More Warnings, Closings Due to Pollution at U.S. Beaches Beachgoers ignore a sign warning of polluted runoff at Tourmaline Surfing Park in San Diego on Thursday.
Tourmaline has permanent warnings posted due to high bacteria levels found in the water.
In some states, going to the beach could be bad for your health. A newly released annual report by the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that beach closings due to bacterial contamination reached unusually high numbers last year for the second year in a row. Officials issued more than 6,000 warnings and, in some cases, closed their sands to the public in 1999. Micro Bugs in the Water Swimming in bacterial contaminated waters can cause a variety of afflictions including gastroenteritis, fever, vomiting, skin rashes and ear, nose and eye infections. These symptoms are more serious in the elderly and very young.