a third of patrons (35%) and staff (37.5%) were aware that showering before swimming reduced the risk of gastroenteritis. Raising awareness about hygiene-related practices through the delivery of targeted health education messages to the general public is essential to reduce the burden of Cryptosporidium infections in aquatic environments.

Das Schafbergbad, im 17. Wiener Gemeindebezirk auf der Kuppe des namensgebenden Schafbergs gelegen, wurde zwischen 1969 und 1976 unter der Federführung des Architekten Herbert Ursprunger errichtet. Im Rahmen des Wiener Bäderkonzeptes sollte in zwei Bauphasen ein Sommerbad mit einer späteren Erweiterung zu einem Hallenbad erbaut werden, das jedoch nicht umgesetzt wurde. Die Architektur des Bades folgt mit ihrem strikten orthogonalen Raster aus Fertigteilelementen und der Möglichkeit des Weiterbauens als Planungsgrundsatz klar ersichtlich der Tradition des Strukturalismus. Heute ist die Anlage in weiten Teilen im ursprünglichen Zustand erhalten, den Zubau einer Wasserrutsche aus den 1990er Jahren ausgenommen. In den vergangenen Jahren wurden das großflächige Becken und die gesamte Technik des Bades modernisiert, einige kleinere Reparaturarbeiten sowie die Erneuerung der Freizeitanlagen und des Kinderspielplatzes wurden in Angriff genommen – dies jedoch ohne ein einheitliches Gesamtkonzept. Ziel der Arbeit war eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit der Anlage, eine umfassende Analyse des Bestandes in Hinblick auf die Denkmalwerte, unter der Beachtung der bisherigen Veränderungen und Verluste, sowie in Folge die Ausarbeitung eines Gesamtkonzeptes für die Erhaltung des Bades., The Schafbergbad, located in the 17th district of Vienna on the hilltop of the eponymous Schafberg, was built between 1969 and 1976 under the direction of the architect Herbert Ursprunger. As part of the Wiener Bäderkonzept, a summer pool was to be built in two phases with a later extension to an indoor pool, which was never realised. The architecture of the bath clearly follows the tradition of structuralism with its strict orthogonal grid of prefabricated elements and the given possibility of further construction as a planning principle. Today, many parts of the complex have been preserved in their original state, with the exception of the addition of a water slide from the 1990s. In recent years, the large pool area and the entire technical equipment of the bath have been modernised, some minor repair work has been undertaken and the leisure facilities and children‘s playground have been renovated - but without any consistent overall design concept. The aim of the work was a critical examination of the complex, a comprehensive analysis of the existing structure with regard to the monument values, taking into account the previous changes and losses, and subsequently the elaboration of an overall concept for the preservation of the bath.

Background: Swimming becomes one of the favorites sports in Malaysian due to the health benefits, for essential skills. The public swimming pool not only for an adult but there are for created for children as well. Most of the public swimming pool also provided a with two type of pool, adult and baby swimming pool.Objective: The purpose for this research is to compare the microbiological water quality and chlorine level between adult and baby public swimming pool in Klang Valley.Methodology: 21 water sample from public swimming pools include hotel, apartment, and public swimming pool in Lembah Klang, Malaysia was collected. The water samples collected in sterile bottles (30 ml). Physicochemical parameters determine by using standard instruments and methods (rainbow model 78), and the presence of the colony was using a heterotrophic plate count (HPC).Result: From heterotrophic plate count result shown out of 21 swimming pool for adult and 21 swimming pool for baby, 19.1% did not follow the World Health Organization (WHO), HPC. The microbiological quality (mean colony count) between baby and adult pool, there were slight differences of at 0.24%. The baby pool shows the higher value at of colony count at 111±197.334 compared with adult pool at 87.095±149.543. The independent t-test showed there is no significant between these groups with a p-value for at 0.65 (>0.05). For chlorine level, baby pool showed 47.6% swimming pools follow standard chlorine level and for an adult pool, 42.9 %. Comparing between two groups, baby pools show higher value with of chlorine at 1.581 ± 1.369 while adult pool at 1.414±1.293. The p-value for both as analyzed by independent t-test shows 0.694 (>0.05), which is not significant.Conclusion: The study recommends improvement in personal hygiene of swimmers, adequate disinfection of the pools and enforcement of standards by the government.

Purpose We present a challenging case of a 9-year-old patient with refractory neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) who was successfully treated with cenegermin eye drops. Methods A 7-year-old boy developed an ocular infection after a visit to a public swimming pool. After having been unsuccessfully treated for 2 years with antibiotics, steroids, and artificial tears, the patient presented to our clinic with a therapy-refractory NK. We initiated treatment with autologous serum eye drops that showed only weak response. Therefore, treatment with cenegermin eye drops was started. Results After cenegermin therapy, a complete restoration of the corneal surface and an increase in visual acuity were achieved. Conclusions The use of cenegermin is effective in treating pediatric NK.

A polygeneration system is an energy system capable of providing multiple energy outputs to meet local demands, by application of high process integration. In this paper, optimal configuration and capacity of a polygeneration system for an indoor swimming pool building is determined by application of a method based on TRNSYS simulation and GenOpt optimization software. Based on the applicability, a superstructure of the polygeneration system is integrated, consisting of the following polygeneration modules: an internal combustion engine cogeneration module, a vapor compression chiller, and adsorption chiller, a ground source heat pump, flat plate solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic collectors, and heat storage. Annual behavior of energy loads of the public swimming pool building during a typical meteorological year and the polygeneration system are modeled and simulated using TRNSYS software, whereas techno-economic optimization is performed by GenOpt optimization. The results indicated the optimal con-figuration of the polygeneration system for the modelled energy demands, as well as the optimal capacity of the polygeneration modules, thus defining the optimal capacity of the polygeneration system for the energy demands of the public swimming pool building. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III 42006: Research and development of energy and environmentally highly effective polygeneration systems based on using renewable energy sources]

Various studies have shown that swimming pool mismanagement could serve as medium for water-borne diseases transmission. The research aimed to assess the biological quality of public swimming pool water in Tangerang city. One public swimming pool at the center of Tangerang city was assessed during November – December 2016 by adding two parameters to routine bacteriological indicators assessed by Tangerang city Heath Official in publicfacilities. Nine samples taken from three points in the swimming pool at three time periods, i.e. before, after, and during operational hours were analysed in the laboratory for detection and quantificaton of bacteriological indicators of swimming pool water, i.e. coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results showed that the number of total coliform and Escherichia coliof the public swimming pool exceeded WHO guidelines but not Peudomonas and Staphylococcus. Therefore,the disinfection, cleaning, and monitoring procedures need to be improved as well as increasing public swimming pool users education about the risk of potential transmissible diseases in public swimming pool.

Who is welcome in the public swimming pool? What makes different spaces and rooms more comfortable and accessible than others? The empirical material of this study is built on four interviews with people who have a non-normative body. Their experiences and emotions concerning the public swimming pool are studied through an intersectional and phenomenological perspective. With these perspectives’ assumptions, emotions and approaches concerning swimming pools in relation to bodynormativity have become noticeable. Specific viewpoints have been centered on ableism, gender and body size. One observation has been made in a public swimming pool with the intention to raise awareness of my own body in the specific context. With that insight I can relate my observation to the statements that were reached through the interviews. Generally, bodynormativity is something that we are all aware of and likely adapted to. Dressing rooms and spaces where naked bodies meet are tending to bring awareness to your own body. The main conclusions of this study are that changing the design of dressing rooms and developing a private space to change and shower in will make the situation safer. Onward highlighting a public dialogue to question stigmas related to non-normative bodies will in the end benefit non-normative bodies to feel more welcome in places like public swimming pools.

In October 2016, an outbreak of norovirus occurred among attendees of a Halloween-themed party at a public swimming pool in the south-east of England. Norovirus genogroup II was confirmed in 11 cases. In the retrospective cohort study of pool users, 68 individuals (37 female and 31 male), with a median age of 11 years (range: 0–50 years), met the case definition of developing diarrhoea or vomiting between 6 and 72 h after the pool visit. Multivariable analysis showed that increasing age was associated with a reduced risk of illness (odds ratio = 0.91; 95% confidence interval: 0.83–0.99). Pool behaviours (swallowing water) and the timing of visit (attending pool party after automatic dosing system was switched off) were independently associated with increased risk. Environmental investigations revealed that the automatic dosing system was switched off to reduce chlorine levels to an intended range of 0.5–1 parts per million to facilitate the use of a commercial red dye. There was a lack of compliance with the operator's own pool operating procedures, particularly on maintaining effective chlorine levels in pool water, recording of test results and recording of actions undertaken. This outbreak highlights the risks of lowering chlorine levels when using pool water colourants.

Swimming and water safety skills are important life skills, particularly in Australia, where aquatic activities are regularly enjoyed. Little research has been undertaken exploring children’s swimming and water safety skills, what level they can achieve, and what factors impact their ability to learn these skills. This study explores children aged 5-12 years who participated in the Australian Capital Territory Primary Schools Swim and Survive Program, 2009-2011. Children who were more likely to achieve higher levels were older, were female, attended private school, swam at least once a fortnight, had a swimming pool at home, or visited a public swimming pool. Those who were less likely were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, had a negative experience, and swam less than once a fortnight.

A 41-year-old Caucasian male presented at the Department of ermatology with a two day history of a painful papulovesicular ruption on the hands and feet (Fig. 1). The lesions started on the almar site of the hands after the patient suffered from fever, genral malaise, and a mild cough. Subsequently, the lesions appeared n the dorsal site of hands and fingers and on the feet as well, xtending to the calves within 48 h. The symptoms started several ours after visiting a public swimming pool. The patient had not een exposed to animals and had not travelled to foreign countries, xcept for Denmark, in the previous weeks. Several days before the tart of the eruption, his six-year-old daughter had been ill and his ife had suffered from herpes labialis. However, the patient had ever had clinical signs of herpes and moreover denied to suffer rom any oral lesions or symptoms. The patient had a history of Wegener’s granulomatosis, diagosed in 1997, for which he was first treated with steroids, yclophosphamide and mycofenolate mofetil (Cellcept®). In 2011 e experienced his last relapse, and eversince used azathiorine 150 mg daily, without signs of a reactivation. Furthermore, e used omeprazole and co-trimoxazole for years and started ydrochlorothiazide three weeks earlier because of hypertension. n addition he suffered from psoriasis vulgaris for years, treated ith topical calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate. Dermatological examination on day three of the eruption evealed livid-erythematous, mainly dried up lenticular (papulo) esicles on the palmar and dorsal site of hands and wrists. His feet ere affected with similar lesions and interdigital bullae and ero

Ergonomics teaches that the “average man” doesnt exist. Panero and Zelnik [1] say that make three measures coincide in the same person is a small chance: 3%. A guided observation in a swimming pool makes it easy to realize this fact: if a woman that is L (large) on the bust buys a swimsuit, she must be also L in the whole body, or the garment will have a bad fitting in any part that's not L. This paper discusses that not every women have the whole body in a same standard size “small”, “medium” or “large” and the objectives that guided the research were realize what options of swimsuit exist and how could modeling satisfy that ergonomics issue. Buying a swimsuit, for those who are not small on hips and small at the bust, is always a choice of bad fitting. The situation gets even worst if she is not in the “average” height. Normally women choose to buy the size that fits their biggest measure, and at the part of the body where fabric was not needed in that amount it over abounds. Guided observations in a thermal center and interviews in a public swimming pool with structured enquiries were made for this research which purpose was verify what do industry offers to ladies above fifty years old as swimsuits for indoor activities, what kind of situations of discomfort they experiment and what they would change in it, if it was possible. The main results of this research are that swimsuits, for ladies above 50 years old, must have a sewing line under the bust, allowing better accommodation of breast; problems with the straps, that commonly enlarge with some use; and the size, that doesnt fit comfortably if the shape of the user is not the same size at the top and at the bottom. This paper presents the alternative of inviting customers who doesn’t have their needs fulfilled by the common stores (“non average woman”) to choose each part of a modular system of swimwear as a good way to apply the studies of design project, converting swimsuits “three size fits all” into swimsuits that really fit.

Actualmente, las actividades acuáticas están en auge al ser muy demandadas por la población y los usuarios deportivos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue llevar a cabo un estudio de caso, valorando la satisfacción de los usuarios de la piscina municipal de Puente Tocinos (Región de Murcia). Para ello, se contó con una muestra compuesta por 44 usuarios (28 mujeres y 16 hombres), con una media de edad de 27,73 años (DT 14,5) y un rango de edad de 14 a 64 años. Todos los participantes cumplimentaron el “Cuestionario de valoración de servicios deportivos (EPOD2)”. Los datos obtenidos se analizaron con el programa informático SPSS 23. Los resultados mostraron una alta satisfacción general, sin diferencias signiicativas según sexo y edad. Los valores más altos de satisfacción se dieron en las dimensiones: monitores, actividades ofertadas, relación entre el personal de la instalación, y calidad vinculada al precio. Los valores más bajos correspondieron a la limpieza y amplitud de los vestuarios de la instalación. Se recomienda trabajar en la ampliación de espacios y limpieza de estos. Palabras clave: natación, calidad percibida, instalaciones acuáticas, gestión deportiva. ABSTRACT: Nowadays, aquatic activities are very important because they are very demanded by the population and sport users. he aim of this study was to carry out a case study, assessing the satisfaction of the users of the public swimming pool of Puente Tocinos (Region of Murcia). For this purpose, the sample was composed of 44 users (28 females and 16 males), with a mean age of 27.73 years (SD 14.5), ranging from 14 to 64 years. All participants completed the “Sports Services Assessment Questionnaire (EPOD2)”. he data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 23 software. he results showed a high overall satisfaction, without signiicant diferences according to sex and age. he highest values of satisfaction were given in the dimensions: monitors, activities ofered, relationship between the staf of the facility, and quality-price ratio. he lowest values corresponded to the cleanliness and spaciousness of the dressing rooms of the facility. It is recommended to work in the expansion and cleaning of spaces.

Due to lack of exercise, the visually impaired have a higher risk of developing critical health problems. Among all the sports, the acceptability of swimming is higher for the visually impaired. Swimming can be an excellent exercise for them, for not only maintaining good health, but also improving the illness caused by inactivity’s sedentary. Due to inconvenient, environmental unfriendly, safety concern and some personal obstacle, most of the visually impaired are not willing to swim in public swimming pool. Results showed that the obstacle and unfriendly space are the main reason that affect the willingness of visually impaired to swim. A swimming goggle with real-time feedback navigation system and environmental sensor will be designed to assist, guide direction, reducing obstacles and difficulties of both swimmers and caregivers, providing a convenient way for them to take part in this activity.

This article re-examines the swimming pool as a potent building type embodying the salient characteristics of Modernity. Not only did the building of modern public swimming pools celebrate new materials, engineered solutions and technologies but they also reflected rapidly changing attitudes to the body, leisure and fitness in line with Modernist aspirations. Public pools thus created new communal places where relationships between social, natural and built environments could be explored and embraced.In understanding these social and design aspirations to create the Modern ‘good life’, a set of English and Australian waterside open-air swimming pools and lidos of the 1930s – Scarborough (1915–1934), Tinside (1935), the Eastern Beach Reserve Geelong (1939) and the North Sydney pool (1936) – are described and compared in their past and present state. These seaside pools offered places for people to seek refuge within a setting which remains at once natural but also controlled and shaped, while also promoting the psychological and physiological benefits of open-air activities.In re-appraising the fate of the public swimming pool today, the article concludes by highlighting two successful contemporary examples, the Badeschiff in Berlin (2009) and the Copenhagen Harbour Bath (2003). We argue that these new pools have grown out of precedents found in the early twentieth century but have reinvigorated the type by offering new interpretations of designing with nature, and providing facilities more relevant to current leisure and environmental trends. Their success lends support to the need for careful documentation and conservation of earlier surviving exemplars.

International audience; In France, to prevent drowning accidents in public swimming pools (PSPs), bathing must be constantly supervised by qualified staff. However, fatal drowning regularly occurs in supervised aquatic facilities. A review of the literature shows that human supervision is a complex task. The aim of this research is to fully assess the periods during which supervision is not carried out, or carried out in an inadequate manner. The observations made in 108 French PSPs show that supervision is not carried out 18% of the time and that it is carried out inadequately 33% of the time. The medical literature shows that, in order to expect to survive without after-effects, an immersed victim requires intervention within a time limit of not more than three minutes; however, we noted, over a total observation time of 54 hours, 147 periods (29.8%) during which the supervision system was degraded for three minutes or more. This quantification research on the periods of degraded supervision is complemented by an identification of the causes leading to these degradations, from which we can draw interesting areas for improvement, particularly from an organizational point of view, in order to improve safety management in French PSPs.

Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most common waterborne diseases reported worldwide. Outbreaks of this gastrointestinal disease, which is caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite, are often attributed to public swimming pools and municipal water supplies. Between the months of January and April in 2009, New South Wales, Australia, experienced the largest waterborne cryptosporidiosis outbreak reported in Australia to date. Through the course of the contamination event, 1,141 individuals became infected with Cryptosporidium . Health authorities in New South Wales indicated that public swimming pool use was a contributing factor in the outbreak. To identify the Cryptosporidium species responsible for the outbreak, fecal samples from infected patients were collected from hospitals and pathology companies throughout New South Wales for genetic analyses. Genetic characterization of Cryptosporidium oocysts from the fecal samples identified the anthroponotic Cryptosporidium hominis IbA10G2 subtype as the causative parasite. Equal proportions of infections were found in males and females, and an increased susceptibility was observed in the 0- to 4-year age group. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated that the outbreak was primarily confined to the densely populated coastal cities of Sydney and Newcastle.

To study the long-term dynamics of trihalomethanes (THMs) in a warm (31–33°C) public swimming pool, we built a robust membrane inlet mass spectrometer that could perform unsupervised, on-site monitoring of the concentration of these compounds with off-site, real-time surveillance. The instrument was installed in a technical room below the pool and operated continuously for more than a year practically only interrupted for filament replacements every 6–8 weeks. One to two days after a filament replacement, the instrument stabilized and kept its calibration until shortly before the next filament burnout. The on-line monitoring of THMs revealed a daily rhythm in the concentrations of chloroform and bromodichloromethane. They increased during the pool's closing hours and decreased during opening hours with the minimum concentration being approximately half of the maximum. Over the 1 year monitoring period, the variation in the maximum registered daily concentration was 30–100 µg/L for chloroform. The variation of bromodichloromethane was 5–10 µg/L, except during bursts of 1–2 days duration, where the concentration of bromodichloromethane could reach 100 µg/L. The burst in bromodichloromethane concentration was directly correlated with salt addition (sodium chloride) to the pool water for use in the pool's electrolytic in-line chlorination system. A correlation between THM removal from the pool water and the operation of a strong water jet system was also found. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Trihalomethanes (THM) are the most typical disinfection by-products (DBPs) found in public swimming pool water. DBPs are produced when organic and inorganic matter in water reacts with chemical disinfectants. The irregular contribution of substances from pool visitors and long contact time with disinfectant make the forecast of THM in pool water a challenge. In this work occurrence of THM in a public indoor swimming pool was investigated and correlated with the dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Daily sampling of pool water for 26 days showed a positive correlation between DOC and THM with a time delay of about two days, while THM and DOC didn't directly correlate with the number of visitors. Based on the results and mass-balance in the pool water, a simple simulation model for estimating THM concentration in indoor swimming pool water was proposed. Formation of THM from DOC, volatilization into air and elimination by pool water treatment were included in the simulation. Formation ratio of THM gained from laboratory analysis using native pool water and information from field study in an indoor swimming pool reduced the uncertainty of the simulation. The simulation was validated by measurements in the swimming pool for 50 days. The simulated results were in good compliance with measured results. This work provides a useful and simple method for predicting THM concentration and its accumulation trend for long term in indoor swimming pool water.

The aim of this research was to investigate the presence and daily variability of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in public swimming pools. Various types of public swimming pool water were analysed, taken from freshwater indoor swimming pools, outdoor swimming pools, spa pools and seawater swimming pools. Swimming pool water samples were analysed for 30 PPCPs using solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). All PPCPs were below quantification limits in seawater pools. However, caffeine was detected in 12 chlorinated swimming pools at concentrations up to 1540 ng/L and ibuprofen was observed in 7 chlorinated pools at concentrations up to 83 ng/L. Caffeine and ibuprofen concentrations were below quantification limits in all fill water samples, eliminating this as their source in swimming pools. High variations in caffeine concentrations monitored throughout the day roughly reflect bather loads in swimming pools. Future monitoring of these compounds may assist in evaluating what portion of organic matter measured in swimming pools may come from human excretions.

SUMMARYCryptosporidiosis is a gastroenteric disease caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium, which manifests primarily as watery diarrhoea. Transmitted via the faecal–oral route, infection with the parasite can occur through ingestion of water, food or other fomites contaminated with its infective oocyst stage. In the months of November and December 2012, there were 18 notified cases of cryptosporidiosis from Broome, Western Australia. The 5-year average for the Kimberley region for this period is gp60) gene, identified the C. hominis IbA10G2 subtype in all human samples and one water sample.

Swimming pools are heavy consumers of potable water and energy in cities. Despite this, the lack of monitoring requirements produces a lack of references for their water consumption. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting a case-study water consumption analysis of a public swimming pool in the city of Bologna (Italy). After upgrading the water fixtures and filters in summer 2012, consumption and attendance at the Cá Selvatica swimming pool were monitored. With an average daily attendance of 88.6 people/day, taking into account both personal and technical consumption, an overall per capita consumption of about 96.1 l/person/day was determined. The water demand for personal uses only (showers, toilets, etc.) was found to be about 44.6 l/person/day. These values can be used to assess retrofitting benefits and water consumption benchmarks.

Warwickshire County Council’s Libraries and Heritage Department has opened two new libraries in the past year – one of them in a former public swimming pool in the centre of Royal Leamington Spa. The £7 million redevelopment of the town’s Royal Pump Room complex presented an unexpected and irresistible opportunity which, you might say, plunged Libraries and Heritage “in at the deep end”. Almost 12 months on, members of the project team reflect on the process and problems of adapting a derelict listed building for a new purpose – and then moving an entire library across town. They review reactions to the new library and its extended services, both initially and once things settled down. Outstanding issues and ongoing concerns are covered, as well as the new library’s successes.

Hot-tub folliculitis is also known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) folliculitis. It is characterized by pruritic maculopapular and pustular lesions that have follicular accentuation and can manifest anywhere from 1 to 4 days after bathing in a hot tub, whirlpool, or public swimming pool [1–6]. Hot-tub folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles that occurs after coming into contact the bacteria P. aeruginosa, which thrives in a warm, wet environment. Diving suits have also been implicated in causing this form of folliculitis as the suits themselves have the potential to become colonized with P. aeruginosa [7].

In this work the analysis of the thermodynamic behavior of heat pumps (HP) which supply the energy needed in the public pool at the Aquatic Center of Azcapotzalco was performed. There are 18 installed HP's but only those needed to provide the energy required are alternately activated. The evaluation was conducted during May and June of 2015. We selected one of the HP to implement temperature and pressure gauges at the inlet and outlet of the compressor. The measurements were made every day at three times, 6:30, 13:00 and 18:00 hours. In a period of 24 hours, 1 000 L evaporated, there was no variation registered overnight, since the pool was covered with plastic to avoid loss of the fluid. The heat pump provided 150 kW to maintain the water temperature at the right level of operation, namely 28 °C. The coefficients of performance (COP) of the HP were 6.39 at 6:30, 7.42 at 13:00 and 7:32 at 18:00 hrs., values which are very close to the one provided by the manufacturer.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( Pa ) is an opportunistic pathogen that can be found in recreational water, often in form of biofilm, thus more resistant to disinfection procedures. Microbiological testing for Pa is included in monitoring practices recommended by WHO to swimming pool managers as internal control. Since a persistent contamination with low levels of Pa was found in a local indoor swimming pool, the efficacy of a method in real-time PCR was evaluated, in comparison with the reference method UNI EN ISO 16266:2008, to promptly locate the contamination site within the water treatment system and proceed with disinfection. Results indicated the higher sensitivity of the molecular detection, able to give definite results with a consistent reduction of analysis time (2 days vs 4–5 of the reference method). In conclusion, real-time PCR can be a useful, rapid and sensitive tool, for the control of microbiological risk in public swimming pool.

This paper describes the investigation of a chlorine gas release at a public swimming pool. Over one hundred patrons were exposed to the chlorine gas release. The chlorine gas was generated by the inadvertent mixing of sodium hypochlorite solution and hydrochloric acid. The accident investigation concluded that the release was caused by a combination of maintenance and design errors. The maintenance error was procedural: on the second day of the maintenance task the contractor did not follow the standard lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedure for isolating the chemical feeder. If he had followed the LOTO procedure, the accident would have been prevented. The design defect was related to the control logic and the physical arrangement of the equipment under control. The causal factors of the accident are discussed and lessons learned are offered to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents. A key feature of this accident was the failure to properly isolate the automatic control system during routine maintenance.

Introduction The fourth-leading cause of death in middle childhood is drowning, but there is remarkably little known about swimmer or lifeguard behavior patterns at public swimming pools. Method This study used non-intrusive obserxvational methodology to examine risk-taking by swimming patrons (predominantly children) and surveillance habits of lifeguards at a public swimming pool. The study also examined whether risk-taking behavior might be associated with density of swimmers, temperature, or lifeguard behaviors. Results Results suggested risk-taking behavior was common, with dangerous incidents observed over 90 times per hour. Particularly high were rates of running on the deck, which exceeded 100 incidents per hour near the deepest water of the pool, and jumping into the water dangerously close to other swimmers, which was witnessed about once every two minutes in the shallow water of the pool. Lifeguards tended to scan the pool well, and remain attentive to the areas under their responsibility, but they were distracted about 10 times per hour and warned patrons only about once for every 14 dangerous incidents observed. Conclusions No consistent correlates to risk-taking behavior by swimming pool patrons were identified. Results are discussed with respect to previous findings and implications for intervention. Impact on Industry: Findings emphasize the need to increase awareness and adherence to safety rules by swimmers at swimming pools; to educate and remind lifeguards about proper swimming pool surveillance techniques; and to consider environmental changes at public swimming pools that might increase swimmer safety.

Many deployed systems for human motion tracking and detection are found inadequate when applied on hostile outdoor environments. This paper provides insights into this problem by developing an outdoor aquatic surveillance system, which detects swimmers within the hostile environment of an outdoor public swimming pool. A novel block-based background model and thresholding-with-hysteresis methodology is proposed to extract swimmers amid reflections, ripples, splashes and lighting changes. The problem of partial occlusion between swimmers is resolved based on a proposed Markov random field framework. The algorithm has been incorporated into a live system with robust results for different challenging outdoor pool conditions.

In a period of 1 year, three patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) presented to our outpatient clinic after receiving an ICD shock during a visit to one public swimming pool. Their electrograms showed high-frequency noise at a cycle length of 120 ms, well-matched …

OBJECTIVES--This study aimed to determine the health effects of attending a well-kept school swimming pool maintained according to French public health regulations. METHODS--This prospective month long study was carried out on a randomised sample of pupils aged 5 to 18 years who attended a private French school with two swimming pools. The children surveyed, helped by their parents, had to fill in questionnaires about their bathing habits and symptoms during the survey period. Inspections of the pool complex were made and these included physicochemical and bacteriological analyses of the pools' water. PARTICIPATION--The response rates achieved were 70% at primary and middle school levels but only 25% in the high school pupils. Because of this older teenagers were excluded from the final analysis (of 246 children). RESULTS--Compared with non-bathers, bathers experienced fatigue and eye irritation significantly more often (p < 0.001). The eyes were red (38% of bathers) and/or watery (16%) after swimming but this resolved spontaneously within 24 hours. Bathing behaviour (bath duration, head immersion, wearing swimming goggles) did not affect these incidence rates noticeably. There were no differences between bathers and non-bathers with regard to other symptoms, especially otolaryngological ones. This survey does not allow definite conclusions to be made about verrucas because 22% of non-bathers were exempted from swimming because of verrucas that they might have caught previously in a pool. CONCLUSIONS--Except for verrucas, the methodology was adequate and daily self reporting of symptoms was feasible. This college largely recruits pupils from higher social classes and is not therefore representative of schools in Paris.

The temperatures, humidities and air flow rates in the plant serving a public swimming pool hall were monitored for a period of about one year. The swimming pool hall was heated by an all fresh air system using LPHW heater batteries supplied by gas boilers. The plant included a thermal wheel heat recovery unit to transfer some of the sensible waste heat from the exhaust air to the supply air. The observed and calculated temperatures and energy savings are tabulated and conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness of the thermal wheel and the energy savings predicted and observed.