What causes high E. coli levels at beaches?
What causes high E. coli levels at beaches? Sources of E. coli can include untreated human sewage, failing septic tanks, livestock agriculture, pets, wildlife, and illegal connections from home sewer systems to surface water.
Do 55% of US beaches have fecal contamination?
Environment America, a national network of 30 state environmental groups, tested over 3,000 beaches across the country and found that a whopping 55% of them had fecal contamination at potentially hazardous levels.
Are beaches full of fecal matter?
But before you do, you should be aware that some of these beaches can be mistaken for a public toilet by a lab test. According to a damning new report from Environment America, over half of all U.S. beaches are contaminated with poop. Yep, you read that right.
How do beaches get fecal bacteria?
Some cities also have joint sewer and stormwater systems that can overflow—this leads to “a mixture of raw, untreated sewage and stormwater” that can sometimes flow onto recreational beaches, said Rumpler. Runoff water from large farms can sometimes also contaminate beaches, he added, as can feces from wildlife.
Why did I get sick at the beach?
You are more likely to get sick if you swim at a closed beach or one that has not been tested for contamination. Swimmers can sometimes be exposed to more serious diseases like salmonella. People can get rashes simply from getting polluted water on their skin or in their eyes.
What are the symptoms of beach bacteria?
Another potential source of illness includes some types of cyanobacteria that form algal “blooms” (discolored water) and the toxins they produce. When people are exposed to cyanotoxins, they may have hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even kidney or liver damage.