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is no direct evidence available in favor of this hypothesis, and 
at least one instance is known where this situation might have 
been expected to occur and did not. During the past few months 
there were at least two occurrences of high counts all along 
the Orange County beach during periods when wave action was not 
intense, and one occurrence of a high surf from the south for 
two successive days without any surge in beach counts. All one 
can conclude from these limited experiences is that aithough the 
possibility exists, the likelihood is uncertain. 
Aithough at the present there are no specifications in 
regards to the coliform content of the sediments, it could be 
argued that some of the beneficial uses protected in Area 2 and 
Area 3 might be impaired by their presence on the bottom. This 
would be especially true if there were indications that the 
presence of coliforms in the sediments could have a public 
health significance, It can be argued that if coliforms are 
present, then pathogens might equally well be present, and could 
be carried into the water under proper conditions of turbulence. 
The only countering arguments would be that coliforms survive 
longer in the sediments than pathogens, and the latter have not 
been detected in marine sediments. Unfortunately, the arguments 
either way are without substantial experimental foundation at 
the moment. Both the water and sediment data indicate the 
possibility of a much longer persistence of coliforms in the 
marine environment than most investigators previously suspected. 
However, the question as to exactly how long they can survive 
or whether they can even multiply (especially in the mud) remains 
unanswered. As far as pathogens are concerned, the author knows 
