Recreational water quality: The management of Environmental Health Risks Associated with Sewage Discharges

The quality of marine recreational waters is a matter of intense public and scientific concern in many nations. This concern stems from the possible health effects of bathing in sea water contaminated by sewage and algal toxins. The former problem has received considerable research attention during the last decade with little concrete progress to facilitate the definition of appropriate standards for the management and control of perceived risks. The latter problem is more recent and yet to be addressed by the scientific community. This paper examines the current state of knowledge on the possible health effects of bathing in sewage contaminated coastal waters.