Culture
The Lovely Sand on Your Favorite Beach Is Also Flecked With Feces
Beachgoers who play in the sand are at risk for gastrointestinal distress.
The ocean is beautiful, but you know that open water has risks, such as violent undertows that can trap swimmers under crushing waves. (That’s why it’s important to pay attention to posted signs and stay within areas demarcated by a lifeguard.) But here’s some bad news for sunbathers: You’re not totally safe on the sand, either.
It’s fairly easy to play hopscotch around broken glass and grease-stained garbage. It’s a lot trickier to try and sidestep tiny particles of fecal matter sprinkled all over the shoreline.