Members of the men's swimming and diving team are falling ill in exceptional numbers this semester, and many believe it is because of a chemical imbalance in Tufts' Hamilton Pool.
"We realize that we're experiencing some chemical-balancing problems with the chlorine system," Vice President for Operations John Roberto said. "We've brought in some outside consultants who are well-versed in pool-system maintenance to address the problem."
Reed Shimberg, a freshman swimmer, said that since coming to Tufts, he has experienced daily coughing fits during swim practices. They affected him so much that a Health Service doctor told him he had developed asthma symptoms, he said.
"The air quality is so bad [in the pool] that I would have to get out of the pool from coughing and go into the hallway where the air quality is much better," Shimberg said.
Shimberg approached Health Service for help after one coughing fit during which he "gasped for air for hours," he said. A doctor diagnosed him and supplied him with an inhaler.
"The doctor said that I had asthma symptoms being caused potentially by the chlorine I'm breathing in and that I was the millionth swimmer to complain about similar symptoms. I believe it, because it really wasn't just me," he said. "I'd finish a set and would see that 10 people were also coughing. It just seems crazy that a lot of the upperclassmen have respiratory problems and have inhalers."
Men's swimming and diving team coach Adam Hoyt said the pool's environment has long had a negative impact on swimmers' health, although he has noticed a high number of students coughing recently.
"Every year we have a whole lot of swimmers who cough a lot during practice when there is a chlorine imbalance," he said. "The fact that our pool is over 60 years old and the air circulation is moderate doesn't really help either."
The Department of Facilities performed a maintenance check on the pool at the start of the season, but it did not bring any problems to the swimming team's attention, Hoyt said.
Roberto said that he did not know when the chemical imbalance would be corrected. "The problem with rebalancing the chemicals is that it takes some time to fix," he said. Roberto added that he was aware of the existence of "some concern for irritation to the swimmers."
Senior quad-captain James Longhurst said that the pool area's air quality is much worse than that of facilities at other universities.
"It's 10 times harder to work out at our pool than any other facility in the area," Longhurst said. He added that he had "never [been] in a pool as bad as our pool."
"It's really frustrating when you finish a set because you can't breathe and are coughing, not because you're tired," he added. "But at the same time, I don't think that our air quality is something that we should really attribute a loss to. It's a tough train, it's awful to swim in, but we can do just fine."
Despite air quality that may affect practices, Longhurst does not believe that the chemicals will affect swimmers' long-term health.
"Even though the lack of air flow can get to you and make you feel not so great for the rest of the day, I don't know if it is the pool that is making people sick," he said. "When you're swimming two hours a day and breathing in chlorine, you're going to get sick."
Health Service Medical Director Margaret Higham said that while she has seen many sick swimmers this semester, it can be difficult to differentiate whether a cough is caused by bad ventilation or by general sickness.
"I think that given this time of year, it's hard to say whether their coughs are due to a virus or whether they're caused by ventilation," Higham said. "Could the ventilation make someone with a virus have a worse cough? Possibly, but there is no way to prove it."
Like Higham, Hoyt could not say whether the pool was responsible for the increased number of swimmers becoming sick.
"While the air circulation in the pool is moderate, it's really hard to say that the pool is the reason why a lot of swimmers are getting sick," he said. He added that the cold weather and the swimmers' rigorous workouts could also put extra physical strain on their bodies.
Higham added that she has heard many more complaints from swimmers this year than last, when she heard none. Even so, she said, seeing swimmers get sick is not a strange phenomenon.
"People who swim always complain about the pool," she said. "It seems almost universal just because pools are enclosed places where you come in close contact with people. I don't see it happening here more than any other place."
Hoyt added that his team is looking forward to having a new pool facility, which will be built as part of the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, originally planned to be completed within the next few years. But due to the recent economic downturn, all capital projects, including the fitness center, have been put on hold indefinitely.
"We're really excited that [University] President [Lawrence] Bacow has committed to build a pool because we'll have improved chemical management and air quality," Hoyt said. "As it is now, our pool is very crowded and old, so we're excited to have a newer, bigger pool."
In the meantime, many swimmers remain concerned about the air quality situation.
"My understanding is that they're trying to make it better, but at this point, I've seen a minor improvement," Shimberg said. "I think the fact that I'm on antibiotics because I am trying to do an activity at Tufts is crazy. I just feel like I shouldn't have to be on medication to be an athlete."
