Beaches closed for swimming along East Coast after mystery medical waste washes up

Beaches have been closed to swimming this week along the East Coast after hypodermic needles, syringes, and other medical waste were discovered.

The closures affected beaches in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and the cause of the mystery waste remains under investigation.

Visitors and residents have been advised to avoid the ocean and wear shoes while strolling on the sand.

Medical waste poses serious risks to human health and can carry harmful and drug-resistant microorganisms. Plastic waste on beaches is also a threat to marine life. Pieces can become lodged in animals’ throats and stomachs when they mistake it for food.

“The ocean remains closed at this time. We continue to work with state agencies to assess beach and ocean conditions. We will allow ocean access as soon as it is safe to do so!” Delaware’s Town of Dewey Beach wrote on Facebook on Tuesday morning. One Facebook user replied to the post with a photo of waste they had found.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said it was working with federal, state, and local authorities to monitor its spread.

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Reports first emerged on Sunday of waste washing ashore from Indian River Inlet to Fenwick Island, just up the coast from Virginia’s Chincoteague public beach. An emergency response team was sent to the site.

The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce confirmed closures at the Chincoteague Public Beach and Maryland’s Assateague Island National Seashore on Sunday.

All ocean-facing beaches at the National Seashore were closed to swimming or wading, and the northern end was closed to all visitor access. Included in the closures were North Beach, Oceanside Camping Beach, and South Beach. The bayside remained open for kayaks, canoes, and other water activities.

“We believe it started to come ashore this morning, so those who were in the water on earlier days should have nothing to worry about,” the Assateague Island National Seashore said Sunday. “We do not know how much more material is out there, when it will stop coming ashore, and how long it will take for cleanup.”

Maryland reported a “significant amount” of waste on Sunday, as well. The state’s Department of Natural Resources said on Monday that rangers had found even more needles and other plastic debris in the hours since.

“There have not been any reports to park staff of any visitors encountering these items while swimming, nor any reports of injuries,” the department said.

Multiple state and federal agencies were working to contain the waste, according to The Baltimore Sun. The state’s Department of Emergency Management has raised its state response level to “partial,” which indicates an incident requiring signifcant resources.

In Ocean City, officials worked to test the water, according to local station WBALV.

“We are pleased to report that, as of this afternoon, the amount of debris on the beach significantly decreased,” Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald said in a statement. “While this is an encouraging development, the Town of Ocean City will keep a close eye on the situation, particularly as we approach the next high tide cycles, which are expected at 7:24 p.m. and 7:36 a.m.”

In 1988, the Ocean Dumping Ban Act banned the disposal of medical waste in the ocean. Violating the act could lead to up to five years in prison, civil penalties up to $125,000, and criminal penalties up to $250,000.