According to a from the Natural Resources Defense Council, beaches in the United States are in a bad way. Beach closures from dirty water in 2010 were up nearly a third over 2009. Beaches were shut down for a total of 24,000 days, the second highest total in 21 years. The worst-affected area, Louisiana, was no surprise, and it’s oil-spill-battered coastline and had a contamination rate of over 31 percent. But the most common cause of beach contamination is somewhat ickier: nationwide, high bacteria readings from human and animal waste is responsible for 70 percent of closures. “Going to the beach is a summer rite of passage but can also make you sick,” says NRDC official David Beckman. Potential illnesses range from . ϳԹ of Louisiana, the Great Lakes, California, Ohio, and Indiana all had significant contamination problems. Surprsingly, New Hampshire, with only 18 miles of ocean shoreline, has the nation’s cleanest swimming.
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