Health

With some Olympic events postponed, Seine River water quality poses concerns

Published

2 years ago

July 30, 2024

With some Olympic events postponed, Seine River water quality poses concerns

As Paris opened the 2024 Summer Olympic Games along the Seine River, it was easy for many to fall in love with the romantic waterway and forget what lies beneath.

But the steady rain this past Friday was a reminder of how the weather impacts the river’s water quality.

Organizers canceled the practice run for the upcoming triathlon on both Sunday and Monday due to concerns that the heavy rains negatively impacted the water quality, according to multiple reports.

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Officials were still optimistic that warmer temperatures would reduce the bacteria levels so the men’s triathlon could proceed as planned on Tuesday — but the race was ultimately postponed.

“Despite the improvement in the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are above acceptable levels,” the World Triathlon said in a statement on X.

Triathlon athletes dive in the Seine River during a test event for the women’s triathlon for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, on Aug. 17, 2023. Organizers canceled the practice run for the upcoming triathlon on both Sunday and Monday due to concerns that the heavy rains negatively impacted the water quality. (Getty Images)

Experts from University of Florida (UF) Health, a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, discussed with Fox News Digital how the Seine River could impact athletes’ health.

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The quality of water may vary depending on the time of day and the number of infectious particles consumed, Kartikeya Cherabuddi, M.D., professor of infectious diseases and global medicine at the University of Florida, told Fox News Digital.

“Taking precautions and being aware of potential symptoms so they can be managed early is important,” he said.

River gets a makeover

For the past 100 years, swimming has been illegal in the Seine River due to poor water quality — with the exception of rare competitions, according to multiple reports.

“The city of Paris has put a great deal of effort into cleaning up the Seine,” Nicole Iovine, M.D., Ph.D., chief epidemiologist and chief quality officer at UF Health, told Fox News Digital.

A general view of the pontoon used by triathlon athletes moored on the River Seine, Paris, on the second day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. Poor water quality in the Seine caused swimming training for the triathlon to be canceled on Sunday. (Getty Images)

“[As in] many old cities, both sewage and storm runoff travel in the same pipe that is destined for water treatment plants,” she said.

“If there are heavy rains, the pipe capacity can be overwhelmed, and the excess can end up in the Seine.”

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To prepare for the Olympics, the city spent $1.5 billion to build an underground storage basin, called “Austerlitz Basin,” along with a renovated sewer system and upgraded treatment plants.

The goal was for the improved system to collect excess rain to prevent wastewater from flowing into the Seine, according to a recent report.

Heavy rains, however, could thwart those efforts.

Daily water testing

About one week before the Olympic Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip on July 17 to show that the waters were safe for the triathlon and marathon events.

Later testing, however, revealed that in some areas, levels of E. coli bacteria were above Europe’s maximum safety limit, which is 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters.

One person swimming in the river doesn’t prove that the water is safe, experts pointed out.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is shown swimming in the Seine River on July 17, 2024, in Paris. One person swimming in the river doesn’t prove that the water is safe, experts pointed out. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

“The risk of aspirating river water is much greater when engaged in a highly exertional activity like a competitive race compared to a more leisurely dip in the Seine,” Iovine said.

Eau de Paris, the largest public water company in France, found that the Seine’s water quality for the week of July 17 “reached the compliance thresholds of the European directive at all four points monitored over four days,” according to the city’s website.

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The water is tested early each morning during the Olympics to ensure that the events can proceed as planned, officials say.

The tests typically screen for certain types of bacteria called total coliforms, and generally do not look for other germs, like viruses and parasites, Iovine noted.

E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a group of bacteria in the intestinal tract that helps to digest food and protect the body from harmful germs, but some types can cause illness. (iStock)

Most coliforms, which are found naturally in the environment as well as in human and animal waste, are not harmful — and the ones that can cause illness are usually present in low amounts that don’t pose a threat, he said.

High levels of coliforms, however, can be a marker of excessive fecal matter, which can make people sick, according to experts.

“If the amount of coliforms increases, that could be because significant numbers of pathogenic bacteria, like E. coli, have entered the water, making it potentially unsafe,” Iovine warned.

Potentially harmful contaminants

E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a group of bacteria in the intestinal tract that helps to digest food and protect the body from harmful germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some types, however, can cause illness.

“I am concerned that if the level of harmful bacteria is too high, the athletes [could be] at risk for contracting gastrointestinal illness.”

People can get infected by swallowing water that is contaminated with the waste of an infected person.

Common bacterial symptoms include watery or bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, and vomiting that may be associated with a fever, according to the CDC.

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Other bacteria associated with sewage, such as Enterococcus, Salmonella and Campylobacter, can cause a similar array of infections, Iovine warned.

“I am concerned that if the level of harmful bacteria is too high, the athletes [could be] at risk for contracting gastrointestinal illness,” she said.

Skin and eye infections are also possible if people have small nicks or abrasions on their skin before entering the water.

Parasites, like Giardia, amoebas and Cryptosporidium — and viruses, such as norovirus, hepatitis A and hepatitis E — may also be present in human and animal sewage, Iovine added.

A tourist boat navigates on the Seine River under the Alexandre III Bridge, after the first triathlon training session was canceled during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 28, 2024, due to poor water quality. (Getty Images)

Symptoms of viruses and parasites are predominantly stomach-related, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, but can also include fevers, headaches, and respiratory or urinary issues, Cherabuddi noted.

“Symptoms may start within one to two days, but could present a week or two later,” he added.

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Harmful pathogens carried by rodents can also enter the river with overflow from rainwater, Iovine said.

The urine of rodents, for example, can contain bacteria called Leptospires, which can cause a bacterial disease called leptospirosis.

Triathlon athletes compete and swim in the Seine River during a test event for the women’s triathlon for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, on Aug. 17, 2023. (Getty Images)

That condition can cause nausea, vomiting, body aches, red eyes, fever and headache, according to Iovine.

“Since these athletes are young and healthy, I would expect them to recover from these infections if they occurred, but it could impact their ability to compete in their events if they are sick,” she said.

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Athletes who are immunocompromised may experience more severe illness than those with healthy immune systems.

Fox News Digital reached out to the International Olympics Committee and Eau de Paris requesting comment.

Health

Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic

Published

6 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic

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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.

The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.

More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.

The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.

As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)

Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.

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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”

“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)

Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”

The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.

The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.

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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”

Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.

Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)

Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.

The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.

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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”

“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”

“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)

“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”

The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.

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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.

“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

Health

Vanessa Williams, 62, Opens up About Weight Loss and HRT After Menopause

Published

18 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vanessa Williams, 62, Opens up About Weight Loss and HRT After Menopause

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Health

Common vision issue linked to type of lighting used in Americans’ homes

Published

19 hours ago

February 26, 2026

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Common vision issue linked to type of lighting used in Americans’ homes

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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.

Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.

For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.

Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.

The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)

Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.

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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.

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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”

High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)

The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.

In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.

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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.

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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.

Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)

“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.

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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”

The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.

Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.