Swimwear and Chlorine Degradation Products (Chloroform Formation from Chlorinated Pool Water, Trihalomethane Dermal Absorption, Spandex Degradation) — safety profile
Moderate riskSwimwear worn in chlorinated pools facilitates prolonged dermal exposure to disinfection byproducts (DBPs), particularly chloroform (trichloromethane) and other trihalomethanes (THMs) formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter (sweat, urine, skin cells, sunscreen) in pool water.
What is this product?
Swimwear worn in chlorinated pools facilitates prolonged dermal exposure to disinfection byproducts (DBPs), particularly chloroform (trichloromethane) and other trihalomethanes (THMs) formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter (sweat, urine, skin cells, sunscreen) in pool water. Chloroform, classified as IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic) and an EPA probable human carcinogen, is present in chlorinated pool water at 10-100 micrograms per liter and is readily absorbed through skin — competitive swimmers show blood chloroform levels 5-7x higher after a 1-hour pool session (Erdinger et al., 2004). Swimwear fabric itself acts as a reservoir, trapping chlorinated water against skin and prolonging dermal absorption beyond the swimming session. Additionally, chlorine degrades spandex/elastane fibers (polyurethane-based) through oxidative chain scission, releasing degradation products including diisocyanate monomers and chlorinated breakdown fragments. Indoor pools pose additional inhalation risk from trichloramine (NCl3) vapor, responsible for the characteristic pool smell and linked to occupational asthma in pool attendants and competitive swimmer respiratory symptoms (prevalence 36-55% in elite swimmers).
What's in it
Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.
Disinfection Byproduct
Frequently asked questions
No FAQs generated.
Look up Swimwear and Chlorine Degradation Products (Chloroform Formation from Chlorinated Pool Water, Trihalomethane Dermal Absorption, Spandex Degradation) in the body app
Search by ingredient, browse by category, or compare to alternatives in the live app.
Open in body View raw API dataReference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →