Are US beaches safe to swim in?

According to a recent report from Environment America, 55 percent of the 3,192 beaches around the country that were regularly tested for potential contamination by government researchers in 2022 had potentially unsafe levels of bacteria on at least one testing day.



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Environment America, a national network of 30 state environmental groups, tested over 3,000 beaches across the country and found that a whopping 55% of them had fecal contamination at potentially hazardous levels.

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The Gulf Coast topped the charts with 84% of its beaches experiencing unsafe contamination at least once, while Alaska and Hawaii fared better with only 24% of their beaches affected. Credit: Environment America.

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Read the beach safety signs at the entrance to the beach. Once on the beach, look for beach warning flags, often posted on or near a lifeguard's stand. A green flag means water conditions are safe and other colors mean conditions are not safe. These flags are there to protect you.

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Rip Currents They are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore that quickly pull swimmers out to sea. Rip currents typically extend from the shoreline, through the surf zone, and past the line of breaking waves. The best way to stay safe is to recognize the danger of rip currents.

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July is when disease outbreaks most likely to occur in lakes and oceans.

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Manzanita Beach in Oregon, Fairhope Public Beach in Alabama, and Santa Monica Pier in California are among the dirtiest and most polluted beaches in America.

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Beaches With Clear Water: The Best in the United States
  • Waimea Bay Beach Park, Hawaii. ...
  • Crandon Park Beach, Florida. ...
  • Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia. ...
  • Clearwater Beach, Florida. ...
  • Carmel Beach, Carmel by The Sea, California. ...
  • Cannon Beach, Oregon. ...
  • Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada. ...
  • Clear Water, Clear Skies, Good Times.


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But a new Environment America study shows that 90% of Texas beaches had at least one day of unsafe fecal contamination in 2022, far above the national average of 55%. Exposure can lead to severe illness including ear infections and gastrointestinal distress.

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Protozoa. The zoonotic and human protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. have both been detected in beach sand (Zanoli Sato et al., 2005; Abdelzaher et al., 2010; Shah et al., 2011). These organisms cause gastrointestinal illness in humans.

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The problem is more widespread than many might think: In a new report, the Environment America Research & Policy Center, a nonprofit organization, found that half of U.S. beaches had potentially unsafe contamination levels in 2022.

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However, community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has been identified since 1990 [18]. MRSA infection can also be transmitted by using recreational seawater, beaches, and pools that are not properly managed or mineral water bottles scattered around [19].

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Naples, Florida Out of 145 oceanside beach towns, Naples, Florida, took the top spot with its sunny weather and low crime rate. Located on Florida's Paradise Coast along the Gulf of Mexico, the town offers lots to see and do, including pristine, white-sand beaches and day trips to nearby Everglades National Park.

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