Summary: /* If They Swim, You Can Swim Too */
[[Image:ContaminatedWaters.jpg|630px|thumb|left|Staying safe in the water isn't always just a day at the beach. Photo by Michael Dorausch/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiropractic/5271799207/ flickr]/CC]]
Summer is here, and it's going to be a scorcher. If you find yourself anywhere near a pond, lake or well-sized water container when the thermostats rise, the impulse to jump in and bask in the crispy cool waters can easily overtake you. Left out of the typical waterfall oasis fantasy, however, is the less-fun part that can follow if you pick the wrong pool. While the thing we fear most about an aquatic adventure may be seeing a shark fin in close proximity, there are a number of other unwanted, water-dwelling visitors that can cause your leisurely swim to end in vomiting, diarrhea, or agonizing itching.
In this guide, we'll tell you how to detect and avoid aqueous hazards so you can splish splash to your heart's content.
''This how-to was written by Pilar Carreras, a researcher in Biomedical Engineering at CCNY.''
==Dangers of Unknown Waters==
One of the main risks is that the water may contain health-threatening pathogens that can't always be detected visually. For example, fecal pollution is one of the most common sources of contamination. Statistics say that on average, people have about 0.14 grams of feces on their bottoms. And in crowded recreational waters, that can be a lot of shit, not to mention that if someone is ill with diarrhea, their stool can contain millions of germs. Other sources of pathogens include sewage spills, animal waste or water runoff following rainfall.
It is also not uncommon to find that the water in which we want to submerge our feet is turbid. That does not necessarily mean that there are harmful microorganisms living there but just the presence of suspended solids. These suspended particles might represent a hazard as they make it difficult to detect the depth of the water, or the presence of obstacles or unfriendly animals.
It is also not a good idea to swim near industrial points of discharge, water treatment plants, or places where you can see dead plants or animals, as these are indicators of polluted water.
So before taking a relaxing public bath ? even if you don't see any decomposed rabbits, industrial tubes or floating rubbish around ? there is only one way to be sure that you aren't risking your health: check the water yourself.
==Recreational Water Illnesses==
Being sick due to a swim in the wrong lake is nothing new. In fact, there is already a well-known name for these sicknesses: Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs). They are commonly caused by germs or chemicals in the water spread by swallowing, breathing in mists, or contact with polluted water in pools, hot tubs, water parks, lakes, or rivers.
The most common RWI is diarrhea, which can be caused by several groups of germs, such as ''Cryptosporidium'' (Crypto is the star germ on swimming-pool-related diarrheas), ''Giardia'', ''Shigella'', ''Norovirus'' and ''E. Coli''. Danger of fecal indisposition exists even in pristine pools, as some of these germs have become resistant to chlorine and it can take days for chlorine to kill them.
You can also easily get the commonly known "swimmer's ear" infection. This is caused by a germ called ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'', which can also cause skin rash (dermatitis). When you get excessive water in the ear canal, it breaks down your protective barriers, allowing bacteria to get into the ear.
Swimming in water that contains [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echium_vulgare blueweeds] may cause skin irritations. Blueweeds are algae-like bacteria that float in the water as accumulations of strings. When the temperature rises, strings close in and blueweeds die off and float to the surface forming a layer of dead organic, stinky matter. If you swim near blueweeds toxins for too long, other more severe symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever can appear.
Another unwanted bacterium called ''Clostridium botulimium'' can cause a serious illness called Botulism. The bacterium produces a nervous toxin, which causes paralysis. This disease affects mainly water birds and fish in water temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius by causing muscular paralysis and eventually death. If the dead animals remain in the water for an extended period of time, the water would become highly contaminated and would potentially cause human illness as well. Symptoms of botulism in humans are loss of vision, inability to speak, listlessness and muscular paralysis. Other kinds of infections that can affect incautious swimmers include gastrointestinal, respiratory, eye and wound infections.
==Know the Enemy==
There are a number of handy DIY tests that you can use if you want to check the presence of enemies before you jump in. The [http://www.simpltek.com/site/products/micro.html Microinspector series] by simplteck is a very complete collection of diagnostic tools for water testing. This company commercializes water tests for biological and chemical analysis. Both types work in a similar manner, but biological water tests need some source of heat (or at least room temperature) to display the results.
[[Image:Microinspector.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The Simpletek Micro Inspector. Photo from [http://www.simpltek.com/site/products/micro.html Simpletek.com]]]
The Micro Inspector test for aerobic microbial activity will indicate the presence or absence, and activity levels of bacteria in the water sample. The Biological test collection also includes specific tests to evaluate the presence of E. coli and Coliform bacteria. All these tests work via a self-filling ampoule with a tip containing biochemical reagents that break off in the sample of water. When the reagents mix with the water, the color of the solution changes. This color change indicates the presence or absence of bacteria after about 24 hours. It also provides a semi-quantitative analysis if you note the time the first signals of color change occur. The earlier the color change, the greater number of little friends there.
The Chemical water test series indicates the levels of Ammonia Nitrogen, Chlorine, Hardness, Iron, Phosphates and Zinc. These tests are also based on the color change resulting from the reaction between the test reagents and the sample water. The test includes a color chart to be compared with the resulting color that will indicate if the levels of the chemicals exceed the maximum recommended. Simplteck also commercializes Nitrate/Nitrite test strips to measure Nitrate and Nitrite levels by simply dipping the test strip into the water sample and matching to color chart. All these tests are available online from the supplier for prices ranging from $16 to $21.
All-in-one test kits can be purchased from Watersafe. This test checks the eight most common contaminants: bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrite, chlorine, pH and total hardness. The kit contains a bacteria test vial, a pesticide test packet, a nitrite test packet and another packet checking pH, hardness and chlorine. While the bacteria test takes 48 hours to display their presence or absence in water, the rest of the tests just take few minutes. This test kit only costs approximately $20 and can be bought online and in Whole Foods supermarkets.
[[Image:TDSmeter.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The TDS EZ Water Meter. Photo from [http://www.reverseosmosis.com/products/TDS-EZ-Water-Meter.html ReverseOsmosis.com]]]
An additional tool to check the dissolved solids in water are the [http://www.reverseosmosis.com/products/TDS-EZ-Water-Meter.html TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meters]. The term "Total Dissolved Solids" refers to the total amount of mobile charged ions (minerals, salts or metals) dissolved in a given volume of water. It is usually expressed in units of mg per unit volume of water (mg/L), also referred to as parts per million (ppm). Unsafe levels of TDS are those exceeding 1,000mg/L, when the water can be considered hazardous for human contact. The TDS meter works by gauging the electrical conductivity of water, as pure water would have zero conductivity. Easy to use, you only have to submerge the meter in the water and wait few seconds. HM digital has TDS meters starting from $20 dollars, and [http://www.amazon.com/Intellitec-WPT1000-Digital-Purity-Tester/dp/B000EVU2LC Intellitec] also offers a commercialized TDS meter for as low as $13.
<br clear="all" />
==If They Swim, You Can Swim Too==
There are easier ways to check the quality of the water if you can't wait for science to confirm the water purity. The idea comes from aquatic ecologists who have been monitoring water streams by controlling the presence of some macroinvertebrates over time. Some insects can serve as indicators of water quality as they need certain levels of oxygen and purity to survive.
These underwater creatures play the role of canaries in a mine, and will tell you about the quality of their surrounding medium. The best places to hunt them are under submerged rocks or any place where the water is moving quickly. Even if this natural method might not provide quantitative data, it is definitely a good source of information if you are kitless in a river. All you need to perform this test are your wellingtons, an aquarium net, a magnifying lens and a good eye for the little guys.
[[Image:StoneflyLeaf.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The common Stonefly. Photo from Wikimedia Commons]]
Stoneflies (Order ''Plecoptera''), Mayflies (Order ''Ephemeroptera'') and Caddisfly (Order ''Tricoptera'') are as suitable swimming pals as dolphins. Trout fishermen have been using these species as an indicator of good fishing for ages. These insects need healthy water to survive, so just by finding some of them in your recreational site, chances are high that the water quality is good.
Oppositely, there are some other species that can survive in suspicious water making their presence, an indicator of poor water quality. Some of the most well-known species living in contaminated water are Midges (Order ''Diptera'') and Aquatic Worms (Order ''Oligochaeta'').They can do really well in severely-polluted and low-oxygen waters, so be aware. You should definitely not swim if you see them ? or a shark!
<br clear="all" />
[[Category:Survival]]
[[Category:DIY]]
[[Category:DIY Science]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Summer]]
Summer is here, and it's going to be a scorcher. If you find yourself anywhere near a pond, lake or well-sized water container when the thermostats rise, the impulse to jump in and bask in the crispy cool waters can easily overtake you. Left out of the typical waterfall oasis fantasy, however, is the less-fun part that can follow if you pick the wrong pool. While the thing we fear most about an aquatic adventure may be seeing a shark fin in close proximity, there are a number of other unwanted, water-dwelling visitors that can cause your leisurely swim to end in vomiting, diarrhea, or agonizing itching.
In this guide, we'll tell you how to detect and avoid aqueous hazards so you can splish splash to your heart's content.
''This how-to was written by Pilar Carreras, a researcher in Biomedical Engineering at CCNY.''
==Dangers of Unknown Waters==
One of the main risks is that the water may contain health-threatening pathogens that can't always be detected visually. For example, fecal pollution is one of the most common sources of contamination. Statistics say that on average, people have about 0.14 grams of feces on their bottoms. And in crowded recreational waters, that can be a lot of shit, not to mention that if someone is ill with diarrhea, their stool can contain millions of germs. Other sources of pathogens include sewage spills, animal waste or water runoff following rainfall.
It is also not uncommon to find that the water in which we want to submerge our feet is turbid. That does not necessarily mean that there are harmful microorganisms living there but just the presence of suspended solids. These suspended particles might represent a hazard as they make it difficult to detect the depth of the water, or the presence of obstacles or unfriendly animals.
It is also not a good idea to swim near industrial points of discharge, water treatment plants, or places where you can see dead plants or animals, as these are indicators of polluted water.
So before taking a relaxing public bath ? even if you don't see any decomposed rabbits, industrial tubes or floating rubbish around ? there is only one way to be sure that you aren't risking your health: check the water yourself.
==Recreational Water Illnesses==
Being sick due to a swim in the wrong lake is nothing new. In fact, there is already a well-known name for these sicknesses: Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs). They are commonly caused by germs or chemicals in the water spread by swallowing, breathing in mists, or contact with polluted water in pools, hot tubs, water parks, lakes, or rivers.
The most common RWI is diarrhea, which can be caused by several groups of germs, such as ''Cryptosporidium'' (Crypto is the star germ on swimming-pool-related diarrheas), ''Giardia'', ''Shigella'', ''Norovirus'' and ''E. Coli''. Danger of fecal indisposition exists even in pristine pools, as some of these germs have become resistant to chlorine and it can take days for chlorine to kill them.
You can also easily get the commonly known "swimmer's ear" infection. This is caused by a germ called ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'', which can also cause skin rash (dermatitis). When you get excessive water in the ear canal, it breaks down your protective barriers, allowing bacteria to get into the ear.
Swimming in water that contains [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echium_vulgare blueweeds] may cause skin irritations. Blueweeds are algae-like bacteria that float in the water as accumulations of strings. When the temperature rises, strings close in and blueweeds die off and float to the surface forming a layer of dead organic, stinky matter. If you swim near blueweeds toxins for too long, other more severe symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever can appear.
Another unwanted bacterium called ''Clostridium botulimium'' can cause a serious illness called Botulism. The bacterium produces a nervous toxin, which causes paralysis. This disease affects mainly water birds and fish in water temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius by causing muscular paralysis and eventually death. If the dead animals remain in the water for an extended period of time, the water would become highly contaminated and would potentially cause human illness as well. Symptoms of botulism in humans are loss of vision, inability to speak, listlessness and muscular paralysis. Other kinds of infections that can affect incautious swimmers include gastrointestinal, respiratory, eye and wound infections.
==Know the Enemy==
There are a number of handy DIY tests that you can use if you want to check the presence of enemies before you jump in. The [http://www.simpltek.com/site/products/micro.html Microinspector series] by simplteck is a very complete collection of diagnostic tools for water testing. This company commercializes water tests for biological and chemical analysis. Both types work in a similar manner, but biological water tests need some source of heat (or at least room temperature) to display the results.
[[Image:Microinspector.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The Simpletek Micro Inspector. Photo from [http://www.simpltek.com/site/products/micro.html Simpletek.com]]]
The Micro Inspector test for aerobic microbial activity will indicate the presence or absence, and activity levels of bacteria in the water sample. The Biological test collection also includes specific tests to evaluate the presence of E. coli and Coliform bacteria. All these tests work via a self-filling ampoule with a tip containing biochemical reagents that break off in the sample of water. When the reagents mix with the water, the color of the solution changes. This color change indicates the presence or absence of bacteria after about 24 hours. It also provides a semi-quantitative analysis if you note the time the first signals of color change occur. The earlier the color change, the greater number of little friends there.
The Chemical water test series indicates the levels of Ammonia Nitrogen, Chlorine, Hardness, Iron, Phosphates and Zinc. These tests are also based on the color change resulting from the reaction between the test reagents and the sample water. The test includes a color chart to be compared with the resulting color that will indicate if the levels of the chemicals exceed the maximum recommended. Simplteck also commercializes Nitrate/Nitrite test strips to measure Nitrate and Nitrite levels by simply dipping the test strip into the water sample and matching to color chart. All these tests are available online from the supplier for prices ranging from $16 to $21.
All-in-one test kits can be purchased from Watersafe. This test checks the eight most common contaminants: bacteria, lead, pesticides, nitrite, chlorine, pH and total hardness. The kit contains a bacteria test vial, a pesticide test packet, a nitrite test packet and another packet checking pH, hardness and chlorine. While the bacteria test takes 48 hours to display their presence or absence in water, the rest of the tests just take few minutes. This test kit only costs approximately $20 and can be bought online and in Whole Foods supermarkets.
[[Image:TDSmeter.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The TDS EZ Water Meter. Photo from [http://www.reverseosmosis.com/products/TDS-EZ-Water-Meter.html ReverseOsmosis.com]]]
An additional tool to check the dissolved solids in water are the [http://www.reverseosmosis.com/products/TDS-EZ-Water-Meter.html TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meters]. The term "Total Dissolved Solids" refers to the total amount of mobile charged ions (minerals, salts or metals) dissolved in a given volume of water. It is usually expressed in units of mg per unit volume of water (mg/L), also referred to as parts per million (ppm). Unsafe levels of TDS are those exceeding 1,000mg/L, when the water can be considered hazardous for human contact. The TDS meter works by gauging the electrical conductivity of water, as pure water would have zero conductivity. Easy to use, you only have to submerge the meter in the water and wait few seconds. HM digital has TDS meters starting from $20 dollars, and [http://www.amazon.com/Intellitec-WPT1000-Digital-Purity-Tester/dp/B000EVU2LC Intellitec] also offers a commercialized TDS meter for as low as $13.
<br clear="all" />
==If They Swim, You Can Swim Too==
There are easier ways to check the quality of the water if you can't wait for science to confirm the water purity. The idea comes from aquatic ecologists who have been monitoring water streams by controlling the presence of some macroinvertebrates over time. Some insects can serve as indicators of water quality as they need certain levels of oxygen and purity to survive.
These underwater creatures play the role of canaries in a mine, and will tell you about the quality of their surrounding medium. The best places to hunt them are under submerged rocks or any place where the water is moving quickly. Even if this natural method might not provide quantitative data, it is definitely a good source of information if you are kitless in a river. All you need to perform this test are your wellingtons, an aquarium net, a magnifying lens and a good eye for the little guys.
[[Image:StoneflyLeaf.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The common Stonefly. Photo from Wikimedia Commons]]
Stoneflies (Order ''Plecoptera''), Mayflies (Order ''Ephemeroptera'') and Caddisfly (Order ''Tricoptera'') are as suitable swimming pals as dolphins. Trout fishermen have been using these species as an indicator of good fishing for ages. These insects need healthy water to survive, so just by finding some of them in your recreational site, chances are high that the water quality is good.
Oppositely, there are some other species that can survive in suspicious water making their presence, an indicator of poor water quality. Some of the most well-known species living in contaminated water are Midges (Order ''Diptera'') and Aquatic Worms (Order ''Oligochaeta'').They can do really well in severely-polluted and low-oxygen waters, so be aware. You should definitely not swim if you see them ? or a shark!
<br clear="all" />
[[Category:Survival]]
[[Category:DIY]]
[[Category:DIY Science]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Summer]]
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