Making Sure It is Safe to Go in the Water

As the summer beach season approaches, it is a good time to time to turn our attention to   reducing health risks from swimming in the oceans.   Surfers continue to raise anecdotal concerns about increases in ear and skin infections; while environmental groups keep track of continued annual beach closing  and advisories  - more than 20,000 in 2008 (NRDC, 2009). Runoff from sewage and stormwater systems and unregulated runoff after rain storms is the source of beach water pollution. New Jersey continues to issue 'preemptory beach closures after rain events anticipating pollution, and recognizing that results from current tests not available until 24 hours or more after the storm event.  Beach water quality has improved markedly over the last 20 years; however, reports still document illnesses including skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, meningitis and hepatitis. Current testing and standards are focused on gastrointestinal illnesses such as the stomach flu. The current rules NJ close beaches after two-days of high bacterial levels that indicate fecal pollution.  The delay in testing and beach closure essentially means that much of there is risk of exposure before any action is taken.

While the US Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of updating its 20-year-old beach water quality standards by 2012, there is no requirement to use the rapid-testing methods being developed by EPA.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean and Human Health Initiative is also funding research into improving beach water quality testing and technology development.  Legislative reforms proposed in the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act, which would require states to begin using rapid-water tests and provide funding for studies of sources of beach water pollution, continue to languish in Congress. 

The best way to reduce health risks from water contamination is to prevent it by implementing and enforcing better controls and best stormwater management practices that reduce pollution at the sources. If we do not get a better handle on the problem of beach water quality now it threatens t get worse.  Climate change and the predictions of more frequent and intense rainstorms and temperature increases will lead to increased stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows and pathogens in nearby waterways. In particular, climate change is anticipated to affect the presence of microbes that cause stomach flu, diarrhea, skin rashes and neurological and blood infections in America's beach water, according to the report. The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) would help communities prepare for the impacts of climate change on coastal communities, such as flooding, sea level rise, increased stormwater pollution and sewer overflows, in addition to capping global warming pollution.

 

Dolphin Health Linked to Human Health

Recently, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) unveiled research results on the similarity of dolphin health to human health when exposed to contaminated coastal waters or seafood.  Both humans and dolphins suffer from similar common colds, viruses and infections.  Dolphins are even stricken with symptoms that resemble the signs of diabetes.  These similarities have alerted officials to study common factors - the quality of water and safety of the fish or foods both humans and dolphins consume from the ocean.  A focus on the dolphins and their health may provide a key to improving some areas of human health.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is the agency is responsible for management of marine mammals, also provides funding for research projects aimed at investigating ocean and human health concerns.  According to NOAA  Oceans and Human Health Initiative, "our ecological and physiological similarities make dolphins an important 'sentinel species' to not only warn us of health risks, but also provide insight into how our healthy can benefit from new medical discoveries".    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating whether coastal dolphin populations and human communities sharing the same seafood resources can experience similarly from exposures.   Additional evidence resulting from their studies show that humans and dolphins may share similar chronic disease outcomes that could result from effects of water quality.  For more information on the research click here.