ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL MONITORING OF CHLOROFORM IN INDOOR SWIMMING POOLS

The presence of chloroform as the result of disinfection with sodium h ypochlorite was demonstrated in the water and ambient air of indoor sw imming pools. Environmental monitoring was performed in 12 indoor swim ming pools in northern Italy and the level of human exposure was asses sed. Biological monitoring performed by gas chromatography on human pl asma and alveolar air samples evidenced that the uptake of chloroform in swimmers varies according to the intensity of the physical activity and age. The elimination of chloroform in alveolar air in one subject showed a very short half-life (from 20 to 27 min) and a complete clea rance within 10 h after the end of exposure.