Exposure to pool water

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2011-03-24 14:31

I am wondering of the effects of the accumulation of rain water in an outdoor pool, considering the small levels of particulate that you're finding. I own an outdoor pool and am concerned.

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not good

Submitted by newport beach houses (not verified) on Sun, 2011-04-10 05:45.

rain water not good

First of all, the rainwater

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on Thu, 2011-03-24 14:52.

First of all, the rainwater will be greatly diluted in the pool. If your pool is 3 feet deep and we get 1 inch of rain, that is a factor of 37 dilution.

Secondly, the radiation dose from external exposure is much less than internal consumption. I'm not certain of how the minute concentration of radionuclides in the pool water might be absorbed into the skin, but it would be less than the effect of drinking the water which we have calculated. And you would have to drink the whole pool to get something like a few mRem (I'm sure other health complications from drinking a swimming pool would be more urgent concerns).

Also, for external absorption of radiation, the water itself will act as shielding from most of the radiation. The gamma rays we measure will on travel, on average, a few inches in water before being absorbed harmlessly in the water.

I have a pool too and wonder

Submitted by CB (not verified) on Thu, 2011-03-24 16:42.

I have a pool too and wonder if you could make an analogy such as if you swam in the pool X number of times you'd get X amount of radiation? Are you capable of making such a comparison?

that's good news certainly

Submitted by the golden kazoo (not verified) on Sat, 2011-04-09 20:59.

that's good news certainly but what about the other radionuclides that are being detected in the atmosphere.