Oh dear god no
Representational Image (Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)
If you're planning to flock to the seaside and have a splash in the sea, you might want to reconsider your decision. According to reports, scientists have reportedly revealed that sand actually contains 100 times more fecal matter than contaminated sea water.
Earlier there were reports, that urine contaminated swimming pools thus burning our eyes (not chlorine). However with this new study brought to light, it seems like its better to swim in the sea than lay on sand.
Tao Yan of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Hawaii highlighted that fecal matter decays much slower in beach sand than in seawater. The Daily Mail reports, their findings could help explain why more fecal bacteria are found on sandy beaches affected by waste-water pollution than in the waves.
the researchers further write that certain bacteria, including “enterococci and C. perfringens, but not E. coli, showed significantly smaller decay rates in sand than in seawater.” In other words, some bacteria simply survive longer in sand, which allows them to build up to higher levels than in ocean water. This may be because bacteria in water gets more direct exposure to the sun, which speeds up its destruction. Bacteria deep in sand is more protected.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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