Health24.com | Stink over Cape beach safety lingers

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Updated 02 January 2015 A red flag has been raised over the safety of beaches in the Cape Peninsula, following a report of E. coli - fecal bacteria - in the waters of Clifton Fourth Beach.

The big stink about E. coli - fecal bacteria - in the waters of Clifton Fourth Beach in Cape Town is casting doubt on the safety of beaches in the Cape Peninsula. As throngs of people flock to the shores to spend some time in the sun and sea, Professor Edda Weimann, a medical doctor and public health specialist of the University of Cape Town, told Health24 that real-time monitoring of water quality is crucial. "There have been several E. coli cases in the past months in the Cape that cannot and should not be ignored." "Most of the beaches around the Cape Peninsula are not yet sufficiently monitored," she said. Weimann published a study last year that found an elevated E. coli count at Clifton Fourth Beach, which has Blue Flag status - an international label for beaches with excellent safety and cleanliness. She tested the seawater off Clifton in February and March in 2013 and said that E. coli was always present in the tested water with varying amounts.

What is E. coli or Escherichia coli? E. coli is a germ found in the intestines of humans and animals and can cause infectious diseases, explained Weimann. It is a well established marker for wastewater pollution and used worldwide. She added that foam and yellowish colouring of sand is associated with highly elevated E. coli counts.

The City of Cape Town in a statement last week dismissed cause for alarm, saying the study by Weimann was outdated.

Mayoral committee member for health, Benedicta Van Minnen reiterated this to Health24 on Friday. "Cape Towns bathing spots are safe for swimming. ... The study referred to was conducted nearly two years ago, so the information is out of date."

No reported E.coli concerns

She also confirmed that she was not aware of any concerns reported to the City relating to E. coli. "If problems arise, as they do in beaches around the world, we will act immediately as we have done in the past," said Van Minnen. "One cannot state that a beach is safe when no daily monitoring is provided, especially in the light of wastewater pollution and river contaminations. Due to currents and wind, water quality might change rapidly," Weimann told Health24 on Friday. "Also the Vleis are contaminated, bathing is generally forbidden there, even sailing was prohibited over some weeks." Weimann also raised concern about the safety of the E. coli count. "There is an ongoing debate if the cut-off level of 100/100 ml E. coli is safe, considering that we are an immune compromised population with over 5 Million people living with HIV. There are even recommendations to close a beach if the E. coli level exceeds 250/100 ml. The new Guidelines of Environmental Affairs for safe recreational use which have not been legislated yet, looks at long time periods with E. coli levels over 500/100 ml." What can be done? Establishing real time monitoring of water quality is important, suggested Weimann. She also called for the implementation of wastewater plants that offer biological and chemical treatment around the Cape Peninsula and South Africa because it affects all living creatures in the oceans. Weimann noted that waste water is regularly pumped offshore and led into the ocean without biological treatment. In her report she wrote that coastal water around the Cape Peninsula is affected by polluted rivers that flow into the ocean. Although waste water into the ocean is filtered only for particles, E.coli and all other germs,as well as chemical substances are not removed. This is especially a concern as swimmers and surfers swallow significant amounts of water. "Adult swimmers are prone to ingest 10-100 ml seawater, while children probably ingest larger quantities of water," the report stated.

Testing the waters The City of Cape Town assured that it tests the quality of coastal water every second week, pointing out that there are very strict testing guidelines.

It said sample sites have been established along the False Bay and Atlantic coastlines and are determined by popular bathing beaches and the vicinity of stormwater discharges and river mouths to determine the impact these have on seawater quality.

"All results are corroborated by accredited laboratories", said Van Minnen.

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Health24.com | Stink over Cape beach safety lingers

Children Missing From Cape Town Beaches On New Year's Day Reunited With Families, 70 Still Unclaimed

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More than 70 children of the over 500, who went missing on beaches of Cape Town, South Africa, on New Years day, still remain unclaimed, a city official said Friday, according to media reports. On Thursday,hundreds of childrenwere separated from their parents on beaches as thousands of people gathered for celebrations.

Over 30,000 people were reportedly present on the beaches of Monwabisi, Strandfontein, Muizenberg, and Strand, and more than 1,000 police officers were on duty on Thursday. Officials reportedly said that they managed to reunite more than 400 children -- mostly below the age of seven -- with their families. Some of the children, who went missing, were as young as three, local media reports said.

Police will have to try to figure out where those parents are. In Strand alone we handed over 35 children to the police. This is a result of parents who are not paying attention to the whereabouts of their children, an official reportedly said.

The unclaimed children were taken to the citys police stations, where they had to spend the night, The Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities are reportedly making efforts to get details about the families of these children.

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Children Missing From Cape Town Beaches On New Year's Day Reunited With Families, 70 Still Unclaimed

The Eagle Nebula – A closer look – Video of the Day – Ultra HD / 4K Astronomy Video – Video

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The Eagle Nebula - A closer look - Video of the Day - Ultra HD / 4K Astronomy Video
Some of my favourite images : The Eagle Nebula , in Ultra HD / 4K Bringing you the BEST Space and Astronomy videos online. Showcasing videos and images from ...

By: Amazing Space - Astounding Images and Videos

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The Eagle Nebula - A closer look - Video of the Day - Ultra HD / 4K Astronomy Video - Video

Get smart: how smart machines are bringing us closer together

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'I disagree with Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk and heres why'

Youve all seen the films and heard the prognostications of people like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk. They portray artificial intelligence (AI) as something humans should fear. They argue that this kind of technology is driving us apart, and worse yet, that it will lead to some sort of conflict even an existential threat to our society.

However, as someone who works with AI every day and who sees how it is helping businesses and consumers across the service sector, I am going to have to disagree with Professor Hawking and Mr. Musk and heres why.

Did you know that the airplane flying you home for the holidays uses an AI system that has made commercial aviation safer than ever before?

Not flying home? Driving? Well, you can thank sophisticated robots, trained by expert car builders, for your carefree drive home.

>See also:How artificial intelligence will make humans smarter

What about those financial earnings reports, sports recaps or stock profiles you peer over every morning? Have you ever wondered how news publications get stories out so quickly? Well, some of those reports you are reading are actually written by robots.

So, AI systems are more intertwined with our everyday life than many may believe. These systems make our travel safer and keep us more informed about the world around us. But how is this technology bringing us closer together?

Far from excluding humans, AI systems augment our reasoning capacities and empower us to make more informed real-time decisions.

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Get smart: how smart machines are bringing us closer together

Over 50 % of Ukrainians Want to Join NATO: Poll finds majority of Ukrainians back NATO membership – Video

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Over 50 % of Ukrainians Want to Join NATO: Poll finds majority of Ukrainians back NATO membership
Over 50 per cent of Ukrainians back joining the NATO military alliance. That #39;s according to polling from research group IFAK, who found that just 22 per cent oppose joining the 28-member bloc,...

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Over 50 % of Ukrainians Want to Join NATO: Poll finds majority of Ukrainians back NATO membership - Video