FW: News Brief: Gulf Water Sampling Results

[Guest guest]

FYI…

S.C.

News Brief

If you need more information on this subject, call the listed

Press Officer.

For Release: (Washington,

D.C.

-- Friday, January 6, 2006)

Gulf Water Sampling Results

Contact: Eryn Witcher, / witcher.eryn@...

Test results from Gulf of

Mexico sampling indicate that at most, relatively low

levels of fecal contamination were present after the hurricane. The Clostridium perfringens tests show that

the levels were low to undetectable. Previously released enterococcus

tests show that at the time of sampling the water was appropriate for any kind

of recreational use--including swimming. Water samples were collected by

the OSV Bold in the Gulf from Sept. 27 through Oct.

2, 2005 at monitoring stations in the river channels and nearshore

waters surrounding the Mississippi Delta. The agency monitored 20 areas

to determine whether fecal pollution from flooded communities had spread into

these waters.

Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium, found in the

intestinal tract of both humans and animals. It enters the environment

through feces. There are no EPA health-based ambient water quality

criteria for C. perfringens. Therefore, there is no

approved analytical method for assessing water quality using this

bacterium. However, some scientists recommend using C. perfringens spores as a tracer of

fecal pollution because its presence is a good indicator of recent or past

fecal contamination in water and spores survive well beyond the typical

life-span of other fecal bacteria.

EPA previously released results for enterococcus, which was detected at four of

20 stations from 10 to 53.1 bacteria colonies per 100 milliliters. These

results indicate that the water is suitable for any kind of recreational

use. This level is below the most conservative marine water criteria of

104 bacteria per 100 milliliters.

It is difficult, due to absence of previously analyzed data, to determine the

source of the C. perfringens and

enterococci. They could have been present prior to the hurricane.

Bacteria were not routinely analyzed prior to Hurricane Katrina.

While all of these results are encouraging for recreational uses, this data

should not be used to assess the safety of consuming raw or undercooked

molluscan shellfish--such as oysters--because accidental ingestion of water

presents different risks than eating raw or undercooked shellfish.

The data being released today is available at: http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/water/index.html#surface

and information about EPA's survey vessel the Bold is available at: http://www.epa.gov/bold

R004

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[Guest guest]

While I accept the Gulf was relatively safe the problem I thought was in the

flooded township? The dilution factor of a sea should I hope make it relativeley

safe especially as sewage is dumped into the sea on a daily basis.

Jeff Charlton

London

________________________________

From: iequality on behalf of Stacey Champion

Sent: Fri 06/01/2006 21:31

To: iequality

Subject: FW: News Brief: Gulf Water Sampling Results

FYI...

S.C.

News Brief

If you need more information on this subject, call the listed Press Officer.

For Release: (Washington, D.C. -- Friday, January 6, 2006)

Gulf Water Sampling Results

Contact: Eryn Witcher, / witcher.eryn@...

Test results from Gulf of Mexico sampling indicate that at most, relatively low

levels of fecal contamination were present after the hurricane. The Clostridium

perfringens tests show that the levels were low to undetectable. Previously

released enterococcus tests show that at the time of sampling the water was

appropriate for any kind of recreational use--including swimming. Water samples

were collected by the OSV Bold in the Gulf from Sept. 27 through Oct. 2, 2005 at

monitoring stations in the river channels and nearshore waters surrounding the

Mississippi Delta. The agency monitored 20 areas to determine whether fecal

pollution from flooded communities had spread into these waters.

Clostridium perfringens is a bacterium, found in the intestinal tract of both

humans and animals. It enters the environment through feces. There are no EPA

health-based ambient water quality criteria for C. perfringens. Therefore,

there is no approved analytical method for assessing water quality using this

bacterium. However, some scientists recommend using C. perfringens spores as a

tracer of fecal pollution because its presence is a good indicator of recent or

past fecal contamination in water and spores survive well beyond the typical

life-span of other fecal bacteria.

EPA previously released results for enterococcus, which was detected at four of

20 stations from 10 to 53.1 bacteria colonies per 100 milliliters. These

results indicate that the water is suitable for any kind of recreational use.

This level is below the most conservative marine water criteria of 104 bacteria

per 100 milliliters.

It is difficult, due to absence of previously analyzed data, to determine the

source of the C. perfringens and enterococci. They could have been present

prior to the hurricane. Bacteria were not routinely analyzed prior to Hurricane

Katrina.

While all of these results are encouraging for recreational uses, this data

should not be used to assess the safety of consuming raw or undercooked

molluscan shellfish--such as oysters--because accidental ingestion of water

presents different risks than eating raw or undercooked shellfish.

The data being released today is available at:

http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/water/index.html#surface

<http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/water/index.html#surface>

and information about EPA's survey vessel the Bold is available at:

http://www.epa.gov/bold <http://www.epa.gov/bold>

R004

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