title: Should We Put Our Feet in the Water? Use of a Survey to Assess Recreational Exposures to Contaminants in the Anacostia River.
abstract: The Anacostia River, a tributary of the Potomac River that flows into the Chesapeake Bay, is highly contaminated with raw sewage, heavy metals, oil and grease, trash, pathogens, excessive sediments, and organic chemicals. Despite this contamination, recreation on the river is very popular, including kayaking, canoeing, rowing, and sport fishing. There is currently no information available on the potential health risks faced by recreational users from exposure to the river's pollutants. A total of 197 recreational users of the Anacostia River were surveyed regarding general demographic information and their recreational behavior over the previous year, including frequency and duration of recreation and specific questions related to their water exposure. 84.1% of respondents who engaged in canoeing, kayaking, rowing, rafting, or paddling were exposed to water on their bodies during recreation. Some 27.2% of those exposed to water reported getting water in their mouth while recreating, and 60.7% of that group reported swallowing some of this water. This is the first study to examine the exposure to contaminants faced by the recreational population of the Anacostia River.
authors.affiliation: Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Rianna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Sacoby
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalemarre
authors.affiliation: The Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chanse
authors.affiliation: The Department of Health Policy, The School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phoenix
authors.affiliation: Anacostia Watershed Society, The George Washington House, Bladensburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baranoff
keywords: Anacostia River; Chesapeake Bay; exposure; health risk; legacy pollution; limited-contact water recreation