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Beach sand was examined and analysed in 1997 at several locations in Warnemünde, a North-East German seaside resort, especially for the incidence of the nematode genuo Toxocara. Two of 126 samples contained Toxocara. The author points out measures to decrease the risk of infection.
Mediterranean beaches are very crowded during summer and, because of the high values of solar UV radiation, the potential risk for human health is relevant. In this study, all-day measurements of biologically effective global and diffuse UV radiation for skin (UVBE(eryt)) and eye (UVBE(pker), UVBE(pconj), UVBE(cat)) disorders were carried out on differently tilted surfaces on a summer's day on a Mediterranean beach. The role played by beach umbrellas in protection from excessive sun exposure was also investigated. Erythema, photokeratitis and cataract seem to require almost the same exposure time to reach the risk threshold dose. Under full sunlight, the highest global and diffuse UV values are reached on surfaces normally oriented towards sunlight and on horizontal surfaces, respectively. Over vertical surfaces, at this northern hemisphere site, global and diffuse UV radiation reaches maxima values in the south-facing direction around noon, while maxima values are reached early in the morning and late in the afternoon over surfaces facing east and west, respectively. The quality of the beach umbrella's protection (efficiency in blocking solar UV radiation) varies with surface orientation; the highest efficiency for our specific site and geometrical conditions occurs over horizontal surfaces, with efficiency being least over vertical surfaces when incident radiation values are still relevant.
This study considered the influence of competitive anxiety and self-confidence state responses upon athletic performance. 66 male beach volleyball players completed the translated and modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 which included the original intensity scale and a direction scale of Jones and Swain. Players' performance was scored from the video records using a standard rating scales. Correlations indicated scores on Direction subscale of modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and Self-confidence were moderately positively (r=.27 to .51) correlated with different skill components and sum of skill components of beach volleyball. Stepwise multiple regressions indicated that, as anticipated, directional perceptions of cognitive and somatic anxiety and self-confidence were significant predictors of beach volleyball performance but accounted for only 42% of variance. Original Intensity subscales of somatic and cognitive anxiety did not predict performance. Findings support the notion that direction of anxiety responses must be taken into consideration when examining anxiety-performance association in sport.
This study was designed to evaluate the injuries in indoor and in beach volleyball, and to compare the injury pattern in the two different types of volleyball. Injuries in 295 volleyball players were recorded during the beach volleyball season 1993 and during the following indoor volleyball season 1993 to 1994. The method of enquiry was two identical questionnaires. Equal numbers of men and women, elite and recreational players were represented. In beach volleyball 24 injuries were reported and 286 in indoor volleyball, representing an incidence of 4.9 injuries per 1000 volleyball hours in beach volleyball and 4.2 in indoor volleyball. The most frequent injuries were acute injuries located in the ankle and finger and overuse injuries in the knee and shoulder. The injury pattern was different in indoor and in beach volleyball. In beach volleyball most injuries occurred in field defence and in spiking, with overuse injuries in the shoulder as the major site. In indoor volleyball most injuries occurred during blocking and spiking, resulting most frequently in acute finger and ankle injuries, respectively.
BACKGROUND: Although the beach is a high-risk environment for ultraviolet light exposure and subsequent skin damage, little is known about beachgoer tanning habits outside the beach setting. Our purpose was to evaluate indoor tanning and additional, nonbeach sunlight exposure in a beachgoing population. METHODS: We conducted an epidemiologic survey. RESULTS: There was more use of indoor tanning salons among sunbathing beachgoers who applied little or no skin protection from the sun (50.8% [31 of 61 respondents]) compared with nonsunbathing beachgoers (22.7% [5 of 22 respondents]). In addition to increased use of tanning salons, we observed that poorly protected sunbathers tanned at locations other than the beach on a regular basis (50.8% [31 of 61 respondents]) more than nonsunbathers did (9.1% [2 of 22 respondents]). CONCLUSION: Beachgoing sunbathers often used both natural sunlight and tanning beds, subjecting themselves to two forms of ultraviolet radiation exposure.
In order to investigate the presence of helminths agents of parasitic zoonoses, were examined 237 fecal samples of dogs from central area of the main beach of south coast of Rio Grande do Sul State. The eggs and larvae of genus Ancylostoma (71.3%) and Trichuris (32.5%) and Toxocara eggs (9.3%) were the most prevalent parasites detected.
Many beach and holiday resorts experience major problems with alcohol-related public disorder. Following an escalation in alcohol-related incidents in the New Zealand beach community of Piha, a community-driven response to address issues of community well-being and safety was initiated by concerned residents. A case study evaluation reported on the development of a community coalition involving community and statutory stakeholders and the successful implementation of local community action strategies. These included a beach alcohol ban, extensive local publicity and a community policing presence over successive summers. An examination of the case study suggests that inter-sectoral collaboration, and multiple level strategies through policy, promotion and enforcement activities are key factors in enabling communities to successfully reduce alcohol-related harm.
BACKGROUND: Indicator bacteria are a good predictor of illness at marine beaches that have point sources of pollution with human fecal content. Few studies have addressed the utility of indicator bacteria where nonpoint sources are the dominant fecal input. Extrapolating current water-quality thresholds to such locations is uncertain. METHODS: In a cohort of 8797 beachgoers at Mission Bay, California, we measured baseline health at the time of exposure and 2 weeks later. Water samples were analyzed for bacterial indicators (enterococcus, fecal coliforms, total coliforms) using both traditional and nontraditional methods, ie, chromogenic substrate or quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A novel bacterial indicator (Bacteroides) and viruses (coliphage, adenovirus, norovirus) also were measured. Associations of 14 health outcomes with both water exposure and water quality indicators were assessed. RESULTS: Diarrhea and skin rash incidence were the only symptoms that were increased in swimmers compared with nonswimmers. The incidence of illness was not associated with any of the indicators that traditionally are used to monitor beaches. Among nontraditional water quality indicators, associations with illness were observed only for male-specific coliphage, although a low number of participants were exposed to water at times when coliphage was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional fecal indicators currently used to monitor these beaches were not associated with health risks. These results suggest a need for alternative indicators of water quality where nonpoint sources are dominant fecal contributors.
We discuss the use of the nematode to copepod ratio in relation to determining the extent of metals impact using the Chañaral area of northern Chile, where the dumping of copper mine tailings has taken place for many years, as an example. Data were collected from 12 beaches in the area on eight occasions between January 1997 and October 1998. We find that the ratio is not a good predictor of pollution due to the generally low densities of meiofauna on impacted beaches and the absence of harpacticoid copepods from those beaches. We suggest that in the case of metal pollution the mean number of Harpacticoida per site may be a better indicator of impact stress. We rule out the use of the nematode to copepod ratio as an indicator in biomonitoring studies where metal enrichment is thought to occur.
We studied the shoreward and seasonal distribution of E. coil and enterococci in sand (at the water table) at two southern Lake Michigan beaches-Dunbar and West Beach (in Indiana). Deep, backshore sand (approximately 20 m inland) was regularly sampled for 15 months during 2002-2003. E. coli counts were not significantly different in samples taken at 5-m intervals from 0-40 m inland (P = 0.25). Neither E. coli nor enterococci mean counts showed any correlation or differences between the two beaches studied. In laboratory experiments, E. coli readily grew in sand supplemented with lake plankton, suggesting that in situ E. coil growth may occur when temperature and natural organic sources are adequate. Of the 114 sand enterococci isolates tested, positive species identification was obtained for only 52 (46%), with E. faecium representing the most dominant species (92%). Genetic characterization by ribotyping revealed no distinct genotypic pattern (s) for E. coli, suggesting that the sand population was rather a mixture of numerous strains (genotypes). These findings indicate that E. coli and enterococci can occur and persist for extended periods in backshore sand at the groundwater table. Although this study was limited to two beaches of southern Lake Michigan, similar findings can be expected at other temperate freshwater beaches. The long-term persistence of these bacteria, perhaps independent of pollution events, complicates their use as indicator organisms. Further, backshore sand at the water table may act as a reservoir for these bacteria and potentially for human pathogens.
The case of a missing person is described whose body was discovered almost 8 months later on a secluded beach on the Solway coast, south west Scotland. The delay in discovery was due to the foot and mouth outbreak in the UK in 2001 and this resulted in conditions favouring the development of partial mummification. The influence of the tides and involvement of HM Coastguard are discussed, along with difficulties in the identification of partially skeletonised remains.
A combination of sedimentological analysis of beach sands, field surveys and the assessment of the empirical methods for the breakwater design is used to investigate the impacts of offshore breakwaters on beach morphology along Nagahama and Ohgata. The results indicate that the nearshore sedimentation has been substantially disrupted due to the features formed behind the breakwaters stopping littoral transport, which led to sediment accretion on the updrift side of the breakwaters, and erosion on their downdrift side. Sedimentological analysis of beach sands made it possible to recognize the dominant process at the sections considered. In fact, the occurrence of strong offshore-going currents, the removal of finer mean grain size and the predominance of high-density heavy minerals led us to deduce that the two sections undergo a natural sedimentary imbalance.
Enterococci, a common fecal indicator, and Staphylococcus aureus, a common skin pathogen, can be shed by bathers affecting the quality of recreational waters and resulting in possible human health impacts. Due to limited information available concerning human shedding of these microbes, this study focused on estimating the amounts of enterococci and S. aureus shed by bathers directly off their skin and indirectly via sand adhered to skin. Two sets of experiments were conducted at a marine beach located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The first study, referred to as the "large pool" study, involved 10 volunteers who immersed their bodies in 4700L during four 15min cycles with exposure to beach sand in cycles 3 and 4. The "small pool" study involved 10 volunteers who were exposed to beach sand for 30min before they individually entered a small tub. After each individual was rinsed with off-shore marine water, sand and rinse water were collected and analyzed for enterococci. Results from the "large pool" study showed that bathers shed concentrations of enterococci and S. aureus on the order of 6x10(5) and 6x10(6) colony forming units (CFU) per person in the first 15min exposure period, respectively. Significant reductions in the bacteria shed per bather (50% reductions for S. aureus and 40% for enterococci) were observed in the subsequent bathing cycles. The "small pool" study results indicated that the enterococci contribution from sand adhered to skin was small (about 2% of the total) in comparison with the amount shed directly from the bodies of the volunteers. Results indicated that bathers transport significant amounts of enterococci and S. aureus to the water column, and thus human microbial bathing load should be considered as a non-point source when designing recreational water quality models.
Microplastics have been recently identified as marine pollutants of significant concern due to their persistence, ubiquity and potential to act as vectors for the transfer and exposure of persistent organic pollutants to marine organisms. This study documents, for the first time, the presence and abundance of microplastics (>1.6 microm) in Singapore's coastal environment. An optimized sampling protocol for the collection and analysis of microplastics was developed, and beach sediments and seawater (surface microlayer and subsurface layer) samples were collected from nine different locations around the coastline. Low density microplastics were separated from sediments by flotation and polymer types were identified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. Synthetic polymer microplastics identified in beach sediments included polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, nylon, polyvinyl alcohol and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Microplastics were detected in samples from four out of seven beach environments, with the greatest quantity found in sediments from two popular beaches in the eastern part of Singapore. Polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics were also found in the surface microlayer (50-60 microm) and subsurface layer (1m) of coastal waters. The presence of microplastics in sediments and seawater is likely due to on-going waste disposal practices from industries and recreational activities, and discharge from shipping.
In order to assess the microbial water quality of the lagoon canals of Venice, Italy and nearby beach on Lido island, a study was conducted using real-time RT-PCR to enumerate levels of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and enteroviruses in these marine waters over a 3-year period from 2003 to 2005. A total of 17 sites (9 lagoon canal and 8 beach sites) were assayed. For the canals of the Venice Lagoon, 78% were positive for both HAV and enteroviruses, with levels ranging from 75 to 730 and 3 to 1,614 genome copies/L, respectively. At Lido beach, HAV was never detected, but enteroviruses were detected in all Lido beach samples at levels ranging from 2 to 71 genome copies/L. There was a statistically significant correlation between thermotolerant coliform densities and HAV levels (p=0.0002), but the relationship between thermotolerant coliform densities and enterovirus levels was not significant (p>0.05). Despite the fact that enteroviruses were detected at low levels in the surfzone at Lido beach, the risk for enteroviral infection (calculated using the beta-Poisson model) for recreational exposure from swimming, was in the range of 1.9 x 10(-3) - 6.1 x 10(-2), yielding a disease risk at or below the level (5% for gastroenteritis) deemed acceptable by European Guide standards.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the types of aquatic locations attended by residents of rural and remote New South Wales (NSW), to record self-reported water safety-related behaviour, and identify preferred communication mediums for water safety messages. METHODS: A stratified random telephone survey was conducted of 500 NSW residents aged greater than 15 years residing in moderately accessible, remote and very remote locations in NSW. RESULTS: Results indicate that around two-thirds of respondents had been in or on the water at a pool, beach, lake, river or dam in the past 6 months. The most common type of aquatic facilities used were rivers, creeks or streams (53.5%), beaches (45.7%), public pools (45.5%), private pools (40.7%), dams (40.6%) and lakes (27.0%). Time spent at each of these locations and time of day each location was visited varied. Overall, the majority of respondents reported practicing water-related safe behaviour. Preferred communication mediums for water safety messages included television, schools and newspapers. CONCLUSIONS: Water safety education, especially in relation to beach conditions, remains just as important a topic for public health authorities and key water safety agencies in regional and remote NSW as it is in coastal suburbs. Responses from the survey, along with key stakeholder advice, will be used to inform the development of appropriate strategies aimed to reduce drowning deaths in rural and remote locations in NSW.
Swimming advisories due to excessive Escherichia coli concentrations are common at 63rd Street Beach, Chicago, Ill. An intensive study was undertaken to characterize the source and fate of E. coli in beach water and sand at the beach. From April through September 2000, water and sand samples were collected daily or twice daily at two depths on three consecutive days per week (water samples, n = 1,747; sand samples, n = 858); hydrometeorological conditions and bird and bather distributions were also recorded. E. coli concentrations in sand and water were significantly correlated, with the highest concentration being found in foreshore sand, followed by those in submerged sediment and water of increasing depth. Gull contributions to E. coli densities in sand and water were most apparent on the day following gull activity in a given area. E. coli recolonized newly placed foreshore sand within 2 weeks. Analysis of variance, correlation, cluster analyses, concentration gradients, temporal-spatial distribution, demographic patterns, and DNA fingerprinting suggest that E. coli may be able to sustain population density in temperate beach sand during summer months without external inputs. This research presents evidence that foreshore beach sand (i) plays a major role in bacterial lake water quality, (ii) is an important non-point source of E. coli to lake water rather than a net sink, (iii) may be environmentally, and perhaps hygienically, problematic, and (iv) is possibly capable of supporting an autochthonous, high density of indicator bacteria for sustained periods, independent of lake, human, or animal input.
Antibiotic resistance of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from a sandy beach in Sopot, at the Southern Baltic Sea coast was determined. The levels of resistance of bacteria to various antibiotics differed considerably. Bacteria inhabiting the middle part of the beach and the dune were most resistant; the least resistant were bacteria isolated from the sea-beach contact zone. Generally, there were no significant differences in antibiotic resistance between pigmented and non-pigmented bacteria. Bacteria isolated from the surface layer of the sand were more resistant to the tested antibiotics than bacteria from the subsurface layers. The majority of bacterial strains were resistant to 3-8 antibiotics. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics was dependent on their chemical structure.