At least six children were taken to the hospital on Tuesday after possible chemical exposure at a local pool in Connecticut. People presented several symptoms consistent with a chemical exposure, although no substance was easily spotted in the place.

A total of nine people are presumably exposed to the chemicals in the pool, eight of those children. They had symptoms of a scratchy throat, difficulty breathing, stomach pain and vomiting after their visit to a group in Old Mystic, Connecticut, as reported by ABC News. The sick people visited the Seaport RV Resort in the area while on vacation, and the symptoms started to show over the early afternoon, according to the Old Mystic Fire Department Chief Ken Richards.

The six children taken to the hospital are being diagnosed to find if the water in the pool contained harmful chemicals. If so, the children will have to undergo treatment to prevent any bacteria from growing. Image Credit: WFIN
The six children taken to the hospital are being diagnosed to find if the water in the pool contained harmful chemicals. If so, the children will have to undergo treatment to prevent any bacteria from growing. Image Credit: WFIN

According to Richards, a preliminary testing of the water and air did not reveal any abnormal results capable of inducing the presented symptoms in the people. The pool company is scheduled to visit the place on Wednesday to held the authorities with the investigation.

No gaseous odors

Connecticut environmental officials in charge of the case assured they did not find any gaseous odors at the campground swimming pool as well, according to a statement from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“No problem could be found with the pool system,” the said in an email to Fox News. “The system is shut down and will be checked by a pool contractor. DPH was also notified as this is a public pool at a campground.”

Pool contamination

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pools can be associated with recreational water illness such as Legionella, Giardia, Shigella, Pseudomonas, and norovirus. Although the possible chemical exposure does not have anything to do with a bacteria, the CDC encourages people to try to be safe when enjoying the recreational swimming, especially in the summer.

The increased of water-related illness could be due to multiple factors, commented Michael J. Beach, Ph.D. from the CDC’s Environmental Health Services. The tremendous growth in aquatics activities is highlighted by the number of water parks, and the contamination of those pools are common because several misconceptions about pool water treatment, he said.

There are plenty of useful tips when it comes to protect children against the dangers of getting inside a public pool. Image Credit: Reliance Pediatrics
There are plenty of useful tips when it comes to protecting children against the dangers of getting inside a public pool. Image Credit: Reliance Pediatrics

“Pool operation is still critical to stopping outbreaks of chlorine-sensitive pathogens such as Shigella, Giardia, and norovirus. T,” Beach commented. “The chlorine-resistant parasite Cryptosporidium, however, has emerged as the leading cause of recreational water–associated outbreaks of diarrhea.”

Improvements in detections, investigation, and reporting of waterborne disease outbreaks are needed for a better understanding of the system failures that could lead to serious repercussions, he said. Those improvements will yield the foundation-building data required for the development of a model aquatic health code, Beach added.

Source: ABC