Galway Bay fm newsroom - Researchers at NUI Galway have detected bacteria that poses a considerable risk to public health in bathing waters deemed to be of good or excellent quality under European standards.
The findings were made following an analysis of 111 samples taken from 50 locations in Galway, Cork and Fingal in Dublin between 2016 and 2019.
The research was undertaken by NUI Galway’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology group - also known as ARME.
They say the most recent bathing water quality data reports that 96 percent of our identified natural bathing waters meets the minimum required standard.
However, they detected a pathogenic form of E. coli - called Shiga-toxigenic E.coli - in 57 percent of sea water samples and 78 percent of lake and river samples.
The bacteria can lead to potentially life-threatening infection in about 10 percent of cases.
All the waters sampled in Galway, Cork and Dublin are deemed of good or excellent quality based on current EU bathing water monitoring criteria.
The findings from the project will be used to create a map to identify problem areas, prioritise collaborative change strategies and explore stakeholder engagement opportunities.
Further information on the research - as well as a public survey - can be found at www.nuigalway.ie/bluespaces.
