Have you seen this article

[nicksd]

Whirlpool baths: enter at your own risk By Megan Rauscher
Thu Mar 2, 10:46 AM ET



NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Better think twice before soothing those aching muscles in a whirlpool bath or hot tub. A new study shows that whirlpool bathtubs can be a breeding ground for a host of disease-causing bacteria.

Dr. Rita B. Moyes a microbiologist at Texas A & M University tested 43 water samples from both private and public whirlpool bathtubs. "Every tub tested had some kind of microbial growth," she told Reuters Health.

"And I was just getting the few organisms I was testing for, so it is probably just the tip of the iceberg as far as what is really present. Also, I did no viral testing," Moyes emphasized.

In 95 percent of the tubs, bacteria derived from feces were present, while 81 percent had fungi and 34 percent contained potentially deadly staphylococcus bacteria.

Moyes explained that a teaspoon of normal tap water contains about 138 bacteria and many samples are bacteria-free. A teaspoon of whirlpool tub water, on the other hand, contains an average of more than 2 million bacteria.

The interior pipes of whirlpool baths that are not filtered or chemically treated, and non-maintained hot tubs, are prime areas for potentially infectious microbes to congregate and grow, Moyes noted. These organisms often form a biofilm - a community of organisms, which work together and are more resistant to cleaners.

When the jets are switched on, the bacteria-packed water gets blown into the tub. "Due to the movement of the water, an aerosol is created that carries these organisms down into your lungs or other orifices - something that doesn't happen in a regular tub," Moyes explained.

The bacteria found in whirlpool baths can lead to a number of diseases, including urinary tract infections, skin infections, and pneumonia.

So who is most at risk? "Of course the young and the old and the immunocompromised should not be exposed, including breathing in the aerosol from outside the tub," Moyes said.

"A chemically maintained hot tub should not be a problem to a healthy person but if you are having recurring infections, consider the tub as a potential source," she added. Moyes' research is published in an online journal called PM Engineer.

[nm-tn]

I just read that too.  

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Just to clarify and not lead to any confusion, a "whirlpool bathtub" is a jetted bath tub that many people have inside their home in the bath room. It is not a hot tub.

[East_TX_Spa]

Although it is a new article, it does not contain any new or revealing information.

Terminator

[drewstar]

Keep in mind this is for the whirlpool baths found in Bathrooms. (Ie Bath tubs)  Not Portable Spas.


The jaquzzi style bath tubs usually are not cleaned out well and can be very nasty.

[nm-tn]

"The interior pipes of whirlpool baths that are not filtered or chemically treated, and non-maintained hot tubs, are prime areas for potentially infectious microbes to congregate and grow"

[Bonibelle]

Hereeeee we go again.....  

[TMJ]

I just read it. Make sure you read the whole article before regretting your purchase.

[Bill_Stevenson]

It would have been nice if they had tested the water with the billions of buggies again after shocking it with sanitizer.  I would be willing to bet that after proper sanitizing, the water would have no more bacteria than ordinary tap water.  Bacteria from feces, for example, would not show up in properly treated water.

Of course, all of the participants in this forum are either well informed already, or learning fast and should have no such issues.  It is the dummy that is going to have problems.

Now to the real question:  should we believe this microbiologist?  After all she is an Aggie.  ;-)

Bill

[Bonibelle]

I have a friend who bought a house that had one previous owner. She literally tore walls down to get the whirlpool tub out. She was just so grossed out thinking about what could be lurking in the plumbing..I guess that was a smart move but I felt so sorry for her poor husband, he had to fix things back after pulling that huge heavy tub out!

[HotTubMan]

I can produce articles that suggest hot tubs can cause cancer too.

Of corse what causes cancer in tubs is chloramines and bromamines which can be prevented with proper oxidizing.

Wine causes cancer/heart disease. Wine helps fight cancer/ heart disease. Who is behind the article/study?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Did you know that a lot of mobil home's electrical wiring is aluminum. And, a lot of fires in mobil home are caused by the electrical wiring. So what does this have to do with a normal houses electrical wiring and fires? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.............. Just as this article about bathtubs has anything to do with hot tubs.

[Vinny]

Did you know that a lot of mobil home's electrical wiring is aluminum. And, a lot of fires in mobil home are caused by the electrical wiring. So what does this have to do with a normal houses electrical wiring and fires? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.............. Just as this article about bathtubs has anything to do with hot tubs.

Hey!

My house has aluminum wiring and I have a hot tub ... does that mean that I'm going to get a rash and have a fire at the same time. What to do first ... scratch or sqirt!

[cappykat]

Hey Bonibelle...I think I like my bromine at >10...LOL!  Oh no...that means I have bromamines.  Oh me oh my...anyone want to buy a 2005 Epic?  JK!!

[Bonibelle]

Cappy, Just pour about 1/2 a bottle of that muriatic acid in and no more worries.....or skin for that matter!