The memo by officials
Summer is the prime time for people to go on road trips, take their boats out onto the water, and settle on the sand for a tan. Basically, everyone wants a nice time out in the sun for the family. However, what you may not know is that the beach, specifically the sand, is what possibly making you sick.
The American Chemical Society put out a public release on Wednesday warning everyone who goes to the beach about the illness you contract at beaches from the water may factor in more from the sand. The change in where you contract the ailments came from a study from the Environmental Science & Technology, which covers the fact that infections may come from the fecal contamination that linger in sand.
How does beach sand make you sick?
After initial exposure to whatever fecal contaminations in the water, the bacteria from the waste get split up into the beach sand and into the open water. However, the water decays the bacteria faster, whereas in the beach sand, it decays slower, thereby allowing more time for you to risk getting infected.
Only certain bacteria decayed slower in the beach sand than in water. Those bacteria were the Enterococci and the C. perfringens. The latter causes abdominal cramping and some diarrhea that if not hydrated frequently could take you to the ER.
Efforts to prevent people from getting sick at the beach
Besides releasing a public announcement of the risk of contracting illness associated with the beach area, signs have been put up that warn against swimming so that the likelihood of infection is decreased. The reason for this is that some coastal waters are subjected to sewage dumps and the fecal matter that then settles in the water contaminate it and begins the aforementioned contamination cycle.
So, the next time you go to the beach, think twice about venturing too far to the water, as that is where the risk of infection is most high. But maybe the consideration of relocating to a beach where waste dumps don’t occur is a better idea, or even a community pool.
