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Olympic swimming events in Paris’s Seine River have been postponed due to health concerns. What are the risks of swimming in polluted water?
The men’s Olympic triathlon competition scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed because of concerns about water quality in Paris’s Seine river, where the swimming portion of the race was to take place.
The event has been postponed until Wednesday, the same day as the women’s competition. However, water tests are to be carried out at both events to prove it is safe to swim in the Seine River.
Questions also remain about the women’s and men’s 10-kilometre (6.21-mile) marathon swimming races, scheduled to be held on August 8 and 9 in the Seine.
Also read: Olympic women triathletes resume swim in Seine river after days of concerns over water quality
Water pollution in the Seine River has been a controversial topic in recent weeks. A triathlon training session scheduled to be held in the Seine River was canceled on Monday, the latest event to be disrupted due to water pollution.
#JeChieDansLaSeine
Pollution in the Seine River is not a new controversy – swimming in the river has been illegal for more than 100 years due to health concerns. The first ban came into effect in 1923, which forced swimmers to compete in swimming pools during the 1924 Paris Olympic Games.
Since the ban came into effect, most of the city’s wastewater has been flowing into the Seine River. Leaks and overflows from the sewage system are the main source of pollution.
French officials are working to clean up the water for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and are spending 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on improving water quality.
The goal was to reduce bacterial contamination by 75% ahead of the first Olympic swimming competition, but the city has so far failed to address the concerns of athletes and local Parisians.
Parisians dissatisfied with the cost of the project pledged to collectively defecate in the Seine River under the slogan #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin, which translates to #I shit in the seine 23 June.
Despite this campaign, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine in early July to visually demonstrate its cleanliness.
Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Men’s triathlon race postponed till Wednesday due to pollution in Seine river
E. coli levels a health concern
Water tests carried out by the Eau-de-Paris monitoring group showed that levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the river over the past few weeks were well above safe levels for humans.
Recent rainfall in Paris has made the problem worse — heavy rain often causes levels of E. coli and other bacteria to rise in rivers and lakes.
In a statement, organisers said that because of heavy rain in Paris on Friday and Saturday they “had to reschedule the event for health reasons.”
E. coli is often associated with fecal matter present in water and can be a sign of contamination from sewage. Even one sip of contaminated water with high levels of E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia or sepsis. Skin rashes and ear or eye pain are also common.
Waterborne Diseases
However, E. coli infections are not the only concern. Leptospira, spread by rodent urine, can be found in contaminated water and can cause serious kidney disease.
Infection with other waterborne bacteria, such as cyanobacteria and enterococci, can also cause gut-related health problems.
And then there are parasites such as cercarial larvae, often found in waters inhabited by waterfowl, which can cause itchy skin rashes.
Seth Ryder, one of the 55 triathletes in the men’s race, is taking unconventional measures to avoid exposure to bacteria.
“We know there’s a chance of being exposed to E. coli, so I try to increase my E. coli threshold by limiting my exposure to E. coli in my day-to-day life,” the American athlete said at a press conference on Saturday.
Also read: Cholera, dysentery and other diseases in rainy season: Tips to protect family members from waterborne diseases in monsoon
“Just little things throughout the day, like not washing your hands after going to the bathroom and things like that,” he said.
However, other Olympic athletes have suffered long-term harm from swimming in polluted water. Emma Frodeno (née Snowsill), an Australian triathlon athlete, retired in 2014 after struggling with health problems related to swimming in polluted water in World Cup competition.
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