Bird + Bleach = DEATH?!

roimata

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I was just curious about this, because I have no idea. My dad filled up this inflatable pool for my brother and sister, he puts alot of bleach in it so it stays clean, this morning I look out to my backyard and see a bird trying to drink from the pool o_o ......which contains bleach....could this kill it?
 

jenny82

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Well I really don't know, but I would guess that it would be harmful. Bleach is not supposed to be ingested. I guess it depends on how much was in there.
 

gingersmom

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I personally would not want to put my body in bleach water. There is a difference between chlorine used to keep pools clear and straight bleach. But both are highly caustic.

I would assume that it would be harmful if ingested.
 

twstychik

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Bleach is toxic so probably yes. If not death then sick at least. It's probably not great for your skin either.
 

gingersmom

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Originally Posted by twstychik

Bleach is toxic so probably yes. If not death then sick at least. It's probably not great for your skin either.
Or hair, or eyes. I would never allow a child to swim in bleach water - I think that is an accident waiting to happen. How easy is it to swallow pool water?

Your dad may want to check with a swimming pool company to find out what the acceptable chemical levels are.
 

jenny82

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Are your brother and sister swimming in the pool with bleach in it, or is the bleach just in there for awhile to clean it?
 
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roimata

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well he puts bleach in it...my dads very smart and cautious about things, I dont think he'd allow my brother and sister to swim in it if it were dangerous....the pool also comes with a pump thing? I think....I dont know the rules of bleach, im not sure how long you gotta wait before you swim.
 

twstychik

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If it's a pool with a pump he should probably be using chlorine. Not to discredit your dad but I don't think bleach (in any quantity) is good for a person to be in... particularly kids.
 

bab-ush-niik

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Check with him to see what he put in it. Hopefully it was chlorine. Bleach could seriously harm your siblings. There should also not be "a lot" of chlorine, especially in an inflatable pool. Chlorine is also toxic, it's just generally ok in low amounts. For an inflatable pool, it's probably best not to use anything and then just refill it once a week.
 

april31

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Bleach should not be used in a swimming pool. Its not made for skin contact. And yes it could kill the birds. Are you sure its bleach?
 

sandtigress

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Well, bleach breaks down in light, so depending on how long its been sitting there, it won't be so bad, actually. Still wouldn't recommend its use for that though - there are dedicated chemicals for that.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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Yes, if it is bleach and not chlorine, it could kill the birds. And also your brother and sister. Bleach has safety instructions all over it and one of those instructions is NOT to let it come into contact with skin. Goodness - prolonged exposure to bleach could cause serious illness for your siblings.
 

theimp98

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Originally Posted by GingersMom

I personally would not want to put my body in bleach water. There is a difference between chlorine used to keep pools clear and straight bleach. But both are highly caustic.

I would assume that it would be harmful if ingested.
i would agree, if there was bleach in my pool i would not be going in it.
I am not kidding, i would not be going near that water. for at least 48 hours or longer.
 

EnzoLeya

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I think it's a bit crazy to be swimming in bleach water too..... Bleach is extremely harmful to your external body and deadly to your internals. You can get chlorine at WM for cheap, do you know why he uses bleach instead?? I don't think anyone knows if it's harmful for the birds because they've never heard of it, but I'm sure it is harmful to their small bodies.
 
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roimata

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My dad told me that his friend works for a pool company and that bleach has the same chemicals as clorine does and that its fine to use bleach.
 

KitEKats4Eva!

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Then why don't swimming pool companies just use bleach? They don't. For a reason. The instructions on bleach bottles say that you have to use gloves just using it in the kitchen. I would never, ever put it in swimming pool water.

There is bleach and there is chlorine-bleach. Bleach is used to `shock' pools on first starting them up. There's loads of information online about bleach in pools. Perhaps your Dad should look them up before he keeps doing it.
 

crittermom

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I have used Bleach on a VERY rare occasion in our pool(twice to be exact).It is a 15 foot one that is 4 foot deep.I told the kids the first time that we had to wait for atleast a day before we could get into the pool.The second time, we waited about 2 hours with the pump going the whole time.
I do think that it is toxic for birds though..........not 100% sure.I know it kills night crawlers.
 

swampwitch

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I don't like the idea of swimming in it, either, but evidently chlorine bleach can be used to treat (disinfect) drinking water, and can be used in swimming pools. The difficulty is getting the concentration right. If you wanted to use bleach in a big pool, you would need many gallons so it's not practical.

I found this information:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question189.htm

What I find curious is why do you need to bleach an inflatable pool? Aren't those little, and you can dump the water out at the end of the day?
 
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