the-BA : Swimming in chemicals

Last year, twenty three teenage girls had to be taken to hospital after breathing in fumes at their school swimming pool. The Surrey schoolgirls all complained of streaming eyes and sore throats – the result of a suspected chemical leak. On a lighter note, at roughly the same time a bit further north of London in Biggleswade, firefighters were dragging a cow from a swimming pool after it had fallen in and got itself stuck. The bovine had been enjoying a leisurely stroll through the neighbour’s garden but stepped on the pool’s plastic covering, believing it to be solid ground.

Have you ever wondered why people put chemicals in swimming pools?

You might like to …

• investigate what chemicals are put into swimming pools, and why
• find out if swimming pool water really does turn bleached hair green
• find out how well swimming pool water kills germs; vary the amounts of chemicals to see what effect different concentrations have
• find out what is used to make the water change colour when someone ‘relieves’ themselves in a swimming pool
• test water samples from various pools to find out what chemicals they contain (and how much of each).

Further links:
http://www.swimmingpoolchemicals.co.uk/

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