Investigation of Water Quality and Sand Pollution at 20 Beaches in Incheon

Incheon City Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 31st that it will conduct safety inspections of water quality and beach sand ahead of the summer beach openings.

The institute will test the seawater quality and beach sand contamination at 20 beaches and multi-use coastal areas in Jung-gu and Ongjin-gun according to the "Guidelines for Environmental Management of Beaches."

In the water quality tests, they will regularly check for fecal indicator microorganisms (E. coli and enterococci) that can cause waterborne diseases when ingested, and assess contamination by testing the content of harmful heavy metals (copper, lead, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, mercury) in the beach sand.

Incheon City Health and Environment Research Institute

Additionally, before the beach openings, the institute will provide guidelines containing sampling procedures and precautions to water quality management personnel in the counties and districts, conducting pre-education to ensure accurate measurement results. The test results will be posted on the institute’s website three times for each beach.

A representative of the Incheon City Health and Environment Research Institute stated, "We ask the public to refrain from littering items such as bottled water on the beach to maintain a clean marine environment," and added, "We will thoroughly conduct safety inspections so that citizens can enjoy water activities safely and comfortably."