Further reading
- Hassan, John. The Seaside, Health and Environment in England and Wales Since 1800. Ashgate Publishing.
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Sea air has traditionally been thought to offer health benefits associated with its unique odor, which is caused by dimethyl sulfide, released by microbes. [1]
Salts generally do not dissolve in air, but can be carried by sea spray in the form of particulate matter.
In the early 19th century, a lower prevalence of disease in coastal regions or islands was attributed to the sea air. [2] Such medical beliefs were translated into the literature of Jane Austen and other authors. [3] Victorians mistakenly attributed the odor of sea air to ozone.
Later that century, such beliefs led to the establishment of seaside resorts for the treatment of tuberculosis, [4] with medical belief in its efficacy continuing into the 20th century. [5] However, the quality of sea air was often degraded by pollution from wood- and coal-burning ships. Today those fuels are gone, replaced by high sulphur oil in diesel engines, which generate sulphate aerosols. [6]
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