Meanwhile, the Universities of Exeter and Galway are working together on the BlueAdapt project, funded by Horizon Europe and UK Research and Innovation.
Researchers are asking anyone who has been to the beach and used coastal waters and also uses the Surfers Against Sewage free smartphone app, Safer Seas and Rivers Service, to take part in an online survey.
Resistant
The Safer Seas and Rivers Service supplies the latest pollution forecasts and alerts so people can make an informed decision on when and where it’s safe to get in the water.
The survey is now open and runs until the end of October. The aim is to find out whether having access to reliable, real-time information about water quality has an impact on how swimmers behave and reduces preventable illnesses.
Professor Will Gaze from the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health said: “Our aim is to provide evidence that can inform decision making to reduce risk to water users and inform change to safeguard our natural environment.
“This research is timely as we are seeing a steep increase in antibiotic resistant infections and is of particular concern given the increased attention the quality of our river and coastal water is currently receiving.”
Case study: “We noticed more people getting sick after swimming”
For the last four years, Hannah Pearson has awoken before 6am, to take a pre-work dip in the bracing swirling waters of the River Dart.
For Hannah, 47, the ritual started when her lung capacity reduced after contracting Covid, and she believes it helped her road to recovery.
The mother-of-two, from Dartington, South Devon, said: “There’s something very special about being immersed in cold, natural water. I love the privilege of witnessing and being close to nature, although I feel there are fewer fish around these days. You also feel amazing physiological effects. I feel energised and joyful after I swim.
“Yet in the past few years, we noticed people getting sick. I recently had a nasty skin infection which left a rash all over my body after I swam in the river.”
In response, Hannah set up Friends of the River Dart, which will help circulate the Poo-Sticks study. Hannah said: “It’s so important to our communities to have access to clean, fresh water. This research is vital. We have to understand the health impacts of river pollution, and do all we can to preserve good water quality, for the good of the planet and for humanity.”
Case study: “Sea swimming helped me overcome grief”
When her father died, Abigail Dixon began regularly swimming in the sea, as part of her journey to come to terms with grief. Abi, 48, now regularly swims in the waves with her husband and two teenage daughters – but says she’s wary of the sewage levels.
“Sea swimming has become so important to me,” said Abi, who lives in Exeter. “I found it extremely healing when dad died. It’s a really wholesome activity that unites our family, and it’s so good for mental health.
“This year I’ve definitely been swimming less than I’d like. I was put off by the water quality warnings in April, and I warn my girls not to put their heads under water. It’s disgusting to think about, but we still swim, because the benefits to all our physical and mental health are so valuable to us.”
“This new University of Exeter research is really important. We need to understand what the risk really is to human health, so we can make informed decisions and so that decision-makers and companies understand the levels of harm to health.”
This Author
Brendan Montague is editor of The Ecologist. This article is based on a press release from the University of Exeter.
River swimmers who are interested in taking part in the ‘Poo-Sticks’ study can find out more information here – https://bit.ly/poo-sticks
Coastal swimmers, surfers, and paddlers who are interested in taking part in the BlueAdapt survey can find out more information here:
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