A report published in 2018, called "Safe for Swimming? Water Quality at Our Beaches" made an alarming revelation. For the research, 4,523 beaches in the USA were tested which revealed “potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination on at least a day."
Fecal matter contains dangerous levels of E. coli and Enterococcus and just plain disgusting even otherwise. The poop bacteria levels in the beaches in enough to make 32 out of every 1000 swimmers sick.
Over 13 percent (or 605) of the beaches had levels that went beyond the safe levels. It is not enough to stay away from the dirty beaches and go to only the clean ones. The Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes were the worst affected with 85 and 75 per cent contamination. The East Coast has the least contamination with just 48 per cent.
Massachusetts, California and Florida had the dirtiest beaches among all in the country. Delaware had the lowest percentage of dirty beaches, reported Forbes.
The fecal contamination is happening due to the sewage and waste materials being dumped into the water. The report showed that "urban runoff, sewage leaks and overflows, and industrial-scale livestock operations" are the chief causes.
Water contamination can cause infections of the eye, skin and the gastrointestinal tract. A study published in the journal Environmental Health showed that more than 90 million water recreation-related illnesses occur in the US each year. It costs the country’s healthcare department $2.2 to $3.7 billion annually.
Long-term exposure to such contamination can put you at risk of could increase your risk of different chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Improving green infrastructure can help harvest rainwater and prevent urban run-offs into the oceans. Sewage and water-monitoring systems also need to be upgraded to cater to present day needs.
The report also advocated that beach pollution and contamination should be regularly monitored after the warning that most beaches are potentially unsafe.
