There have been two big news stories about European coasts recently. One: people are increasingly embracing the health and wellbeing benefits of our coastal waters. Two: our seas are at risk from sewage and run-off pollution, which enter the water and introduce pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites). These two marine headlines don’t co-exist happily.

Pathogens can be found in our coastal waters due to pollution. Contact with contaminated coastal water can cause ear infections, skin rashes, respiratory illness, diarrhea and stomach cramps, as well as more serious infections in some cases. Are real-time water-quality alerts effective at reducing people’s exposure to these waterborne infections?

A team of researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Galway are working together to answer this question. Together they will evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of sharing bathing water quality information to water users via Surfers Against Sewage’s free smartphone app, the Safer Seas and Rivers Service.

What are we doing?

Research has shown that bathers are at risk of illness from exposure to microorganisms. Reliable, real-time information about bathing water quality could play an important role in allowing bathers to make informed decisions about their use of bathing waters, and may help reduce recreational contact with seawater when the risk of exposure to disease-causing microorganisms is highest. Does access to this information have an impact on how bathers behave?

To establish this, the team will investigate how the app is currently being used to recommend enhancements to the delivery of bathing water quality information. They will also evaluate the effectiveness of delivering bathing water quality information in reducing exposure to risky sea pollution conditions. In-depth interviews with people who use the Safer Seas and Rivers Service smartphone app are planned, along with an online survey for people to self-report their bathing exposures and health.

Timeline

Here’s what we’re doing:

Why is this important?

Open water swimming should benefit our health, not cause infections. Infections are unpleasant and disruptive to daily life. Most of the illnesses associated with sea swimming are fairly minor and go away by themselves without medical treatment, but not for all people. We explain how to avoid infections from contaminated seawater in our blog.

Tackling water contamination is vital as climate change continues to cause weather conditions that trigger coastal pollution from sewage overflows and ideal temperatures for bacteria to thrive. This means more people are being exposed to bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites in the water which are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria like warmer water.

We hope that by improving the way we share real-time water quality information with beach users, we can help people to make informed decisions about when and where it’s safest to go in the water. This could reduce preventable illnesses.

To find out more about swimming in polluted waters, listen to this fascinating BBC Radio 4 programme: BBC Radio 4 – Costing the Earth, Swimming in Superbugs?