It’s not just the water: beach sand as a potentially overlooked source of human, environmental, and animal disease

Chelsea, Weiskerger; Brandão, João

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/6198

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Authors

Chelsea, Weiskerger

Brandão, João

Abstract(s)

The connections between water, food, energy, and climate are becoming clearer as we increase our understanding of the world around us. Recreational health policy, however, is lagging behind the research. In certain situations, the impacts of this lag could substantially affect the health of beach users. In recent years, research has indicated that beach sand can be a substantial source of fecal indicator bacteria and may provide more of a risk for beachgoers than recreational water itself. Further, the prevalence of contaminants in beach sand can provide a “One Health” issue: in addition to people contacting contaminants in beach sand, wildlife and pets are also exposed to sand, potentially leading to animal diseases. Additionally, contaminants in sand may degrade the environmental health of beaches through the development of biofilms and complex microbial communities that include may pathogens and opportunists. All of these issues may be affected by climate, food, and energy development, and subsequently may cause economic problems associated with healthcare costs, enhanced beach management/cleanup, and tourism losses due to beach closures. Despite this knowledge of beach sand as a source of human, animal, economic, and environmental health concerns, only three nations have recognized sand as a potential source of beach contamination, and only one has taken steps to effectively manage sand contamination for beach health. As we move forward with research, directed by both the water, food, energy, and climate nexus and One Health frameworks, the health and safety of beachgoers will depend upon development of policies to address beach sand and water contamination.