Swimming Pool Poisoning: Free Consultation

Swimming Pool Poisoning When swimming pool chemicals are stored or used improperly, illness or injury can result. The CDC looked at 584 cases of illness or injury associated with pool chemicals in six states and indicated an estimated national total of 28,071 cases during a six-year period.

The most common contributing factors of swimming pool poisoning included:

mixing incompatible products
spills and splashes of chemicals
lack of appropriate protection
dust clouds or fumes generated by opening a chemical container
equipment failure.

A substantial proportion of cases were in children less than 15 years old. Most swimming pool poisonings happened at private residences, but many also happened at hotels, health clubs, and other facilities.

If you or your child has suffered from swimming pool poisoning, you may wonder if you have a claim for money damages against the owner of the pool. Our attorneys are available for a free consultation regarding this.

Swimming Pool Poisoning Symptoms

Swimming pool poisoning symptoms may include:

respiratory symptoms, such as cough, upper respiratory irritation, and dyspnea
headache
nausea and vomiting
eye injuries
skin injuries.

The symptoms depend on the active ingredient associated with the illness or injury. Swimming pool chemicals that can cause illness include sodium hypochlorite, triazine compounds, and calcium hypochlorite.

Below are examples of high-severity cases investigated by the CDC:

A man aged 39 years was in a public recreational swimming pool when chlorine was added to shock chlorinate it. He inhaled fumes and developed nausea, headache, cough, upper respiratory irritation, dyspnea, wheezing, hypoxia, and tachycardia. He was diagnosed with chlorine inhalation and ingestion, and was hospitalized for 4 days.
A boy aged 5 years stuck his face in a bucket of pool shock treatment (65% calcium hypochlorite). Cyanosis and dyspnea were documented, and the boy was admitted to the critical-care unit, where he was hospitalized for 4 days.
A previously healthy woman aged 61 years mixed two pool chemicals, calcium hypochlorite and cyanuric acid, in her kitchen sink. The chemicals reacted and created fumes in the poorly ventilated kitchen. She reported cough, upper respiratory irritation, and dyspnea, and was treated with oxygen. The next day, she was wheezing and was diagnosed with pulmonary edema and hospitalized for 6 days.
A woman aged 42 who had asthma inhaled dust while applying chlorinating granules, resulting in cough, dyspnea, and lower respiratory pain and irritation. She received a diagnosis of asthma exacerbation caused by chemical exposure and was admitted to an intensive-care unit, where she was hospitalized for 4 days.
A woman aged 54 years who had allergies was exposed to chlorine fumes when an excessive amount of chlorine was added to a pool in which she was swimming. She had cough, dyspnea, wheezing, and vomiting. She received a diagnosis of chemical pneumonitis and was hospitalized for 7 days.

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