About a year ago there was some news that exposing babies to the chlorinated water of indoor swimming pools might precipitate asthma.

ASTHMA WARNING FOR SWIMMING BABES

There is now some news that elite swimmers show evidence of lung damage and this is being put down to exposure to swimming pool chlorine.

POOL CHLORINE TIED TO LUNG DAMAGE IN ELITE SWIMMERS

COUNTRIES : FRANCE AND CANADA

Competitive swimmers who train at indoor chlorinated swimming pools may have lung changes similar to those seen in people with mild asthma, a new study has found.

Researchers from France and Canada compared lung tissue and breathing tests from twenty-three elite Canadian swimmers, whose average age was 21, to ten mild asthmatics and 10 healthy, non-allergic people of the same age. Tissue samples and tests were taken during the off-season when swimmers were not competing.

The full article is published in The Journal of Allergy and clinical Immunology – Abstract available – paywall for access to whole paper:

AIRWAY REMODELING AND INFLAMMATION IN COMPETETIVE SWIMMERS TRAINING IN INDOOR CHLORINATED SWIMMING POOLS

Conclusion
Intense, long-term swimming training in indoor chlorinated swimming pools is associated with airway changes similar to those seen in mild asthma, but with higher mucin expression. These changes were independent from airway hyperresponsiveness. The long-term physiological and clinical consequences of these changes remain to be clarified.

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Fungi look wonderful artistic feathery things when growing on a petri dish or under the microscope. Bacteria don’t usually look so impressive.

Some fungi and bacteria that love damp places, can cause cause serious health problems in some susceptible individuals.

The European branch of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently produced a comprehensive document:

WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY : DAMPNESS AND MOULD

COUNTRIES : EUROPE

Microbial pollution is a key element of indoor air pollution. It is caused by hundreds of species of bacteria and fungi, in particular filamentous fungi (mould), growing indoors when sufficient moisture is available. This document provides a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence on health problems associated with building moisture and biological agents. The review concludes that the most important effects are increased prevalences of respiratory symptoms, allergies and asthma as well as perturbation of the immunological system. The document also summarizes the available information on the conditions that determine the presence of mould and measures to control their growth indoors. WHO guidelines for protecting public health are formulated on the basis of the review. The most important means for avoiding adverse health effects is the prevention (or minimization) of persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces and in building structures.”

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