Introduction

Contamination of coastal waters can result in risks to human health through three principal routes:

1. Illnesses caused by microbial contamination of seafood 2. Illnesses caused by chemical contamination of seafood 3. Illnesses caused by environmental exposure to toxic chemicals and micro-

bial contaminants in coastal waters

Microbial and chemical pollutants may affect the health of humans, either when they consume contaminated fish and shellfish or when they are exposed to waterborne pollutants in the coastal environment.