It may be a source of disgust and embarrassment in public circles, but urinating in a swimming pool has long been understood as a necessary evil among more than just a few swimmers.

However, new research from Purdue University suggests that letting loose in water treated with chlorine -- which is supposed to ward off infections --- may actually be exposing swimmers to a whole new set of toxins.

The findings are detailed in a paper published February in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Uric acid, a byproduct of human metabolism that is excreted regularly through urine, generates potentially hazardous "volatile disinfection byproducts" in swimming pools by interacting with chlorine, used mainly to prevent pathogenic microorganisms from growing in the water, Jing Li, a visiting scholar from the China Agricultural University who's working at Purdue University, explained in a university news release.

The disinfection byproducts include cyanogen chloride, a toxic compound that affects several internal organs, including the lungs and heart, when inhaled, and trichloramine, which has been linked to acute lung injury in during exposures to chlorine-based disinfectants.

Researchers already knew certain airborne contaminants are created when chlorine reacts with sweat and urine in indoor swimming pools.

But, the new findings definitively show that uric acid from urine is "an efficient precursor to the formation of [cyanogen chloride] and [trichloramine]," said Li.

"Given that uric acid introduction to pools is attributable to urination, the findings indicate important benefits to pool water and air chemistry that could result from improved hygiene habits on the part of swimmers," said Ernest R. Blatchley III, a professor of civil engineering at the university.

"A common misconception within the swimming community is that urination in pools is an acceptable practice, although signs and placards are posted in many pools to encourage proper hygiene," he said. "It is also well known that many swimmers ignore these warnings, particularly noteworthy among these are competitive swimmers."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented cases that show people became sick after breathing contaminants at improperly maintained indoor swimming pools. Of great concern to health officials are nitrogen-containing disinfection byproducts, which are can be carcinogenic and cause cell damage.

More than 90 percent of uric acid introduced to pools comes from human urine, the findings assert.