G. Fantuzzi, E. Righi, and G. Aggazzotti EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT TO TRIHALOMETHANES IN SWIMMING POOLS Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia – Italy

Guglielmina Fantuzzi Associate Professor of Hygiene, Faculty of Sciences Elena Righi Fellowship in Environmental Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine Gabriella Aggazzotti Full Professor of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine

Trihalomethanes: Chloroform Bromodichloromethane Dibromochloromethane Bromoform Disinfection by-products

Hazard identification Dose-response relationship Exposure assessment Risk characterization Health risk assessment

Water Ambient air Alveolar air Blood Exposure assessment to THMs Environmental monitoring Biological monitoring

Environmental monitoring: THMs in pool water  g/l Swimming pools

Environmental monitoring: THMs in ambient air  g/m 3 Swimming pools

Indoor swimming pools Biological monitoring: chloroform in plasma  g/l

Chloroform in plasma  g/l

 g/m3 Indoor swimming pools Biological monitoring: chloroform in alveolar air

Chloroform in ambient air Chloroform in alveolar air y= x n=16 r= p<0.001  g/m 3

competitivelearnersvisitors Chloroforminalveolar air  g/m 3

Chloroform uptake U= (C amb - C alv ) x t x V

Subjects Before swimming After swimming Chloroform uptake (µg/h)

Time after exposure min Kinetics of chloroform elimination  g/m 3

Attending swimming pools, mainly indoor ones, causes exposure to THMs which are present in water and air. Conclusions 1

Conclusions 2 As chloroform represents about 95% of the total amount of THMs, biological monitoring can be performed only on this compound.

Conclusions 3 Chloroform in plasma and in alveolar air depends on environmental levels and is influenced by the intensity of the physical activity.

Conclusions 4 Agonistic swimmers are more exposed than non agonistic ones and visitors: however chloroform elimination via exhaled breath usually stops within ten hours.