In Hot Water: Thousands of Public Pools Fail Health Inspections

Health and safety violations in public pools and swim parks are widespread, and can create serious hazards for swimmers, according to the CDC.

Credit: Karin Hildebrand Lau

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By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | May 27, 2016 05:59pm ET

As temperatures climb this summer, public pools and water parks certainly look like a refreshing way to beat the heat. Ready to shuck your flip-flops and take the plunge?

Not so fast. Before you dive in, you should probably check with the facility about its inspection status, health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn.

According to a study published online May 20 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, thousands of venues in the U.S. where people swim or wade in treated water — public pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds and parks — had to be closed in 2013 due to health and safety violations. And in 1 in 8 of those closures, conditions were so unhealthy or unsafe that the venue had to be shut down immediately, the report said. [Tips for Keeping Kids Safe in Swimming Pools]

For the report, researchers looked at data from the Network for Aquatic Facility Inspection Surveillance (NAFIS) database gathered in 2013. The data came from local inspection agencies in the five states in the U.S. with the most public aquatic facilities: California, Texas, Arizona, Florida and New York.

In total, officials carried out 84,187 inspections at 48,632 venues, according to the report. In 7,662 of the inspections, officials found violations related to disinfectant concentrations, and those violations create opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases.

There were also 7,845 violations related to safety equipment, which could mean there was an increased risk of drowning at the facility. And 471 inspections detailed chemical safety violations that could result in respiratory distress or burns.

Some of these violations could be addressed and remedied quickly. But in 8,118 cases, inspectors identified serious violations — such as an absence of safety equipment or insufficient chlorine in the water — that required a location's immediate closure, the report stated.

Kiddie pools saw the highest proportion of shutdowns — 1 in 5 kiddie pools that were inspected had to be shut down immediately. And about 80 percent of all of the inspections recorded at least one violation, the report found.

The study's authors said their findings could help identify venues that need more frequent inspections or closer oversight, in order to promote a safer, healthier environment for the public.

CDC guidelines dictate that public pools and aquatic venues must have adequate safety equipment, particularly in the absence of lifeguards.

Credit: Torsak Thammachote

A gut feeling

In a public pool, appearances can deceive. Water may look clean and clear, but if it hasn't been treated properly, visitors may get sick, said the report's lead author, Michele C. Hlavsa, who leads the CDC's Healthy Swimming Program. The outbreaks most commonly linked to public pools and water parks are gastrointestinal illnesses, which are usually introduced by a swimmer with diarrhea, Hlavsa told Live Science.

Inadequate disinfectant levels or a pH that is outside a certain range could allow pathogens to survive in contaminated water, where they might be swallowed and make people sick, Hlavsa said.

Maintaining a correct disinfectant level in public water venues is critical, Hlavsa said, and requires preserving a careful balance between the amount of disinfectant — chlorine or bromine, which kill harmful bacteria— and the water's pH, which determines how well the disinfectant works.

The CDC recommends that pools maintain chlorine levels of about 1 part per million (ppm) for public water facilities such as pools and parks, and 3 ppm for public hot tubs and Jacuzzis. Adding chlorine to water raises its pH, but if the pH climbs too high, the chlorine won't kill germs effectively, Hlavsa said. However, swimmers are most comfortable in the water when the pH is between 7.2 and 7.8 — the pH range of the human body, she added.

The CDC suggests that lifeguards and pool maintenance workers check the disinfectant and pH levels of the water at least twice daily, and that they add an acid to the water if required, to lower the pH to the recommended level. [5 Tips for Safe Summer Swimming]

Pool drains should be secure and in good repair, so as not to snag on bathing suits, hair or jewelry and endanger swimmers.

Credit: Fotosearch

Making the grade

Inspections to enforce CDC standards in public aquatic facilities are supposed to happen one to three times each year, and venues are required to post their inspection scores either on-site or online. But Hlavsa told Live Science that about one-third of local health departments don't perform inspections regularly.

Hlavsa recommended that anyone planning a visit to a recreational water facility do their homework beforehand to make sure there are no known violations that could compromise their health and safety.

Hlavsa added that pool and park visitors can conduct basic checks on-site, to make sure that a venue is safe.

Water-testing strips are widely available and can be used to quickly confirm whether chlorine and pH levels are in a safe range for swimmers. Hlavsa suggested that people should also look for safety equipment, such as rescue rings and poles with ropes, particularly if no lifeguard is on duty. Water should be clean and unclouded, so that a swimmer in trouble can be spotted easily under the surface. And all drain covers should be secure and in good shape, and free of parts that could snag on swimsuits, hair or dangling jewelry.

It's also important to shower before entering a pool, to remove traces of contaminants carried on your skin and hair, Hlavsa said.

A set of guidelines developed by the CDC — the Model Aquatic Health Code — is available to help local communities and state agencies maintain standards and enforce practices that will ultimately improve health and safety during summer aquatic recreation. The first edition was released online Aug. 29, 2014, and an updated version is expected to be published this summer, the CDC said in a statement.

Original article on Live Science.

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The Heat Is On: Most of US Likely to Have a Scorching Summer

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By Kacey Deamer, Staff Writer | May 31, 2016 04:58pm ET

The western and northeastern parts of the U.S. have the highest odds (darkest red) for well above average temperatures this summer.

Credit: Climate.gov

It's likely to be a sweltering summer for most of the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In a continuing trend of 2016 being a warmer-than-average year, this summer could be a scorcher for a majority of the U.S., NOAA says.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released its summer outlook last week, which predicts above-average temperatures for the next season. Jon Gottschalck, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), told Live Science that the warmer temperatures are expected after El Niño, a climate cycle during which a band of warm water in the Pacific Ocean can impact global weather patterns.

"Typically, when you have a transition from El Niño to La Niña, there's generally warmer temperatures across much of the country, so that's one of the primary drivers," Gottschalck said.

The CPC also released a map that indicates the likelihood that a region will experience a hotter than average summer. The dark-red areas of the map represent the regions most likely to see a temperature jump. Alaska's Aleutian Islands have the highest chance of a particularly hot summer, according to NOAA. Only a small portion of the central U.S. is expected to have an average season (the white, oval-shaped area on the map).

Nebraska, Kansas and most of South Dakota — along with areas of Oklahoma, Colorado and Wyoming — will likely be spared from a scorching summer because these areas experienced more precipitation this year.

"A lot of the precipitation tends to produce high soil moisture content, and that can have a feedback into the longer-term climate system," Gottschalck said.

However, soil moisture will help keep temperatures in those areas level for only a few months; the entire country is expected to see continued above-average temperatures well into the autumn season, according to NOAA.

"That soil-moisture impact earlier in the summer — that will slowly abate unless more precipitation comes," which is difficult to predict at this time, Gottschalck said. "Right now, we're favoring above-normal temperatures through the fall across the entire country," he added.

Original article on Live Science.

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Great Pyramid of Giza Is Slightly Lopsided

Built for the pharaoh Khufu about 4,500 years ago, the Great Pyramid at Giza is considered a wonder of the ancient world.

Credit: Nina Aldin Thune, CC Attribution 2.5 Generic

The Great Pyramid of Giza may be a Wonder of the Ancient World, but it's not perfect: Its base is a little lopsided because its builders made a teensy mistake when constructing it, new research reveals.

The west side of the pyramid is slightly longer than the east side, scientists have found. Although the difference is very slight, it's enough that a modern-day research team, led by engineer Glen Dash and Egyptologist Mark Lehner, was able to detect the small flaw in a new measuring project.

"The base is not quite square," Dash said. The project is being carried out by the Glen Dash Research Foundation, led by Dash, and Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA), led by Lehner. AERA has been mapping and excavating the Giza plateau for about 30 years. [Photos: Amazing Discoveries at Egypt's Giza Pyramids]

Ancient wonder

The Great Pyramid was built for the pharaoh Khufu about 4,500 years ago. Called a "wonder of the world" by ancient writers, it is the largest of the three pyramids located on the Giza Plateau.

The Great Pyramid was originally covered in casing stones, though just a few survive today (and are shown here).

Credit: Mark Lehner 

When the Great Pyramid was first constructed, it was clad in a limestone casing, much of which is now gone. Much of the casing was reused for building projects in past centuries. Without the casing, scientists have had a tough time getting accurate measurements of the pyramid as it originally stood.

"What is the exact size and orientation of the Great Pyramid? Archaeologists, scientists, engineers and mystics have sought answers for centuries," Dash wrote in a reportpublished in the most recent issue of the newsletter Aeragram, which chronicles the work of AERA.

"Most of those casing stones were removed centuries ago for building material, leaving the pyramid as we see it today, without most of its original shell," Dash wrote. [In Photos: Inside Egypt's Great Pyramids]

Measuring the Great Pyramid

Researchers took measurements of the Great Pyramid's edges and platform, showing what one of the corners may have looked like when built. Researchers noticed a "corner socket," or a cutting in the rock, whose purpose remains unclear.

Credit: Image courtesy of Glen Dash

To determine the lengths of the original pyramid sides, Lehner led a search for surviving casing stones whose edges still touched the platform that the Great Pyramid was built on. They also searched for marks on the platform that would provide clues as to where the edges were. In total, they found 84 points along the pyramid's original edges. These points were marked on a grid system that AERA has been using to map all of the features on the Giza Plateau.

Then, the team used a statistical method called linear regression analysis to determine those lengths. They found that the east side of the pyramid originally measured somewhere between 755.561 and 755.817 feet (230.295 to 230.373 meters), while the west side of the pyramid originally measured somewhere between 755.833 and 756.024 feet (230.378 to 230.436 m).

This means that, at most, the west side was only 5.55 inches (14.1 centimeters) longer than the east side. Though that would leave the pyramid not quite square, it's a remarkable level of precision for a monument constructed more than 4,500 years ago, the researchers noted.

"The data show that the Egyptians possessed quite remarkable skills for their time," Dash wrote in the report. "We can only speculate as to how the Egyptians could have laid out these lines with such precision using only the tools they had." [How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?]

Dash thinks the ancient Egyptians laid out the pyramid on a grid. The pyramid's north-south axis (or meridian) runs 3 minutes 54 seconds west of due north while its east-west axis runs 3 minutes 51 seconds north of due east, he told Live Science. The east-west axis also runs through the center of a temple built on the east side of the pyramid. These measurements mean that the Great Pyramid is oriented just slightly away from the cardinal directions, the degree of error from north-south and east-west being almost the same.

The fact that the degree of error is almost the same and that it is so small provides "good evidence that the pyramid and its associated temple were laid out on a common, very precisely oriented grid," Dash said.

The researchers will continue analyzing the data they gathered to find more information on the design and construction of the Great Pyramid.

"We hope to eventually figure out how the Egyptians laid out the pyramid with such precision and, in doing so, hope to learn much about the tools and technology they had at their disposal," Dash wrote.  

Original article published on Live Science.

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Hang Glider Aims to Break Long-Distance Flight Record

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By Charles Q. Choi, Live Science Contributor | June 19, 2016 12:37pm ET

Red Bull Racing Australia driver Craig Lowndes and world-record-holding hang glider Jonny Durand fly over Townsville, Australia, on July 3, 2014.

Credit: VUE Images/Red Bull Content Pool

A daring hang glider known for his extreme stunts and record-setting flights will soon attempt to set another record for the longest open-distance flight.

On or soon after Monday (June 20), Jonny Durand will attempt to glide from Zapata, in southern Texas, to Lorenzo, in northern Texas, a distance of about 475 miles (764 kilometers). Aiding him on his journey — on (or around) the summer solstice, the longest day of the year — are what may be ideal atmospheric conditions for long-distance hang gliding on Earth.

"What we look for with this particular world distance record is a location that is generally hot and dry," Durand told Live Science. "The first time I went to Zapata, the front page of the newspaper for 40 days in a row said it was more than 100 degrees F [37.7 degrees C]." [Hyperloop, Jetpacks & More: 9 Futuristic Transit Ideas]

Hot, dry landscapes such as those in Texas generate thermals, or rising columns of hot air. Such thermals help keep hang gliders aloft. "The fastest thermal I've ever climbed took me up 1,500 to 1,600 feet [450 to 490 meters] in a minute," Durand said. "Most elevators only rise at about 200 feet [60 m] per minute."

Texas thermals

Zapata is also home to winds "that blow in a pretty straight line for a long distance," Durand said. "It's why world hang-gliding records have been set here for the past 15, 16 years."

"[At] most places on Earth, weather systems change every few hundred miles or so, but by Zapata, the winds are very strong and steady for 500 miles [805 km] or more in a straight line," said Gary Osoba, an aerospace engineer and atmospheric physicist who recently retired from Google. Osoba previously set numerous world gliding records himself.

Osoba discovered the qualities that make Zapata a hang-gliding paradise. "I studied 20 years of climate data that had been archived on the location," he told Live Science. "I had a pretty good idea of how ideal it'd be, based on its relationship to air masses, summer weather patterns, so on and so forth."

Zapata is located at the meeting place of two very different air masses, Osoba said. One originates from the Pacific, and as it crosses over Mexico, it goes up and down several mountain ranges, which causes it to lose water, making it "very dry and stable; it doesn't want to rise," Osoba said. The other is a high-pressure air mass from the Atlantic, and as it circulates, "it pulls unstable, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico inland."

The point where these two air masses meets is called a dry line. In the Great Plains of North America, the dry line can generate a lot of atmospheric instability in the form of thunderstorms and tornados. However, at Zapata, the dry line can generate ideal atmospheric conditions for gliding, Osoba said. [Images: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth]

"At other good locations for gliding activity in the world, you might only get five- or six-hour flights, but at Zapata, you can often get an 11- or 12-hour flight," Osoba said.

Gliding for a record

Durand currently holds three hang-gliding world records. In 2012 in Texas, he reached a record distance of 346 miles (557 km) to a prearranged destination, beating the previous record of 321.4 miles (517.2 km). Later, in 2014 in Australia, he reached a speed of 44.29 mph (71.28 km/h) over a round trip of 186 miles (300 km) and a speed of 56.18 mph (90.41 km/h) over a round trip of 62 miles (100 km), smashing the previous records over those distances of 34.8 mph (56 km/h) and 46.6 mph (75 km/h), respectively. [Gallery of Wonders: The Weirdest World Records]

Now, Durand hopes to set a new world hang-gliding record for the longest open-distance flight — that is, flying as far as he can without a declared goal. He came very close to setting the record in 2012, only to fall short by a few miles to Dustin Martin's current record of 474.7 miles (764 km).

The current hang-gliding record for longest open-distance flight was set from Zapata. Durand's previous attempt to set the record took place from Zapata as well.

Summer solstice flight

On Monday, Durand will be looking for strong winds, "but not too strong, since you can't fly if it's too strong; we're looking for the 20 mph (32 km/h) range. We're also looking at how much instability there is in the air, and the height that thermals are going to — the higher the better, since it means less time spent looking for another thermal to stay up in the air, and they can be tricky to find," he said.

There are many clues that hang gliders use to look for thermals. For instance, white puffy cumulus clouds are located at the heads of thermals — they originate from the way that moist air in thermals cools down as it rises upward, condensing into the water droplets that make up clouds, Osoba said.

The flight may take about 11 hours with Durand wearing a tight harness, he said. He plans to leave a few hours after sunrise in order to give the ground time to heat up and generate thermals. During the flight, he will drink water from a tube and eat a few snacks at most, "and in case I have to go to the bathroom, I can unzip midair," he said.

And Durand hopes to fly on or around the summer solstice. "You want the longest day of the year because, it gives you longer to fly," Durand said. "We're hoping for the right conditions for breaking a world distance record."

Original article on Live Science.

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Summer: The Warmest Season

Summer: Warm, sunny days and walks on the beach.

Credit: stock.xchng

Warm weather, swimming and vacations — such events often herald the arrival of summer. Most people mistakenly believe that the season starts with the dawn of the summer solstice, but there are actually two definitions of summer. Let's take a look at the hottest time of the year.

A Matter of Definition

Summer is the warmest season of the year, falling between spring and autumn. Temperatures over the period differ based upon the location on the Earth; regions near the equator are typically warmer than those lying near the poles. This is because, due to the curve of the Earth, these places receive the most sunlight, according to Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. The areas around the Earth's poles also have ice, which reflect a lot of the sun's rays. 

The summer equinox occurs when the sun passes directly above the equator because of the tilt of the Earth. When the seasons are based on the Earth's position in relation to the sun, it is called astronomical summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, astronomical summer happens on or around June 21. The North Pole is tilted at the greatest angle toward the sun at this time. In the Southern Hemisphere, summer occurs on or around December 22, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), when the South Pole is tilted toward the sun. 

Astronomical summer runs from the summer solstice until the autumn equinox. The summer solstice is the day of the year in which the sun is up the longest, while the equinox occurs when night and day are approximately the same length. 

There is another definition for summer, though. A meteorological season is defined as the 12 months of the year being divided up into four season with three months each, according to NOAA. June, July and August are considered summer, north of the equator, and December, January and February are summer to the south. During these months, temperatures tend to be higher than over the rest of the year.

Temperatures rising

Weather in the summer grows warmer, and in some areas, the heat translates to drier temperatures. This hot, dry time of year can lead to droughts, where water is in short supply. Heat waves, times of excessively hot weather that include spikes in temperature, can also occur during the summer. Both can create a number of problems for people and wildlife. 

However, in many tropical regions, summer is the time of the "wet season," which is defined as a month where average precipitation is 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) or more, according to the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Vegetative growth increases during this time period. If winds are changing, the increased rainfall can also usher in monsoon season, a time of violent rainy storms.

Avoid dehydration

Many summer deaths are caused by dehydration, especially during heat waves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that heat waves are the deadliest extreme weather events in the United States. Staying hydrated is especially important when temperatures soar. The National Academy of Science's Food and Nutrition Boardrecommends that women consume 91 ounces (2.7 liters) of water daily and men consume 125 oz. (3.7 liters). People doing vigorous exercise should drink even more.

Summer troubles

The excessive temperatures and dry weather often associated with summer, as well as the violent monsoons, often causes rising death tolls. Let's take a look at a few instances of extreme summer weather:

Credit: stock.xchng. No usage restrictions.

Credit: stock.xchng. No usage restrictions.

London, 1858: Temperature wasn't the only unbearable problem for the city of London in the summer of 1858. Water closets had become the new rage, and much of the raw sewage made its way to the Thames River. When the heat spiked, the stench blanketed the city. The noxious odor was only the beginning; many still drank from the river, and thousands died from diseases. In 1865, a newly designed sewer system helped prevent a repeat of the stinky summer, according to The History Channel.

Australia, 1923-1924: The town of Marble Bar in Western Australia set a world record when the 160 days between Oct. 31, 1923, and April 7, 1924, reached temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius), according to the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

The Dust Bowl, 1930s: Coming on the tail end of the Great Depression, the 1930s saw several years of drought and dust storms across the central United States. The initial drought turned farmers' fields into dust that blew across the country, occasionally traveling all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. In 1936, heat waves added to discomfort, with Yuma, Arizona, experiencing 101 consistent days of temperatures over 100 degrees F (37.7 C).

Chicago Heat Wave of 1995: Approximately 739 people died in Chicago over the course of five days when the temperature hit 106 F (41 C) in July 1995, according to the University of Chicago Press. Excessive humidity caused temperatures to seem higher than 120. As more and more people cranked up the air conditioner, power grids reached their maximum capacity and burned out. This created even more problems for hospitals struggling with the increased patient load. 

Europe, 2003: In July and August, rising temperatures in Europe claimed more than 70,000 lives, according to an article in the journal Comptes Rendus Biologies. Temperatures climbed over 100 degrees, and were later determined to be higher than any summer since A.D. 1500. The high death toll makes this the most fatal heat wave in recorded history.

Russia, 2010: The world's second deadliest heat wave occurred only a few years later in Russia. With a high of 111 F (43.9 C), the excessive heat also sparked the worst drought in 130 years and fires across the country. Approximately 56,000 people died over the course of three weeks, many of them from drowning after swimming in unsafe locations or while intoxicated.

India 2015: According to The Independent, the India's second deadliest heat wave occurred in India in April and May of 2015. It resulted in over 2,000 deaths from temperatures ranging 113F (45C) to 116.6F (47C), which is about 37.4 F (3C) to 44.6F (7C) higher than normal.

Hottest summer

2014 had the hottest summer on record, according to the NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Extreme heat waves may become the norm in many areas. Most scientists agree that global heat records are being broken due to human created global warming, according to NASA.  Rising temperatures won't make the world a summer-like place, year-round, though.

"There will always be seasons, and the weather will always fluctuate from day to day, month to month, and year to year," Adam Sobel, Columbia professor, atmospheric scientist and author of Storm Surge, told Live Science. "Global warming won't change that; it will just make all the seasons a little warmer, on average, than they would have been otherwise." 

Summer and the American road trip

Summer is road trip time. Hundreds of thousands of families and friends take advantage of sunny, warm weather and hit the road, heading for beaches and lakes, national parks and reserves. "Utilizing the summer as time away, listening to music, watching the scenery go by, we reenergize. Road trips are about reconnecting with family, friends and ourselves. People’s fondest memories about childhood are usually linked to summers, vacation and family road trips," Talia Wagner, a Los Angeles based marriage and family therapist told Live Science.

The summer road trip is deeply rooted in the American culture. It began in the aftermath of World War II, American society experienced many changes to everyday living. At roughly the same time that the infrastructure of roads and highways underwent increased development and improvements, cars became more affordable and attainable to the average family. This culmination fueled the popularity of the summer road trip, explained Wagner.

"Road trips came to symbolize freedom and independence, values that Americans hold dear. It is no wonder then that every summer, when children are out of school and the rising heat makes us restless, people start thinking about vacations," said Wagner.

Additional reporting by Alina Bradford, Live Science Contributor

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Your Brain May Work Differently in Winter Than Summer

Credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

The way your brain works may vary from season to season, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that when people in the study did certain cognitive tasks, the ways that the brain utilizes its resources to complete those tasks changed with the seasons.

Although people's actual performance on the cognitive tasks did not change with the seasons, "the brain activity for the ongoing process varie[d]," said study author Gilles Vandewalle, of the University of Liege in Belgium.

In the study, the researchers looked at the cognitive brain function of 28 people in Belgium during each season of the year. Each time, the people spent 4.5 days deep in a lab, without access to the external world or seasonal cues such as daylight. The researchers scanned the participants' brains while they performed tasks testing their ability to sustain attention and to store, update and compare information in their memories.

The researchers found that the people's performance on these tasks did not change, regardless of the time of the year. However, results did show that the neural "cost" of performing these cognitive tasks — the amount of brain activity involved — changed with the time of the year. [10 Things You Didn't Know About the Brain]

For example, the levels of brain activity related to sustaining attention peaked in June, near the summer solstice, and were lowest in December, around the winter solstice.

In contrast, the levels of brain activity related to working memory peaked in the autumn, and were lower around the spring equinox.

Previous research has shown that changes in seasons are linked to changes in other processes related to people's daily functioning. For example, people tend to consume more calories in winter than in summer, the researchers said. And a study published in 2015 in the journal Nature Communications found that the activity of human genes changeswith the seasons, along with people's immunity.

Moreover, research has shown a link between seasons and mood, with some people experiencing symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)in fall and winter months, the researchers said.

Though the researchers did not examine a potential relationship between brain activity and seasonal changes in mood in the new study, it is possible that people who experience SAD might be particularly vulnerable to seasonal changes in brain activity related to cognitive processes, Vandewalle said.

The mechanisms behind the seasonal differences in brain activity found in the new study are not clear, the researchers said. However, previous research has shown, for example, that the levels of certain neurotransmitters, such as a serotonin, as well as the levels of some brain proteins involved in learning also vary with the seasons, the researchers said.

These variations may in turn contribute to the seasonal changes in brain activity that the researchers observed in the new study, the investigators said.

The new study was published today (Feb. 8) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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