Scientists are conducting a study to determine the health impact of recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing on Chicagos waterways.
In doing so, the researchers from the University of Illinois and Chicago School of Public Health will use available health resources to determine the rate of illness for people who participate in water activities other than swimming and establish water quality standards for the waterway.
Dr. Samuel Dorevitch, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at UIC, says the scientists will evaluate a group of people who participate in activities on Chicago waterways, follow them over time to see if they get sick and compare their health to those who enjoy the outdoors in ways that do not involve water.
The study will be unique in that it will measure the actual pathogens in the water that cause disease as opposed to focusing on E.coli bacteria, as most previous studies did.
“Its not usually E. coli that makes people sick,” Dorevitch explains, “But the presence of E. coli in the water indicates that there may be sewage contamination.”
He adds that the study will also look at such pathogens as giardia, cryptosporidium and norovirus that cause a range of illnesses, including parasite infestation and gastroenteritis. 