Just in time for summer fun, the nonprofit Heal the Bay has just released their 33rd annual beach report card to remind us of how polluted (or not) the water we’re all swimming in actually is.
Two of L.A.’s beaches are on the top 10 most disgusting list.
The fecal focused science behind the report card
The report ranks beaches from cleanest to dirtiest based on water quality tests that measure how much fecal indicator bacteria — bacteria found in the digestive tracts of animals and humans — is present in the water. The measurements were taken over the past year during both the wet and dry seasons.
The thinking is that if this limited subset of bacteria, including E. coli, are present in the water, so are dangerous pathogens that can make people quite sick, like vibrio cholerae (which can cause cholera, but is a bit more difficult to test for on its own).
All of the nasty bacteria and viruses, and a whole lot of pollution like petrochemicals, get funneled from our neighborhoods out to the ocean through storm drains when it rains. Pollution levels can stay high for a while, which is why it’s recommended you avoid swimming in the ocean when storms roll through.
Speaking from personal experience, back when I was in high school, my ear piercings used to get terribly infected every time I went and surfed Topanga right after it rained. Pretty disgusting.
Water quality can also be degraded by other events like sewage spills, if water sits stagnant, and if there are a lot of animals present in one spot.
How gross are L.A. County beaches?
“Generally the water in L.A. County is pretty clean,” said Alison Wu, water quality data…
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