Athletes, coaches, and facility staff in gyms, sports complexes, swimming pools, and athletic training centers have distinct water use patterns that create unique PFAS exposure considerations. High fluid intake during exercise, prolonged water contact in aquatic facilities, and the use of specialized water sources for recovery and training purposes all contribute to a PFAS exposure profile that warrants specific attention in athletic environments.
Hydration Volumes and PFAS Intake
The most straightforward concern for athletes in PFAS-affected areas is the volume of water consumed. Physically active individuals require substantially more water than sedentary people — competitive athletes may consume 1–2+ gallons of water per day during training, compared to the baseline recommendation of about half a gallon for sedentary adults.
Since daily PFAS intake from water is directly proportional to water consumption volume, athletes who drink PFAS-contaminated water face proportionally higher PFAS intake than non-athletes at the same contamination level. For athletes training or competing in areas with PFAS-contaminated municipal or well water, this amplified intake makes water filtration particularly important.
Swimming Pools and Aquatic Facilities
Competitive swimmers, water polo players, synchronized swimmers, and aquatic exercise participants spend extended periods in water — often hours per day during intensive training. While pool water is typically treated municipal water rather than raw source water, and disinfection processes can affect some PFAS, competitive swimming pools filled with PFAS-contaminated municipal water can expose swimmers through:
- Ingestion during training (swimmers accidentally ingest pool water)
- Dermal absorption during prolonged immersion — warm water may increase absorption
- Respiratory exposure from pool air (some volatile PFAS precursors may accumulate in pool hall air, though this is primarily a concern for chloramines and disinfection byproducts)
For aquatic facilities drawing from PFAS-contaminated source water, treating facility water supply through activated carbon or RO reduces PFAS in both pool fill water and all drinking water on-site.
Ice Arenas and Winter Sports
Ice resurfacing machines (Zambonis) use water to create the ice surface. In ice arenas drawing from PFAS-contaminated municipal or well water, the ice itself may contain PFAS at concentrations reflecting the source water. While ice consumption during hockey games is not the primary exposure route, the repeated contact of skaters with ice surfaces and the fine spray created by skating creates a low-level exposure pathway.
Additionally, competitive ice facilities sometimes used AFFF in fire suppression systems, creating a potential on-site PFAS source from legacy use or system testing.
Recovery Water and Sports Nutrition Products
Athletic recovery protocols increasingly incorporate specific water sources — alkaline water, mineral water, enhanced recovery beverages — often made from or diluted with tap water. Sports drinks, protein shakes, and other training supplements prepared with PFAS-contaminated water carry PFAS into athletes’ systems at the same concentration as the source water.
Sports facilities that prepare recovery drinks or meals on-site should ensure that kitchen and beverage preparation water is filtered to the same standard as drinking water.
Facility Water Treatment Recommendations
For sports facilities in areas with PFAS water contamination, prioritized water treatment investments include:
- Drinking water at all hydration stations: Reverse osmosis or certified carbon filtration at all water dispensing points, including locker room sinks, water bottle filling stations, and food preparation areas
- Aquatic facility water treatment: For pools and other aquatic facilities, activated carbon treatment at the fill water connection reduces the PFAS introduced with each water addition
- Staff and athlete communication: Athletes have a right to know about water quality in their training environments; testing results should be communicated transparently
Youth Athletics: Heightened Priority
Youth sports programs — youth swimming clubs, little leagues, youth hockey leagues — serve children who are more vulnerable to PFAS health effects and who are in the training environments for extended periods. Ensuring clean water in youth athletic facilities should be a priority for program administrators, coaches, and parents. Testing facility water and installing certified filtration is a practical demonstration of commitment to athlete health that parents appropriately expect from organized youth sports programs.