Dirty sand: No day at the beach

I know it's summertime, and I hate to turn anyone off to sand and surf, but I feel compelled to pass on this warning about the cleanliness - or lack thereof - on beaches.

We all know that swimming in water that's tainted by bacteria from untreated sewage or other nastiness is a sure path to the hospital. But a new study says that contaminated water isn't the only thing to be aware of - especially if you're within seven miles of a sewage treatment plant…

Unlike water-borne bacteria, which is washed away with tides and currents, bacteria that tainted water deposits onto the sand just sits there and lives on.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina polled over 25,000 people who'd attended beaches located within seven miles of a sewage treatment plant (yuck). They found that, in the 10 days after spending the day at the beach, those who actually dug in the sand were far more likely to get sick with some form of gastrointestinal illness than those didn't.

Not surprisingly, kids (those masters of sand digging) were at most risk.

The researchers suggested washing your hands before eating on the beach… I'd say maybe you should consider going to a different beach altogether.