Bay's Pollutants Pose Human Risk

Illness Can Stem From Eating Fish, Swimming Or Drinking Water, Group Reports

Richard Eskin, director of science services for the Maryland Department of the Environment, says officials lack enough information to tell whether such water-related illnesses and harmful algae blooms are increasing or decreasing. But he noted there has never been a documented case of Vibrio from eating Maryland shellfish. And the number of days when state beaches are closed to swimming because of bacteria in the water has fallen by half since 2006.

Dr. Thaddeus Graczyk, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins' public health school, said that while the state generally does "an excellent job" of checking beach waters, he believes it should test certain beaches for Cryptosporidium, which has caused fatal illness in some people with weakened immune systems.

Eskin defended the state's beach monitoring, saying it is done in accordance with standards set by the EPA. He acknowledged that testing could be done more quickly - it now takes laboratories two days to analyze the water samples.

Health risks should decline, Eskin added, as new state rules take effect to limit pollution from storm water runoff and to require upgrades of septic tanks near the water.

One significant source of fecal contamination not regulated, though, is pet waste, which contributed 69 percent of the E. coli bacteria found in the Severn near Voith's home, according to a state study. About 40 percent of dog owners in the area admitted they generally did not pick up after their animals, the study said.