Playing In the Sand Can Leave You Dirtier Than You Think

An article today from Eric Nagourney of the New York Times suggests that adults and kids alike should be cautious of what they do after they have been playing in the sand at the beach all day. Nagourney's article stems from a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. It is known that being in water with a high bacterial content is a risk on your health, but most didn't realize that the sand could possess a possible higher risk.

The study was conducted by the help of over 25,000 people who were visiting seven different beaches in the U.S. After visiting, scientist conducted interviews with the participants/ beach goers to see what they did with their day. After the numbers were tallied, they showed a positive association between digging in the sand and being buried in the sand with gastrointestinal illness.

Dr. Chistopher Heaney of UNC- Chapel Hill, who was the leading authority on this study, suggests that kids and adults should wash their hands before eating either on the beach or directly after a beach visit.