Human Interest Over Half of U.S. Beaches Had ‘Potentially Unsafe’ Levels of Poop Contamination Last Year: Report Fecal contamination "can contain pathogens that threaten the health of swimmers," per the report By Anna Lazarus Caplan Anna Lazarus Caplan Anna Lazarus Caplan is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work previously appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, Eater and other publications. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 11, 2023 05:20PM EDT Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Read this before your next beach day. According to a report from Environment America, a network of state environmental groups, over half of the beaches tested nationwide had at least one day last year when "fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels." The organization said that fecal contamination “from sources such as urban runoff, sewage overflows and factory farms can contain pathogens that threaten the health of swimmers." “In 2022, 1,761 out of 3,192 tested beaches nationwide (55%) experienced at least one day on which fecal contamination reached potentially unsafe levels – that is, exceeding EPA’s most protective ‘Beach Action Value,’ a conservative, precautionary tool states can use to make beach notification decisions,” the report, which was published earlier this month, stated. Over 8,500 Lbs. of Trash Left at Lake Tahoe Beaches After Fourth of July: 'Staggering' In addition, 363 beaches — approximately one out of every nine beaches tested nationwide — had potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination on at least 25% of the days on which testing took place, per the report. According to the report, 84% of tested Gulf Coast beaches were potentially unsafe for at least one day in 2022, the greatest amount. Meanwhile, 70% of tested beaches in the West Coast had at least one day of potentially unsafe contamination, followed by 63% in the Great Lakes, 48% in the East Coast, and 24% in Alaska and Hawaii. "Swimming in contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness as well as respiratory disease, ear and eye infection, and skin rash," per the report. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Last week, environmentalists sought to take back Lake Tahoe's beaches after Fourth of July revelers left approximately 8,500 lbs. of trash on its shores. Keep Tahoe Blue, a nonprofit dedicated to beautifying the iconic destination spot, said it collected the “staggering” amount of litter from six beach sites in Lake Tahoe, as well as parking lots and streets around the Tahoe Basin.“In just 3 hours on July 5th, 402 incredible volunteers rallied together to clean up the aftermath of Fourth of July celebrations all over Lake Tahoe,” the organization wrote on Facebook. Among the trash were cigarette butts, plastic food wrappers, beach toys and even barbecues, the nonprofit shared.