Wild swimmers, surfers and paddlers wanted to help identify pollution risks in rivers and sea
People who spend time in natural waters are being invited to join two University of Exeter studies to help researchers understand and protect people from the health risks related to pollution.
The ‘Poo-Sticks’ project is looking for wild swimmers in rivers, while the BlueAdapt project focuses on people who go in the sea.
More and more of us are embracing the health and wellbeing benefits of wild swimming, surfing, and paddling in the sea and rivers. But both our coastal and fresh waters are at risk from sewage and run-off pollution from farms – a risk which is only exacerbated by climate change. Contact with contaminated natural waters can cause a range of issues including ear infections, skin rashes, respiratory illness, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps, as well as exposing people to bacteria which are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
Funded by the Natural Environment research Council (NERC), the ‘Poo-Sticks’ project is recruiting participants who regularly swim in UK rivers (and other freshwater, such as lakes) to discover how wild swimmers might acquire antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as ‘superbugs’.
Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health challenge which is threatening our ability to treat common infections and perform both routine and life-saving procedures safely. Understanding how these bacteria enter our bodies is crucial for controlling their spread, and polluted freshwater environments could be a key source of the microbes, genes, and contaminants that promote bacterial resistance.
‘Poo-Sticks’ participants will be asked to provide a faecal sample using a pre-paid postal kit and share information about their recent swimming activities, dietary habits, and overall lifestyle and health. Swimmers are also encouraged to invite non-swimmers of similar age and gender to take part. By comparing their responses, the team hopes to identify whether differences in people’s gut bacteria might be due to exposure to natural waters affected by pollution.
PhD student Elitsa Penkova is leading the project and said: “A lot of people carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their guts, yet they’re completely unaware of it. But if bacteria causing an infection are resistant to antibiotics, then the treatment won’t work, which may lead to more severe illness. This is a major issue, and we hope our findings will help inform strategies for reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.”
Meanwhile, the Universities of Exeter and Galway are working together on the BlueAdapt project, funded by Horizon Europe and UK Research and Innovation. Researchers are asking anyone who has been to the beach and used coastal waters and also uses the Surfers Against Sewage free smartphone app, Safer Seas and Rivers Service, to take part in an online survey. The Safer Seas and Rivers Service supplies the latest pollution forecasts and alerts so people can make an informed decision on when and where it’s safe to get in the water.
The survey is now open and runs until the end of October. The aim is to find out whether having access to reliable, real-time information about water quality has an impact on how swimmers behave and reduces preventable illnesses.
Professor Will Gaze from the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health said: “Our aim is to provide evidence that can inform decision making to reduce risk to water users and inform change to safeguard our natural environment. This research is timely as we are seeing a steep increase in antibiotic resistant infections and is of particular concern given the increased attention the quality of our river and coastal water is currently receiving.”
Case study: “We noticed more people getting sick after swimming”
For the last four years, Hannah Pearson has awoken before 6am, to take a pre-work dip in the bracing swirling waters of the River Dart.
For Hannah, 47, the ritual started when her lung capacity reduced after contracting Covid, and she believes it helped her road to recovery. The mother-of-two, from Dartington, South Devon, said: “There’s something very special about being immersed in cold, natural water. I love the privilege of witnessing and being close to nature, although I feel there are fewer fish around these days. You also feel amazing physiological effects. I feel energised and joyful after I swim.
“Yet in the past few years, we noticed people getting sick. I recently had a nasty skin infection which left a rash all over my body after I swam in the river.”
In response, Hannah set up Friends of the River Dart, which will help circulate the Poo-Sticks study. Hannah said: “It’s so important to our communities to have access to clean, fresh water. This research is vital. We have to understand the health impacts of river pollution, and do all we can to preserve good water quality, for the good of the planet and for humanity.”
Case study: "Sea swimming helped me overcome grief"
When her father died, Abigail Dixon began regularly swimming in the sea, as part of her journey to come to terms with grief. Abi, 48, now regularly swims in the waves with her husband and two teenage daughters – but says she’s wary of the sewage levels. “Sea swimming has become so important to me,” said Abi, who lives in Exeter. “I found it extremely healing when dad died. It’s a really wholesome activity that unites our family, and it’s so good for mental health.
“This year I’ve definitely been swimming less than I’d like. I was put off by the water quality warnings in April, and I warn my girls not to put their heads under water. It’s disgusting to think about, but we still swim, because the benefits to all our physical and mental health are so valuable to us.”
“This new University of Exeter research is really important. We need to understand what the risk really is to human health, so we can make informed decisions and so that decision-makers and companies understand the levels of harm to health.”