ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city’s environmental protection sub-department has been testing the quality of water samples taken from the Đà Nẵng beach and at waste water discharge outlets after local residents and tourists suffered rashes after swimming at public beaches in recent scorching days.

Deputy head of the Sơn Trà Eco-tourism sea management board Trần Đại Nghĩa said many people complained that they become itchy after swimming at the beaches of Phạm Văn Đồng, Mỹ Khê and Non Nước over the past 10 days.

Nghĩa said the latest sample of sea water at these beaches was taken yesterday, and the board had earlier called for a test of sea water quality on June 26.

He said that swimmers often suffered rashes when they touch starfish and jelly fish near the beaches on hot days or on some days before the sea became rough from storms.

Nghĩa said the poor quality of sea water could also cause rashes. The final conclusion for the cause of the rashes will come out in several days, Nghĩa told local media.

He added water evaluations had been carried out at 10 sites along beaches of Đà Nẵng since 2014, and the results of sea water sample tests are announced once a month.

Mai Mã, director of the city’s sewage and water supply company, said untreated household waste water discharging into the sea would cause poor water quality and itchy skin among swimmers.

He said a mass of waste water discharged from eight outlets into the sea of Đà Nẵng after a heavy rain on June 26, and that would result into poor water quality several days later.

According to the latest report by the construction department, seven out of 15 wastewater pipes still discharge untreated household sewage into the sea in Đà Nẵng. Some beaches have been heavily polluted by untreated waste water from hundreds of seafood restaurants and construction sites along the city beaches.

Swimmers go to the beach of Đà Nẵng in the summer. Poor water quality and jellyfish were suspected to be causing skin rash among swimmers. — VNS Photo Công Thành

Head of Đà Nẵng city’s environment protection sub-department Đặng Quang Vinh said the latest sample of water on June 19 did not show any pollution or poor quality.

He said the sub-department will further test the sea water.

Nguyễn Hữu Đức Nhật, a local resident of Phước Mỹ Ward, said he and his son suffered rashes after 10 minutes of swimming at the beach of Mỹ Khê.

He said he often goes swimming every day in the summer, but the post-swimming rash was the worst effect he had ever experienced as a result.

Đặng Quốc Vinh, head of Đà Nẵng beach rescue team, said jellyfish often make swimmers get itchy on scorching days, often in late June, but stop some days later.

According to director of Đà Nẵng’s natural resources and environment department Trương Quang Nam, in a test of sea water in April, a micro-algae species had turned sea water a yellowish colour.

He explained that mass micro-algae blooming also reduces oxygen content in sea water, resulting in mass fish deaths and itchy skin for swimmers.

Doctor Nguyễn Toại from Đà Nẵng City’s general hospital said about 10 residents came to his consulting room seeking treatment for a rash they developed after sea swimming in recent days.

He said he initially diagnosed the rash as resulting from an insect or parasite, but said a test is necessary to confirm the cause.

Đà Nẵng City plans to build a waste water treatment project for cleaning the Mỹ An discharge outlet that has polluted a section of Mỹ Khê Beach in Ngũ Hành Sơn District. — VNS