article · BMC Public Health
An assessment of recreational swimming pools in Alexandria, Egypt, examined environmental health risks across 78 water samples from 26 facilities. Chemical, bacteriological, and parasitological analyses revealed widespread non-compliance with national safety benchmarks. Only 7.7 percent of samples met Egyptian standards for total colony count, while 78.2 percent met total coliform standards, and all satisfied standards for Escherichia coli. Parasitic contamination was present in 73.1 percent of samples despite high levels of residual chlorine. Frequently identified parasites included Cyclospora, Isospora, Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia, Microsporidia, Blastocystis, and Acanthamoeba. Statistical analyses indicated that parasite presence was significantly influenced by cleaning frequency, water flow rate, chlorine levels, and total dissolved solids. The findings demonstrate that current disinfection systems fail to clear resilient parasites, highlighting a need for improved treatment systems, regular pool monitoring, and structured public health education programmes.
Swimming pools offer sport and recreation, but contaminated water creates significant health hazards for users. Because standard chlorination practices fail to eliminate several harmful parasites, swimmers remain at risk of infection. Identifying these failures helps public health authorities and pool managers recognise where standard treatments fall short, guiding stronger disinfection protocols and public hygiene initiatives to prevent waterborne illnesses.
The findings highlight a direct application for advanced water treatment, filtration, and disinfection systems specifically targeted at chlorine-resistant parasites in recreational facilities. Potential users include municipal health inspectors, leisure centre operators, and water treatment service providers. The research itself represents early-stage observational data, meaning any technological intervention or enhanced disinfection product would require separate development and practical testing in real-world swimming facilities.
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Abstract Background Swimming pools are places for practicing sports, recreation, relaxation, and socialization. However, swimming pools can expose swimmers to physicochemical and microbiological risks. Accordingly, we studied the environmental health aspects and microbial infections for such recreational water aiming to disclose the possible risks they pose on swimmers. Methods 26 pools in Alexandria, Egypt were checked for water quality; 13 pools were checked in winter then summer, and other 13 pools were checked in summer only. Water was collected from both the top and the bottom of each pool; a total of 78 samples were collected in sterile containers. Each sample was divided into three parts; the first part was used for assessing the bacteriological quality of water. They were tested for total colony count (TCC), total coliform (TC), fecal coliform, and E. coli . The second part was used for chemical analysis. The third part was checked for parasitological study. Results Obtained data showed that only 7.7%, 78.2%, and 100% of the examined water samples have been found to fulfill the Egyptian standards for TCC, TC, and E. coli , respectively. Moreover, parasitic infection (PI) was noticed in 73.1% of the collected water samples; mainly Cyclospra and Isospora (37.2% each), followed by Cryptosporidium spp., Giradia lamblia , Microsporidia spp., and Blastocystis spp. (34.6%, 21.8%, 15.4%, and 14.1%, respectively). Acanthameba spp. was detected but at a lower rate (5.1%). The frequency of cleaning the swimming pools, flow rate, Cl 2 , and total dissolved solids are significantly affected PI, independently. Conclusion The tested water samples don’t meet Egyptian bacteriological criteria. High parasitic contamination despite high residual chlorine level mainly intestinal coccidia, G. lamblia , microsporidia, and Blastocystis spp. Thus, monitoring pool’s water quality and improving the disinfection system are mandatory. Consequently, Health education regarding hygienic behaviors before and during swimming should be included in governmental programs.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15183-z
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