Meanwhile, the Universities of Exeter and Galway are working together to BlueAdapt ProjectFunded by Horizon Europe and UK Research and Innovation.
The researchers surveyed people who had been to the beach, used coastal waters and used the Surfers Against Sewage free smartphone app. Safer sea and river servicestake part in our online survey.
Resistance
The Safer Seas and Rivers service provides up-to-date pollution forecasts and warnings to help people make informed decisions about when and where it is safe to enter the water.
The study, which has now opened and will run until the end of October, aims to explore whether access to reliable, real-time information on water quality influences swimmer behaviour and reduces preventable illnesses.
Professor Will Gaze, from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter, said: “Our aim is to provide evidence to help water users make decisions to reduce risks and inspire change to protect the natural environment.”
“With antibiotic-resistant infections on the rise, this study is timely and particularly concerning given the current increased attention being given to river and coastal water quality.”
Case Study: “We noticed that more and more people were getting sick after swimming.”
For the past four years, Hannah Pearson has been rising before 6am to take a dip in the invigorating swirling waters of the River Dart before work.
For Hannah, 47, the ritual began after COVID-19 reduced her lung capacity, and she believes it has helped her on the road to recovery.
The mum-of-two, from Dartington, South Devon, said: “There’s something really special about being able to dip in cold, natural waters. There seem to be fewer fish out these days, but I love the privilege of being able to see and feel close to nature. It also has an amazing physiological effect – I feel invigorated and jolly after a swim.”
“But over the last few years I’ve noticed some people getting sick. I recently got a terrible skin infection after swimming in the river that left me with a rash all over my body.”
In response, Hannah has founded Friends of the River Dart to help spread the word about Pooh Sticks research. “Access to clean fresh water is so important to our community,” she said. “This research is essential – we need to understand the health impacts of pollution in our rivers and do all we can to keep our water quality good for the sake of the planet and people.”
Case Study: “Swimming in the ocean helped me cope with sadness”
When Abigail Dixon’s father died, she began swimming regularly in the ocean as part of her journey through grief. Abi, 48, now swims regularly with her husband and two teenage daughters, but she worries about sewage levels.
“Swimming in the sea has become really important to me,” says Abi, who lives in Exeter. “When my father died it was really therapeutic for me. It’s a really healthy activity that brings the family together and is really good for mental health.”
“We have definitely been swimming less this year – we’re tired of the water quality warnings in April and we warn our daughters not to put their heads in the water. It makes us feel bad even thinking about it, but we still swim anyway because the benefits to our physical and mental health are so valuable to us.”
“This new research from the University of Exeter is really important – we need to understand what the risks to human health actually are so that we can make informed decisions and decision makers and businesses can understand the level of health harm.”
This author
Brendan Montague is EcologistThis article is based on a press release from the University of Exeter.
River enthusiasts interested in taking part in the “Poo-Sticks” study can find out more here – https://bit.ly/poo-sticks
Coastal swimmers, surfers and paddlers interested in taking part in the BlueAdapt survey can find more information here. https://blueadapt.eu/sea-user-health-survey/
