The Pollution of the Beaches of Alexandria due to the Discharge of Sewage: A Case Study
Alexandria is the main summer resort of Egypt. The population of the city is about 3 million and in summer it receives about half a million tourists who come to its beaches for recreation. Part of the city sewage is discharged into the sea through some outfalls along the coast. A coastal line of about 20 kms in length was monitored in order to study the pollution of the recreational waters. Also, a retrospective epidemiological study was carried out to find if there was a relation between the state of pollution and the occurrence of typhoid among bathers. The results of this study showed that there was a significant risk of contracting typhoid from bathing in the heavily polluted water and the most affected was the young age group. Therefore, it was recommended that the minor outfalls should be closed immediately to protect the public health, and a long outfall as recommended by the Master plan should be constructed as quickly as possible.