Diving and Water Quality
Coastal waters once considered safe from pollutants
may now be contaminated and the time between testing for water
quality and public posting of contamination warnings can lag
up to 96 hours. Thus, local closures may be posted long after
a diver is exposed to contaminants. Possible contaminants
in local waters include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B. Diving in
the waters of developing countries may cause exposure to typhoid,
cholera, and polio.
Diver's Responsibilities:
- Stay informed
- Keep your immunizations up-to-date
- Take prophylactic medications when possible
- Anti-Malarials
- Anti-diarrhetics
- Antibiotics
- Self Monitoring - Know symptoms of likely diseases you
may be exposed to while diving or participating in other
water contact activities
Resources
UCSD Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine
(COEM):
Therese Rymer, RN, CFNP, COHN-S, Director of Clinical Services
Phone: 619-471-9221
FAX: 619-471-9211
- Advises UCSD divers and other employees on work-related
environmental hazards, including water quality issues
- Provides immunizations and prophylactic medications
- Provides tracking of paper trails for work related activities
- Provides Diving Physical
- Accepts Index numbers for recharging services to your
department
(Please check with your business office for further information
on utilizing COEM)
Water Quality Websites
San Diego BayKeeper website:
http://sdbaykeeper.org/waterqlt/waterqlt.htm
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