Assessment of Physicochemical and Microbial Indicators of Swimming Pool Water in Bojnourd City and Comparison with Standard Values in 2024

Background: Swimming pools play an important role in public health, as they are not only recreational facilities but also have therapeutic significance.Direct contact of pool water with swimmers' bodies can lead to the transmission of fungal, microbial, and gastrointestinal diseases.Therefore, strict monitoring of pool water quality is essential.The aim of this study was to monitor the physicochemical and microbial indicators of swimming pool water in Bojnourd city and to compare the results with standard values.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024.Sampling was carried out once a month over a period of nine months (spring, summer, and autumn), with 18 samples collected per season, totaling 54 samples.The parameters analyzed included turbidity, free chlorine, temperature, and pH, as well as microbial indicators such as heterotrophic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fecal streptococci, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with SPSS version 16.Results: Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, and heterotrophic bacteria were within the acceptable range in 72.79%, 62.5%, 95.73%, and 80.19% of the samples, respectively.The values for turbidity, free chlorine, temperature, and pH met the standards in 61.35%, 59.88%, 78.68%, and 67.33% of the samples, respectively.Conclusion: Given that not all physicochemical and microbial parameters were in compliance with the standards, continuous monitoring of swimming pool water quality is essential to prevent the transmission of infections to both staff and swimmers.