SIBFORD WELCOMES STUDY ON CHLORINE DANGER
September 2009
A Banbury swimming pool that uses high intensity ultra violet light to limit its use of chlorine has welcomed a new European study that highlights the potential dangers of the chemical.
According to a report published this week, chlorine in pools can be more harmful than second-hand smoke.
The study, led by toxicology professor Alfred Bernard, of the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, shows that children who spend a lot of time swimming in chlorinated pools could be up to eight times as likely to develop asthma and other allergies.
Angie Wiffin pool manager and swimming instructor at Sibford School Pool near Banbury said: “Ever since Sibford Pool opened we’ve taken action to reduce our use of chlorine and the results speak for themselves. For example, I’ve had parents enrolling their children for swimming lessons who tell me that from past experience they will need to use their inhalers on poolside. They are amazed when they manage a whole lesson without getting breathless and it’s all down to our lack of chlorine.”
At Sibford Pool, water is treated by being passed through a stainless steel chamber containing UV emitting tubes. The UV penetrates the cell walls of micro-organisms to effectively disinfect the water. As a result, the amount of chlorine needed to sterilize the pool can be reduced by as much as two thirds.
Said Angie: “The UV enables disinfection to take place without affecting the taste and smell of the water, which means that, as well as being much safer than traditional chlorine treated pools, it is much more pleasant to use.”
A number of local schools including Bishop Carpenter, Hanwell Fields Community School and Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School use Sibford as a venue for swimming lessons. The pool, which is open to the public during evenings and weekends, also hosts the local Water Babies franchise, which teaches babies from as young as six weeks how to swim.
Tamsin Brewis of Water Babies said: “The safety of our babies and toddlers is always of paramount importance to us. We are aware of some research being done into the use of chlorine and actively select pools for our lessons that monitor their chlorine levels.”
Pictured: Four-year-old Hannah Clarkson is pictured in Sibford School Swimming Pool during a recent photo shoot for a new Water Babies advertising campaign.
Sibford School, Sibford Ferris, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5QL Telephone: +44 (0)1295 781200