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Submitted
by Sandy Morrison <smorrison@usgs.gov> --- U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the
Interior News Release Date: Sept. 12, 2008 Contact: Richard L. Whitman 219-926-8336 rwhitman@usgs.gov ____________________________________________________________________________ Experts to Gather in Porter, Ind. Beach Sand Often More Contaminated than
Water Recent
research has revealed that beach sand contains high concentrations of E.
coli and other fecal indicator bacteria, often greatly exceeding the
concentration in beach water. Further, there is evidence that beach closings
due to elevated fecal indicator bacteria may be linked to these sand
populations. Contaminated beach sand, and the complications that it causes for
monitoring, are among the leading topics that a group of national experts will
discuss in Porter, Indiana at the Great Lakes Beach Association conference on
Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 16-17. “Over
the last few years, we’ve identified an important source of indicator bacteria
and how these bacteria may negatively influence recreation, but this is the
first time experts have actually met to discuss this issue collectively,” said
Richard Whitman, Chief of the Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station, USGS.
Whitman was one of the first to describe these high concentrations of E.
coli in sands and to link them to high bacteria counts in water. Beach
water is routinely analyzed for E. coli and other fecal indicator
bacteria to determine whether human sewage is present. When bacteria
concentrations in water exceed a certain threshold, beaches are typically
closed to swimming or swimming advisories are posted. Nation-wide, beach
closings are a persistent problem, and efforts to minimize closings are often
unsuccessful. For most beach closings, the reason for high bacteria
concentrations remains unknown. A
potential reason for many of these beach closings, and a complication for
monitoring efforts is high concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria in beach
sand. Bacteria are often present in high concentrations independent of any
recent contamination events. Further, bacteria are often re-suspended into the
beach water during onshore winds and high waves. The health risk associated
with these bacteria is as yet unknown, but preliminary studies are being
conducted. The
conference will include experts from federal agencies and universities from California,
Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Hawaii, and Canada. USGS is hosting this event. Reporters: If you would
like more information on this conference or to participate in a call-in
session, please contact Cris Handly on 219-926-8336 ext. 419. USGS provides science for a
changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov. Subscribe
to USGS News Releases via our electronic
mailing list or RSS feed. ***www.usgs.gov*** |
Attachment:
Beach Meeting Final.doc
Description: MS-Word document