Manasquan Beach in New Jersey was temporarily closed to swimmers on Saturday after beachgoers discovered more than 60 syringes washed ashore, officials said.
The discovery prompted local authorities to prohibit swimming while crews conducted a sweep of the southern end of the beach. During the operation, dozens of additional syringes were recovered, and county health officials were notified.
Manaquan OEM, the Monmouth County Health Department, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection collaborated on the incident involving the syringes.
The water was reopened to swimmers early Sunday morning after officials monitored the beach through two high-tide cycles. The origin of the syringes and how they ended up on the beach were not disclosed by officials.
Manasquan is a popular summer destination, with its year-round population of approximately 6,000 swelling to hundreds of thousands of visitors during the warmer months.
This incident echoes a similar event in 2021 when medical waste and syringes washed ashore at Ocean Beach, leading to the closure of several beaches along the Jersey Shore. At that time, officials identified the washed-up items as home-use, diabetic-type syringes. New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette explained that such syringes can enter sewer systems if flushed down toilets. Heavy rainfall can then overwhelm these systems, causing debris to spill into nearby waterways and eventually the ocean, where winds can carry them to shore.
LaTourette previously stated that the syringes are not typically a result of illegal dumping but rather a consequence of improper disposal through sewage systems.