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Cited by 26Water Treatment and DisinfectionIndoor Air Quality and Microbial ExposureOccupational Health and Safety in Workplaces

Occupational Exposure to Trichloramine and Trihalomethanes in Swedish Indoor Swimming Pools: Evaluation of Personal and Stationary Monitoring

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Westerlund, Jessica, Graff, Pål, Bryngelsson, Ing-Liss, Westberg, Håkan, Eriksson, Kåre, Löfstedt, Håkan·2015·Annals of Occupational Hygiene
DOI 10.1093/annhyg/mev045PMC PMC4593183
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Chlorination is a method commonly used to keep indoor swimming pool water free from pathogens. However, chlorination of swimming pools produces several potentially hazardous by-products as the chlorine reacts with nitrogen containing organic matter. Up till now, exposure assessments in indoor swimming pools have relied on stationary measurements at the poolside, used as a proxy for personal exposure. However, measurements at fixed locations are known to differ from personal exposure. METHODS: Eight public swimming pool facilities in four Swedish cities were included in this survey. Personal and stationary sampling was performed during day or evening shift. Samplers were placed at different fixed positions around the pool facilities, at ~1.5 m above the floor level and 0-1 m from the poolside. In total, 52 personal and 110 stationary samples of trichloramine and 51 personal and 109 stationary samples of trihalomethanes, were collected. RESULTS: The average concentration of trichloramine for personal sampling was 71 µg m(-3), ranging from 1 to 240 µg m(-3) and for stationary samples 179 µg m(-3), ranging from 1 to 640 µg m(-3). The air concentrations of chloroform were well below the occupational exposure limit (OEL). For the linear regression analysis and prediction of personal exposure to trichloramine from stationary sampling, only data from personal that spent >50% of their workday in the pool area were included. The linear regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.693 and a significant regression coefficient β of 0.621; (95% CI = 0.329-0.912, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The trichloramine exposure levels determined in this study were well below the recommended air concentration level of 500 µg m(-3); a WHO reference value based on stationary sampling. Our regression data suggest a relation between personal exposure and area sampling of 1:2, implying an OEL of 250 µg m(-3) based on personal sampling.

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Crossref · 10.1093/annhyg/mev045

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  • During personal measurements, worker exposure to trichloramine was approximately half as high as that associated with stationary measurements.

    “Westerlund, Graff, Bryngelsson, Westberg, Eriksson, and Lofstedt [26] examined the relationship between personal and stationary sampling of trichloramine and found that during personal measurements, worker exposure was approximately half as high as that associated with stationary measurements.”

    From Occupational exposure to trichloramine and trihalomethanes: adverse health effects among personnel in habilitation and rehabilitation swimming pools (2019) · cites this paper as [26]

    The Conclusions state that highly exposed workers had approximately half the trichloramine exposure indicated by stationary measurements taken in parallel. The citing sentence omits the restriction to highly exposed workers, so it presents the finding as applying to workers generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Overall, personal exposure to trichloramine was approximately 50% of the levels obtained by stationary sampling.

    “Overall, the personal exposure was approximately 50% of the levels obtained by stationary sampling (Section 5.1.2) (Westerlund et al. 2015(Westerlund et al. , 2019)).”

    From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as Westerlund et al. 2015

    The Conclusions state that highly exposed workers had approximately half the trichloramine exposure indicated by parallel stationary measurements. The Methods specify that this comparison included only workers who spent more than 50% of their workday in the pool area, so the claim's unqualified “overall” extends the finding beyond the group studied in that comparison. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Linear regression based on data from 12 parallel 8-h samplings of trichloramine in pool air suggested a relation between personal and stationary sampling of 1:1.6.

    “Linear regression analysis based on data from 12 parallel 8-h samplings of trichloramine in pool air suggested a relation between personal and stationary sampling of 1:1.6 (Westerlund et al. 2015).”

    From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as Westerlund et al. 2015

  • Linear regression analyses based on data from parallel 8-h samplings of trichloramine in pool air suggested a relation between personal and stationary sampling of approximately 1:2.

    “Linear regression analyses based on data from parallel 8-h samplings of trichloramine in pool air suggested a relation between personal and stationary sampling of approximately 1:2 (Westerlund et al. 2015(Westerlund et al. , 2019)).”

    From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as Westerlund et al. 2015

  • Two studies with stationary and personal sampling carried out in parallel suggest that the stationary method may overestimate the true personal exposure in swimming pool facilities.

    “Two studies with stationary and personal sampling carried out in parallel suggest that the stationary method may overestimate the true personal exposure in swimming pool facilities (Section 14.1) (Westerlund et al. 2015(Westerlund et al. , 2019)).”

    From Inorganic chloramines: a critical review of the toxicological and epidemiological evidence as a basis for occupational exposure limit setting (2020) · cites this paper as Westerlund et al. 2015

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 30

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Authors
Westerlund, J., Graff, P., Bryngelsson, I.-L., Westberg, H., Eriksson, K., & Löfstedt, H.
Affiliations
  • Örebro University (SE)
  • Umeå University (SE)
Corresponding author
Graff, Pål
ORCID
Venue
Annals of Occupational Hygiene
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2015-07-07
Volume
59
Issue
8
Pages
1074-1084
ISSN
  • 0003-4878 (ISSN-L)
  • 1475-3162
DOI
10.1093/annhyg/mev045
PMC
PMC4593183
OpenAlex
W2107931199
Cited by
26
References
8
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1
FWCI
0.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • The Annals of Occupational Hygiene (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DiVA at Umeå University (Umeå University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Umeå Universitet
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Water Treatment and Disinfection
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces
Keywords
trichloramine, trihalomethanes, indoor swimming pools, occupational exposure, personal exposure, chlorination by-products, chloroform, occupational exposure limits, exposure assessment, public swimming facilities
MeSH terms
Air Pollutants, Chlorides, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Sweden, Swimming Pools, Linear Models, Occupational Exposure, Air Pollution, Indoor, Nitrogen Compounds, Trihalomethanes

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