As the Paris Olympics approaches this month, swimmers are reportedly reconsidering their participation due to severe pollution in the Seine River, where some of the swimming events are to be held.
According to a report by SBS on the 1st, the Marathon Swimming will start at the Alexandre III Bridge on the Seine River. Athletes will swim a course of 10km for about two hours.
A survey conducted by the city of Paris showed that the E. coli count measured under the Alexandre Bridge on June 23rd was around 3000 CFU per 100 ml.
In other words, this means that about 3000 clumps of bacteria were detected in approximately half a cup of water.
Compared to the Han River in Seoul, where swimming events were held twice in June with an average E.coli count of 31 CFU, the Seine River recorded levels about 100 times higher.
According to the World Swimming Federation standards, water quality is deemed “unacceptable” if the E. coli count exceeds 1000 CFU.
However, in the Seine River, the E.coli levels are three times higher than this standard and spike to 12 times higher the day after rainfall. Experts are concerned that these levels could harm the health of the athletes.
France has invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the past eight years to enhance the water quality of the Seine River.
The IOC has attributed the current high numbers to recent rainfall. However, concerns persist as the counts remain around 2000, even during dry periods.
Due to the slow progress in improving water quality, an image circulating mockingly depicts President Macron wearing a hat resembling feces.
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