Virginia Beaches Close Due To Medical Waste

Virginia’s beaches were closed by authorities Sept. 15 due to an overabundance of medical waste that was found on the shoreline. Officials in Delaware and Maryland also shut down beaches for this reason, according to The New York Times.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, 3.2 million people visit Assateague Island National Seashore each year.  The beaches at Assateague and nearby Chincoteague Beach were shut down due to hazardous trash in the water. According to Newsweek, “Maryland Park Service rangers found needles, colored needle caps, feminine hygiene products and cigar tips along the park’s beach.”

Officials from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources posted an announcement on Facebook Sept. 15 stating the beaches were closed for swimming. Coming in contact with a used hypodermic needle can result in the transmission of blood-borne diseases like hepatitis and HIV, according to the National Library of Medicine.  To avoid contact with dangerous needles and medical waste officials urged people to wear shoes while walking on the beach to protect themselves from being exposed to the dangerous contaminants.

According to an Assateague Island National Seashore Facebook post on Sept. 15, they do not know where the waste came from and would not speculate about a source. Health authorities will continue investigating the problem.

Plastic in the ocean has become more prevalent on many beaches due to litter and the lack of proper trash disposals around big bodies of water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Medical waste can be especially hazardous. The beaches affected are now open for normal hours after the Assateague Island National Seashore released a statement on Facebook Sept. 20 stating that federal and state officials have cleared the beaches for the public.

Parker is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.