Researchers in a recently conducted study have found that beachgoers might have high risk of coming in contact with germs from the sand on which they sit. Researchers during the study found that beach sand has more germs than the water.

Researchers for their study examined water and sand from several Hawaiian beaches. The results of the study showed that there was higher amount of bacteria indicating fecal contamination.

Researchers during their study found that there were higher numbers of bugs such as E. coli, in the sand than in the water.

Team led by Tao Yan of the University of Hawaii at Manoa said in a statement that wastewater-contaminated marine beach sand can act as a chronic source of wastewater bacteria to the beach seawater.

Public health experts since long have been aware of the fact that wastewater from sewage and other sources can play major role in seawater contamination.

Yan's team noted that swimmers who come into contact with or accidentally swallow fecal-contaminated water can suffer stomach ache, diarrhea and rashes.

They also noted that over the past decade, scientists have been finding fecal bacteria levels in beach sand that are 10 to 100 times higher than in adjacent seawater. To find out the reason behind it, the team created laboratory simulations of beaches and seawater contaminated with sewage.

They collected their sand samples from Kualoa Beach on the island of Oahu, at about a foot and a half above the high-tide line.

Yan’s team in lab simulation found that bacteria tended to decay at slower rate in the beach sand than in the water.