Is it Safe for Children to Swim in Swimming Pools with High Iron?
- According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the ingestion of iron in large quantities can corrode the gastrointestinal tract, as well as harm the liver, lungs and heart. It is a particular danger to children under the age of 5.
- People ingesting iron only develop negative reactions when they've ingested doses greater than 20 parts per million. Consumption between 20 and 60 parts per million can produce mild to moderate effects. However, consumption exceeding more than 60 parts per million can be lethal.
- If a pool were to contain water that had concentrations of iron approaching 20 parts per million, it could harm children. However, according to the website Pool Wizard, anything more than .3 parts of iron per million is considered corrosive to the pool's tank, meaning that the water would have to be extraordinarily ferrous to actually present a health risk to kids.
