Abstract
Purpose: To study the effect of rinsing with tap and pool water on the ocular surface epithelium. Methods: Twenty eyes of 10 volunteers were irrigated in the following order with 250 mL (50 seconds) of physiological salt solution (PSS), distilled water (DW), tap water, or PSS with chlorine (0.5 mg/L). The pH of each fluid was 6.4, 6.8, 6.8, and 6.4, respectively. Vital staining, fluorophotometric assessment, and confocal microscopy were performed before and after irrigation with each fluid. Results: Eyes irrigated with PSS with chlorine showed an increase in fluorescein scores, and eyes washed with both tap water and PSS with chlorine showed an increase in Rose Bengal scores. Corneal fluorescein uptake measured by anterior fluorometer was not altered by eye irrigation with PSS, DW, or tap water. However, PSS with chlorine resulted in a significant increase in corneal fluorescein uptake. Confocal microscopy showed corneal epithelial cell damage in eyes rinsed with PSS with chlorine. Conclusions: Chlorine was determined to be potentially harmful to the corneal epithelial barrier. This study indicated the possibility that swimming without goggles might become a risk factor for corneal epithelial integrity, suggesting encouragement of goggle wear while swimming.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 40-43 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Cornea |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
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Keywords
- Chlorine
- Corneal epithelial barrier
- Eye irrigation
- Goggles
- Swimming pool
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology
Cite this
Deleterious effects of swimming pool chlorine on the corneal epithelium. / Ishioka, Misaki; Kato, Naoko; Kobayashi, Akira; Dogru, Murat; Tsubota, Kazuo.
In: Cornea, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2008, p. 40-43.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Deleterious effects of swimming pool chlorine on the corneal epithelium
AU - Ishioka, Misaki
AU - Kato, Naoko
AU - Kobayashi, Akira
AU - Dogru, Murat
AU - Tsubota, Kazuo
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Purpose: To study the effect of rinsing with tap and pool water on the ocular surface epithelium. Methods: Twenty eyes of 10 volunteers were irrigated in the following order with 250 mL (50 seconds) of physiological salt solution (PSS), distilled water (DW), tap water, or PSS with chlorine (0.5 mg/L). The pH of each fluid was 6.4, 6.8, 6.8, and 6.4, respectively. Vital staining, fluorophotometric assessment, and confocal microscopy were performed before and after irrigation with each fluid. Results: Eyes irrigated with PSS with chlorine showed an increase in fluorescein scores, and eyes washed with both tap water and PSS with chlorine showed an increase in Rose Bengal scores. Corneal fluorescein uptake measured by anterior fluorometer was not altered by eye irrigation with PSS, DW, or tap water. However, PSS with chlorine resulted in a significant increase in corneal fluorescein uptake. Confocal microscopy showed corneal epithelial cell damage in eyes rinsed with PSS with chlorine. Conclusions: Chlorine was determined to be potentially harmful to the corneal epithelial barrier. This study indicated the possibility that swimming without goggles might become a risk factor for corneal epithelial integrity, suggesting encouragement of goggle wear while swimming.
AB - Purpose: To study the effect of rinsing with tap and pool water on the ocular surface epithelium. Methods: Twenty eyes of 10 volunteers were irrigated in the following order with 250 mL (50 seconds) of physiological salt solution (PSS), distilled water (DW), tap water, or PSS with chlorine (0.5 mg/L). The pH of each fluid was 6.4, 6.8, 6.8, and 6.4, respectively. Vital staining, fluorophotometric assessment, and confocal microscopy were performed before and after irrigation with each fluid. Results: Eyes irrigated with PSS with chlorine showed an increase in fluorescein scores, and eyes washed with both tap water and PSS with chlorine showed an increase in Rose Bengal scores. Corneal fluorescein uptake measured by anterior fluorometer was not altered by eye irrigation with PSS, DW, or tap water. However, PSS with chlorine resulted in a significant increase in corneal fluorescein uptake. Confocal microscopy showed corneal epithelial cell damage in eyes rinsed with PSS with chlorine. Conclusions: Chlorine was determined to be potentially harmful to the corneal epithelial barrier. This study indicated the possibility that swimming without goggles might become a risk factor for corneal epithelial integrity, suggesting encouragement of goggle wear while swimming.
KW - Chlorine
KW - Corneal epithelial barrier
KW - Eye irrigation
KW - Goggles
KW - Swimming pool
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=40449137978&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=40449137978&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/ICO.0b013e318156d200
DO - 10.1097/ICO.0b013e318156d200
M3 - Article
C2 - 18245965
AN - SCOPUS:40449137978
VL - 27
SP - 40
EP - 43
JO - Cornea
JF - Cornea
SN - 0277-3740
IS - 1
ER -