Bathing Areas Research Articles

Beach litter distribution along the western Mediterranean coast of Spain

The amount and composition of beach litter was assessed, during spring 2018, at 56 sites along the coast of Alicante Province, on the western Mediterranean Sea. Selected sites covered “natural” (19), “village” (17) and “urban” (20) bathing areas and a total of 10,101 litter items was counted in an area of 201,686 m2. Plastic represented the dominant material with 8345 items, i.e. 82.6% of all debris; paper and cardboard numbered 566 items (i.e. 5.6%); pottery and ceramics 348 (3.4%); metal 325 (3.2%); cloth 231 (2.3%); glass 147 (1.5%); rubber 64 (0.6%); wood 46 (0.5%) and other materials summed 29 items, i.e. 0.3% of all debris. Cigarette butts, 45.6% of total items, were observed at different coastal sites: i.e. 1028 units at natural, 1148 at village and 2431 at urban sites. Despite the efforts of local administrations, which enforced cleaning operations at most sites, litter items were essentially related to beachgoers followed by wastewater discharges and fishing activities.

The Role of Beaches in the Tourism Offering

To position the tourism offering of the Municipality of Lovran, it must be adjusted to the modern needs of tourists. In this, a key role belongs to designing, implementing and sustaining an experience system as part of the destination’s integrated tourism product. Lovran as a tourist destination can become distinctive only to the extent to which it can provide services and facilities capable of satisfying the travel needs and motivations of tourists. When designing an experience system, the destination is generally in the focus of interest. This paper, however, takes a closer look at the thematization of beaches that are a part of Lovran’s tourism offering. Previous tourism development in Lovran has first and foremost been centred on the summer months when the sun, sea and beaches are the primary motivation for tourist arrivals. Lovran as a tourist destination, together with its beaches, provides opportunities that have yet to be fully valorised with regard to implementing the experience system in beaches. In this respect, the paper aims to highlight the need for beach thematization. Beach thematization is carried out in accordance with the vision of the destination to ensure the optimal distribution of bathers and to satisfy their preferences. A new classification of beaches is made according to the Bathing Area Registration and Evaluation (BARE) system, which is adjusted to the needs of the market. The BARE system categorises beaches based on their accessibility and coastal scenery. The purpose of the paper is to analyse beaches in Lovran and, in accordance with a beach’s potential, to propose a theme (eco beach, romantic beach, beach for families with children, etc.) for each one, based on the Regional Program for the Adaptation and Management of Seaside Beaches in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The authors conclude that beaches have a primary importance for most tourists as well as residents, making it essential to respect their physical, social and ecological carrying capacities.

Coastal scenery and litter impacts at Alicante (SE Spain): management issues

Coastal scenery value was evaluated at 56 locations along the 244 km long coast of Alicante (western Mediterranean) according to the methodology of Ergin et al. Area 36(4):367–386, (2004) based on the evaluation of 26 physical and anthropogenic parameters. Selected areas covered remote (10), rural (9), village (15) and urban (22) bathing areas. The scenery Decision Value parameter (D), allowed to classify the investigated sites into 5 classes, from Class I (extremely attractive/natural sites) to Class V (very unattractive/urbanized sites): 2 sites belonged to Class I, 6 to Class II, 14 to Class III, 20 to Class IV and 14 to Class V. Litter presence was assessed at the same sites using the EA/NALG (2000) methodology, which allowed to classify each site in four grades: A: very good (40 sites); B: good (14); C: fair (1) and D: poor (1). In urban sites litter was composed by small items related to land-based sources and beach use while litter in natural sites was related to marine-based sources, essentially fishing. The sector analysis methodology highlighted as most sites (33 out of 56) showed contradictory characteristics for litter/scenic grades/beach awards presence. To improve scenic value, different actions have to be carried out according to the site typology. At many urban sites, actuations should be focused to the removing or reducing of beach utilities and unnecessary infrastructures. At rural and remote areas, is mandatory to carry out specific litter management plans to reduce litter presence.

Assessing the effects of a barrier net on jellyfish and other local fauna at estuarine bathing beaches

On the east coast of the United States increases in the abundance of stinging bay nettle (Chrysaora chesapeakei) has negatively impacted recreational use of estuarine waters, particularly for bathing. A net-style barrier was assessed as a means to reduce the potential for adverse human-jellyfish interactions. The presence of a barrier reduced the mean number of bay nettles captured within the exclusion areas by 28%–67% compared to immediately adjacent waters depending on the mesh size of the barrier, with smaller mesh having a greater effect. The mean size of the nettles (bell diameter) captured within the exclusion areas was also significantly smaller than that in the adjacent areas. Fish entanglement in the barrier was limited (<0.5 fish per set), while crab entanglement varied with site and barrier material. This study shows that a low-cost, durable, temporary barrier can effectively reduce the size and number of jellyfish within a bathing area.

Categorical performance characteristics of method ISO 7899-2 and indicator value of intestinal enterococci for bathing water quality monitoring.

Intestinal enterococci indicate the fecal contamination of bathing waters. This study defines the performance characteristics of the reference method ISO 7899-2:2000 with water samples collected from inland and coastal bathing areas in Finland. From a total of 341 bacterial isolates grown on Slanetz and Bartley medium, 63.6% were confirmed as intestinal enterococci on bile aesculin agar. The partial 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis clades accounted for 93.1% of the confirmed isolates. The range of the false positive and false negative rate of the ISO 7899-2 was 0.0-18.5% and 5.6-57.1%, respectively, being affected by the presumptive colony count on the membrane. The analysis of multiple sample volumes is proposed to reach 10-100 colonies per membrane when 47 mm diameter membranes are used to prevent overestimation of low counts and underestimation of the high counts.

Rip currents signaling and users behaviour at an overcrowded urban beach

The spatial distribution and behavior of beach users, was studied in relation to rip currents signaling in 2004 and 2015. Overcrowded areas were classified according to the presence or absence of rip currents (RC) and red warning flags (RF). Images from an Argus video system and official drowning records were also analyzed to identify the most likely pattern of drowning and its relation to dangerous bathing conditions. The use of beach decreased when comparing 2004 and 2015 (40–67% in overcrowded areas). The annual drowning cases average (n = 402) was 67 ± 7 per year, of which ∼5% resulted in fatalities. Drowning cases during weekends accounted for 60% of all records for the period. Overcrowded areas had the highest drowning records and fatalities. Images suggested that beach users choose to swim between the red warning flags. About 50% of the time, flags are in different places of those that denote risk, or permanent danger. The video images helped understand behavior of beach users concerning their choice of bathing area. Based on our study, we propose the video monitoring of the beach is continued and expanded. Therefore, the most critical areas of users safety can be identified. Also, clear, updated and well-distributed signaling of environmental assets and risks must be deployed. The collection and management of information about the beach, will greatly help in decision making and improvement of public environmental literacy, improving beach users recreational experience at urban crowded beaches by improving safety at different aspects.

Sensitivity of indicators matters when using aggregation methods to assess marine environmental status

The sensitivity of the 15 indicators included in a complex aggregation method (Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool), applied to a case study in the Caspian Sea in Iran, has been studied to discriminate between areas impacted and non-impacted by bathing activities. Two methods were used: (i) the 15 indicators were grouped into four groups (physicochemical, bacteria, plankton, and benthos) and each group was investigated separately (one-way sensitivity analysis), calculating NEAT values after omitting each group independently; and (ii) indicators were selected randomly, using 1000 Monte Carlo iterations, and removing from 1 to 14 indicators at each iteration. The results revealed that the abundance of Pontogammarus was the single indicator that made the difference in assessing the status among locations, differentiating bathing and non-bathing areas. Hence, this indicator is regarded as a monitoring element detecting the impacts produced by a management measure (beach nourishment) taken by the authorities to maintain the bathing activity.

Surveillance of human enteric viruses in coastal waters using concentration with methacrylate monolithic supports prior to detection by RT-qPCR

This is the first surveillance study using methacrylate monolithic supports to concentrate environmental coastal water samples, prior to molecular target detection by RT-qPCR. Rotaviruses (RoV) and Noroviruses (NoV) were monitored in a polluted area at the Bay of Koper (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea) and at a nearby bathing area and mussel farm areas.RoV and NoV are released into the Bay of Koper, with higher rates close to the discharge of the wastewater treatment plant, however, they can be detected at recreational and mussel farming areas. Our results showed that water bodies considered safe based on FC concentrations, can still have low, yet potentially infective, concentrations of human viruses.

Detection and Sizing of Ti-Containing Particles in Recreational Waters Using Single Particle ICP-MS.

Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) was used to detect Ti-containing particles in heavily-used bathing areas of a river (Salt River) and five swimming pools. Ti-containing particleconcentrations in swimming pools ranged from 2.8 × 103 to 4.4 × 103 particles/mL and were an order of magnitude lower than those detected in the Salt River. Measurements from the Salt River showed an 80% increase in Ti-containing particle concentration over baseline concentration during peak recreational activity (at 16:00h) in the river. Cloud point extraction followed by transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis confirmed presence of aggregated TiO2 particles in river samples, showing morphological similarity to particles present in an over-the-counter sunscreen product. The maximum particle mass concentration detected in a sample from the Salt River (659ng/L) is only slightly lower than the predicted no effect concentration for TiO2 to aquatic organisms (< 1μg/L).

Biodiversity analysis of the unique geothermal microbial ecosystem of the Blue Lagoon (Iceland) using next-generation sequencing (NGS)

The Blue Lagoon is a shallow geothermal lake which contains sea- and freshwater and is extremely high in silica content. This study has provided the first in-depth molecular survey of its planktic microbial inhabitants and laid the groundwork for future environmental and physiological work. Most MiSeq sequences obtained were affiliated with Alphaproteobacteria (36%), Cyanobacteria (26%), and Gammaproteobacteria (24%). Cyanobacteria were found to be the principal primary producers with 99.8% of the cyanobacterial sequences belonging to the unicellular Cyanobacterium aponinum. Filamentous genera: Halomicronema and Phormidium were very minor and present only outside the bathing area. The calculated diversity was typical of samples from extreme environments. Elevated salinity and high concentration of silicium attract extremophiles that are either highly adapted specialists for certain conditions or generalists with wide tolerance ranges. Relatively few abundant phyla were represented; 95% of observed OTUs consisted of less than ten sequences and only 0.5% had more than 1000 sequences. All rarefaction curves were far from saturation and a higher number of sequences is apparently required to cover the whole community diversity. Although, the diversity of the abundant taxa was limited, the rare biosphere, detectable only with next generation sequencing, increased significantly the diversity.

Using multiple indicators to assess the environmental status in impacted and non-impacted bathing waters in the Iranian Caspian Sea

Human activities have increased in the Caspian Sea in last decades, impacting the coastal zone ecosystems. One of the increasing activities is recreation, including bathing areas in the south of the Caspian Sea, which have been scarcely studied and assessed. Investigating the interactions between human activities and the resulting environmental status in bathing areas, by using adequate indicators and assessment methods, is necessary to undertake management measures for ecosystem restoration. In this study, for the first time, we use the Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool (NEAT) outside the European waters to assess environmental status in bathing waters, to differentiate areas impacted and non-impacted by bathing activities. We have assessed the status in winter and summer seasons, by combining multiple indicators from different ecosystem components (8 physico-chemical, 4 bacteria, 2 plankton, and 1 benthos indicators). Despite the interactions between season and human affection, NEAT determined that the Caspian Seas is not in good status, differentiating, in summer, between impacted and non-impacted bathing areas, with a significant correlation with the number of beach users. Accordingly, management measures should be taken in the southern Caspian Sea to improve the environmental status in general and that of bathing areas in particular.

Renovations Big and Small Can Help Make the SNF More Like Home

Renovations Big and Small Can Help Make the SNF More Like Home

Protocol for the recovery and detection of Escherichia coli in environmental water samples

To achieve active management of bathing areas and to reduce risk associated with the presence of fecal pollution, tests capable of rapid on-site assessment of microbiological water quality are required. A protocol for the recovery and detection of fecal pollution indicator bacteria, E. coli, using β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity was developed. The developed protocol involves two main steps: sample preparation and GUS activity measurement. In the sample preparation step, syringe filters were used with a dual purpose, for the recovery and pre-concentration of E. coli from the water matrix and as μL reactors for bacteria lysis and GUS extraction. Subsequently, GUS activity was measured using a continuous fluorometric method developed previously. The optimum GUS recovery conditions for the sample preparation step were found to be 100 μL PELB (supplemented with 1 mg mL−1 lysozyme and 20 mM DTT) at 37 °C for 30 min. The protocol was evaluated on environmental samples (fresh and seawater) against an establish GUS assay method (Coliplage®). GUS activities corresponding to samples containing as low as 26 MPN E. coli 100 mL−1 were detected for the seawater sample and as low as 110 MPN E. coli 100 mL−1 for the freshwater samples. By comparison with the Coliplage® method, this protocol offered an improvement in the measured GUS activities of 3.1 fold for freshwater samples and 4.1 fold for seawater samples. Furthermore, the protocol developed here, has a time-to-result of 75 min, and successfully addresses the requirement for tests capable of rapid assessment of microbiological water quality.

Measurement of the Ecological Integrity of Cerrado Streams Using Biological Metrics and the Index of Habitat Integrity.

Generally, aquatic communities reflect the effects of anthropogenic changes such as deforestation or organic pollution. The Cerrado stands among the most threatened ecosystems by human activities in Brazil. In order to evaluate the ecological integrity of the streams in a preserved watershed in the Northern Cerrado biome corresponding to a mosaic of ecosystems in transition to the Amazonia biome in Brazil, biological metrics related to diversity, structure, and sensitivity of aquatic macroinvertebrates were calculated. Sampling included collections along stretches of 200 m of nine streams and measurements of abiotic variables (temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, and discharge) and the Index of Habitat Integrity (HII). The values of the abiotic variables and the HII indicated that most of the streams have good ecological integrity, due to high oxygen levels and low concentrations of dissolved solids and electric conductivity. Two streams showed altered HII scores mainly related to small dams for recreational and domestic use, use of Cerrado natural pasture for cattle raising, and spot deforestation in bathing areas. However, this finding is not reflected in the biological metrics that were used. Considering all nine streams, only two showed satisfactory ecological quality (measured by Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), total richness, and EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) richness), only one of which had a low HII score. These results indicate that punctual measures of abiotic parameters do not reveal the long-term impacts of anthropic activities in these streams, including related fire management of pasture that annually alters the vegetation matrix and may act as a disturbance for the macroinvertebrate communities. Due to this, biomonitoring of low order streams in Cerrado ecosystems of the Northern Central Brazil by different biotic metrics and also physical attributes of the riparian zone such as HII is recommended for the monitoring and control of anthropic impacts on aquatic communities.

Hydrochemical transformations of river waters during the flow in the reception basin on the basis of Olechówka River in Łódź

This work presents the results of the research experiment of conducting hydrochemical observation of the Olechowka River in Łodź and its flow from the river source until its estuary. The main aim of the research was to set tendencies of changes in waters flowing down from municipal reception basin with developed rain drain system and in waters flowing into bathing areas at the same time. Along with the flow of the river, 12 measuring-research points were established. In each of those points, measurements of the discharge rate and mean flow velocity of water in the channel were performed, which enabled to set average time of the flow of water between individual measuring-research points. The time of storing water in reservoirs was taken into consideration. The total time of the flow of water in the Olechowka River amounted to 856 h and 15 min. The analyses included in situ measurements (T, pH, SEC), analytical determinations Cl− , NH4 + , NO3 − , TN, PO4 3− , TP and Oxidability. The interchangeability of values of tested indicators and discharge point out to their decrease along with the increase of water flowing in the riverbed. There were self-cleaning processes identified in the Olechowka River: dilution and denitrification, along with the accumulation of total phosphorus in the river flow.

Resiliência socioecológica em comunidades deslocadas por hidrelétricas na Amazônia:

Este artigo apresenta um estudo interdisciplinar sobre processos de adaptação e resiliência cultural em situações de deslocamento e reassentamento forçado de grupos sociais por implantação de hidrelétricas na Amazônia. São apresentados resultados de uma pesquisa participativa realizada entre a comunidade de Nova Mutum Paraná, Rondônia, após seu deslocamento forçado devido à construção da Hidrelétrica de Jirau. A abordagem teórica integra conceitos das teorias dos sistemas socioecológicos complexos com conceitos originários no corpo teórico da antropologia do desenvolvimento. Métodos incluíram observação participante, oficinas participativas e atividades com grupos focais por um período de quase três anos logo depois do reassentamento. Foram pesquisados o processo de reorganização social e as estratégias de negociação da comunidade com o consórcio construtor, relacionadas ao acesso a recursos de uso comum, priorizando dois espaços de lazer e importância cultural: balneário natural e campo de futebol. Resultados sugerem que o capital social presente na comunidade nas fases iniciais de planejamento e tomada de decisão para a construção de hidrelétricas é um fator crítico no processo de negociação de acões de mitigação relativas ao acesso a bens comuns e serviços. O envolvimento e o apoio de gestores municipais também foram elementos importantes para o fortalecimento da organização social da comunidade. Apesar dos obstáculos e dificuldades, a comunidade persiste em reconstruir os espaços sociais e de convivência comum, buscando assim manter raízes de sua história por meio dos hábitos e costumes praticados na antiga comunidade ribeirinha.

Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eggs Are Present in Soil at Multiple Locations within Households in Rural Kenya.

Almost one-quarter of the world’s population is infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH). We conducted a study to determine the prevalence and location of STH—Ascaris, Trichuris, and hookworm spp.—egg contamination in soil within rural household plots in Kenya. Field staff collected soil samples from July to September 2014 from the house entrance and the latrine entrance of households in Kakamega County; additional spatial sampling was conducted at a subset of households (N = 22 samples from 3 households). We analyzed soil samples using a modified version of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method for enumerating Ascaris in biosolids. We found 26.8% of households had one or more species of STH eggs present in the soil in at least one household location (n = 18 out of 67 households), and Ascaris was the most commonly detected STH (19.4%, n = 13 out of 67 households). Prevalence of STH eggs in soil was equally likely at the house entrance (19.4%, N = 67) as at the latrine entrance (11.3%, N = 62) (p = 0.41). We also detected STH eggs at bathing and food preparation areas in the three houses revisited for additional spatial sampling, indicating STH exposure can occur at multiple sites within a household plot, not just near the latrine. The highest concentration of eggs in one house occurred in the child’s play area. Our findings suggest interventions to limit child exposure to household soil could complement other STH control strategies.

Testing for viral material in water of public bathing areas of the Danube during summer, Vojvodina, Serbia, 2014.

From August to September 2014 a water quality study was conducted on five popular public Danube beaches in Vojvodina, Serbia. To assess the safety of Danube water for bathing, physical, chemical, bacteriological tests were performed. While many parameters for monitoring the quality of water are regulated by law, there are neither national nor international legislations addressing the presence of viruses in recreational waters. In this study, we performed analyses that surpassed national requirements, and investigated if adenovirus, enterovirus or rotavirus genetic material was present in samples of recreational water collected for quality monitoring. Of 90 water samples obtained during the study, enterovirus material was not found in any sample, but adenovirus and rotavirus genetic materials were respectively detected in 60 and 31 samples. Statistical analyses showed a significant correlation between adenovirus DNA and total coliforms in the water. Even when water samples were adequate for recreational use, adenoviruses were detected in 75% (57/76) of such samples. Our results indicate that implementation of viral indicators in recreational water might be helpful to better assess public health safety. This might be particularly relevant in areas where urban wastewater treatment is insufficient and surface waters affected by wastewater are used for recreation.

A multi-platform approach to marine environment assessment in the Civitavecchia (Rome) area

ABSTRACTMulti-platform systems for coastal environment monitoring are important tools that enable a better understanding of the dynamics of coastal ecosystems and their forcings; these observation networks can be used to highlight changes in marine ecosystems in response to anthropogenic impacts, identifying specific evolution. trends. This paper reports the results of a field study conducted in summer 2012 to test the efficacy of the multi-platform Civitavecchia Coastal Environment Monitoring System (C-CEMS). An observation programme was employed to analyse the fate of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) in bathing areas, to predict its dynamics and to prevent the sanitary risk associated with the presence of this microorganism in seawater.

The Civitavecchia Coastal Environment Monitoring System (C-CEMS): a new tool to analyze the conflicts between coastal pressures and sensitivity areas

Abstract. The understanding of the coastal environment is fundamental for efficiently and effectively facing the pollution phenomena as expected by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and for limiting the conflicts between anthropic activities and sensitivity areas, as stated by Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. To address this, the Laboratory of Experimental Oceanology and Marine Ecology developed a multi-platform observing network that has been in operation since 2005 in the coastal marine area of Civitavecchia (Latium, Italy) where multiple uses and high ecological values closely coexist. The Civitavecchia Coastal Environment Monitoring System (C-CEMS), implemented in the current configuration, includes various components allowing one to analyze the coastal conflicts by an ecosystem-based approach. The long-term observations acquired by the fixed stations are integrated with in situ data collected for the analysis of the physical, chemical and biological parameters of the water column, sea bottom and pollution sources detected along the coast. The in situ data, integrated with satellite observations (e.g., temperature, chlorophyll a and TSM), are used to feed and validate the numerical models, which allow the analysis and forecasting of the dynamics of pollutant dispersion under different conditions. To test the potential capabilities of C-CEMS, two case studies are reported here: (1) the analysis of fecal bacteria dispersion for bathing water quality assessment, and (2) the evaluation of the effects of the dredged activities on Posidonia meadows, which make up most of the two sites of community importance located along the Civitavecchia coastal zone. The simulation outputs are overlapped by the thematic maps showing bathing areas and Posidonia oceanica distribution, thus giving a first practical tool that could improve the resolution of the conflicts between coastal uses (in terms of stress produced by anthropic activities) and sensitivity areas.