Abstract
Beach sand and water have both shown relevance for human health and their microbiology have been the subjects of study for decades. Recently, the World Health Organization recommended that recreational beach sands be added to the matrices monitored for enterococci and Fungi. Global climate change is affecting beach microbial contamination, via changes to conditions like water temperature, sea level, precipitation, and waves. In addition, the world is changing, and humans travel and relocate, often carrying endemic allochthonous microbiota. Coastal areas are amongst the most frequent relocation choices, especially in regions where desertification is taking place. A warmer future will likely require looking beyond the use of traditional water quality indicators to protect human health, in order to guarantee that waterways are safe to use for bathing and recreation. Finally, since sand is a complex matrix, an alternative set of microbial standards is necessary to guarantee that the health of beach users is protected from both sand and water contaminants. We need to plan for the future safer use of beaches by adapting regulations to a climate-changing world.
Highlights
Introduction and Broad Climate Change ProjectionsGlobal surface temperatures are predicted to increase by 1–4 ◦ C by the end of this century (2081–2100) relative to those observed from 1986–2005 [1]
Alterations, increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and the increase in water temperature can lead to microbial growth, and changes to some phytoplankton communities [19]
258 locations in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County were investigated for the presence of S. aureus in water, as a follow-up of the outbreak, and the results found were that the bacterium was present in between 2.2 and 36.3% of the 2867 samples collected between mid-May and the end of September
Summary
Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016 Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Department of Soil, Water & Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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