| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
1 Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Occupational Lung Diseases Unit, Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK. 4 Institut National de Recherche et de Securite, Vandoeuvre les Nancy Cedex, France. 3 Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
CORRESPONDENCE: K.M. Thickett, Occupational Lung Diseases Unit, Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham, B5 5SS, UK. Fax: 44 1217720292. E-mail: kt01265702@blueyonder.co.uk
Keywords: bronchial provocation test, nitrogen trichloride, occupational asthma, peak expiratory flow, swimming pool
Received: March 3, 2001
Accepted October 21, 2001
The first series of three workers who developed occupational asthma following exposure to airborne chloramines in indoor chlorinated swimming pools is reported. Health problems of swimmers in indoor pools have traditionally been attributed to the chlorine in the water. Chlorine reacts with bodily proteins to form chloramines; the most volatile and prevalent in the air above swimming pools is nitrogen trichloride.
Two lifeguards and one swimming teacher with symptoms suggestive of occupational asthma kept 2-hourly measurements of peak expiratory flow at home and at work, analysed using the occupational asthma system (OASYS) plotter, and/or had specific bronchial challenge testing to nitrogen trichloride, or a workplace challenge.
Air measurement in one of the pools showed the nitrogen trichloride levels to be 0.1–0.57 mg·m–3, which was similar to other studies. Two workers had peak expiratory flow measurements showing occupational asthma (OASYS-2 scores 2.88 and 3.8), both had a positive specific challenge to nitrogen trichloride at 0.5 mg·m–3 with negative challenges to chlorine released from sodium hypochlorite. The third worker had a positive workplace challenge.
Swimming-pool asthma due to airborne nitrogen trichloride can occur in workers who do not enter the water because of this chloramine. The air above indoor swimming pools therefore needs to be assessed and managed as carefully as the water.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. H. Jacobs, S. Spaan, G. B. G. J. van Rooy, C. Meliefste, V. A. C. Zaat, J. M. Rooyackers, and D. Heederik Exposure to trichloramine and respiratory symptoms in indoor swimming pool workers Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2007; 29(4): 690 - 698. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N Massin, G Hecht, D Ambroise, M Hery, J P Toamain, G Hubert, M Dorotte, and B Bianchi Respiratory symptoms and bronchial responsiveness among cleaning and disinfecting workers in the food industry Occup. Environ. Med., February 1, 2007; 64(2): 75 - 81. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M J Nieuwenhuijsen The chlorine hypothesis: fact or fiction? Occup. Environ. Med., January 1, 2007; 64(1): 6 - 7. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Nickmilder and A Bernard Ecological association between childhood asthma and availability of indoor chlorinated swimming pools in Europe Occup. Environ. Med., January 1, 2007; 64(1): 37 - 46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Bernard and M Nickmilder Respiratory health and baby swimming Arch. Dis. Child., July 1, 2006; 91(7): 620 - 621. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Medina-Ramon, J. P. Zock, M. Kogevinas, J. Sunyer, X. Basagana, J. Schwartz, P. S. Burge, V. Moore, and J. M. Anto Short-term respiratory effects of cleaning exposures in female domestic cleaners Eur. Respir. J., June 1, 2006; 27(6): 1196 - 1203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Stav and M. Stav Asthma and whirlpool baths. N. Engl. J. Med., October 13, 2005; 353(15): 1635 - 1636. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Medina-Ramon, J P Zock, M Kogevinas, J Sunyer, Y Torralba, A Borrell, F Burgos, and J M Anto Asthma, chronic bronchitis, and exposure to irritant agents in occupational domestic cleaning: a nested case-control study Occup. Environ. Med., September 1, 2005; 62(9): 598 - 606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J W Dickinson, G P Whyte, A K McConnell, and M G Harries Impact of changes in the IOC-MC asthma criteria: a British perspective Thorax, August 1, 2005; 60(8): 629 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P S Burge Sick building syndrome Occup. Environ. Med., February 1, 2004; 61(2): 185 - 190. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. Vandenplas and J-L. Malo Definitions and types of work-related asthma: a nosological approach Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2003; 21(4): 706 - 712. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Varraso, N. Massin, M. Hery, M. Fradier-Dusch, J.-P. Michaely, M. Fournier, G.`v. Hubert, P. Biette, B. Rieger, A. Berthelin, et al. Not only training but also exposure to chlorinated compounds generates a response to oxidative stimuli in swimmers Toxicology and Industrial Health, July 1, 2002; 18(6): 269 - 278. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Nemery, P.H.M. Hoet, and D. Nowak Indoor swimming pools, water chlorination and respiratory health Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2002; 19(5): 790 - 793. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
