Volunteers Needed for SAS Beach Bums Study

Surfers Against Sewage - Beach Bums

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED!

The Surfers Against Sewage Beach Bums study is into the final month and they’re desperately searching for both surfer and non surfer volunteers. 

The study will investigate whether surfers have a higher level of antibiotic resistant bacteria than non surfers.  This could implicate sewer overflows and diffuse pollution as the route used by antiboitics to access the environment.

 

Anne Leonard, one of the researchers leading the study, said:
“We know that surfers regularly swallow lots more seawater than other beach users – around 170 ml per session, which is more than 10 times that of sea swimmers. We’ve already shown that this water may contain antibiotic resistant bacteria but we have no idea how this might affect the microbes that live in our guts, or how it could impact upon health. So we’re asking healthy adults who surf or bodyboard at least 3 times a month to take part in a study that will shed much needed light on the effects of marine pollution.”

 

The global implications of this study are unprecedented.  The health and wealth of the world could be rocked by the spread of resistant bacteria.  In 2014 our Government estimated 10 million deaths per year will be associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria by 2050, with an associated cost of $100 trillion of lost GDP.

Surfers Against Sewage are colaberting with the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health on the Beach Bums study. 

To volunteer now contact david@sas.org.uk 

CLICK HERE for more information on the study.

 

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