That Classic Summertime Pool Smell? It's Pee

Think back to all those summers spent lounging by the pool. You can probably conjure the smell of the water—a mix of chlorine and a certain je ne sais quoi. Well, prepare to be horrified. That je ne sais quoi is actually the smell of disinfection byproducts or DBPs, created when pee, sweat, dirt, and lotions mix with cleaning chemicals, the American Chemical Society helpfully explains in a summer-ruining YouTube video. Those DBPs are also what make your eyes turn red and have been linked to respiratory issues like asthma. So, as Maddie Stone writes at Gizmodo, "unless you want to be swimming in a toxic stew, do us all a favor and use the toilet and shower like a goddamn adult" before jumping in. (More swimming pool stories.)