Your favorite summer swimming spot might be a lot riskier than you think. New reports reveal that many popular river bathing sites are dangerously polluted, and it's not just a local problem.
Turns out, nearly half of Europe's monitored river bathing sites are failing safety standards. That's a huge number of places people regularly swim, unaware of the hidden dangers.
Recent data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) indicates that 48% of inland bathing waters, primarily rivers, were rated as 'poor' or 'sufficient' in 2023, meaning they don't meet strict safety benchmarks for water quality.