The level of E. coli at Ayfilon beach near Rizokarpaso is off the scale, according to analysis published by the north’s ‘health ministry’ on Tuesday.

The figures given stated that there are more than 2,400 colony forming units (cfu) of E. coli per 100 mililitres of seawater at the beach, with the exact value seemingly unknown. The analysis also listed the amount of intestinal enterococci in the water as 290 cfu per 100ml.

Both E. coli and intestinal enterococci are typically found in human faeces, with elevated levels of both bacteria suggestive of heightened levels of raw sewage in any given body of water.

The north’s authorities and the European Union state that the absolute maximum amount of E. coli which can be present in seawater for it to be considered safe is 500 cfu per 100ml, while the maximum safe amount of intestinal enterococci in seawater is 185 cfu per 100ml.

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At the same time, the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s guidelines say that people can become ill when exposed to as little as 100 cfu per 100ml of E. coli or as little as 30 cfu per 100ml of intestinal enterococci.

As such, therefore, the seawater at Ayfilon beach is at least almost five times the absolute maximum readings of E. coli for seawater to be considered safe and at least 24 times the minimum exposure for someone to become ill, with levels of intestinal enterococci which also go far beyond the recommended levels.

The EPA states that symptoms of exposure to E. coli include “severe and often bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps”.

Meanwhile, it states that exposure to intestinal enterococci can cause symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, chest pain when breathing, a stiff neck, pain or burning during urination, and swollen, red, tender, or bleeding gums.

The reading comes as other, safer reading had also been the subject of doubt by environmentalists, with biologist Hasan Sarpten having said on Monday that the figures “do not reflect the truth”.

Cyprus Turkish medical association (KTTB) secretary-general Dr Ceyhun Dalkan echoed these concerns on Tuesday, telling news website Kibris Postasi that the ‘health ministry’ “should announce clear, regular, and detailed results regarding seawater quality”.

He also said swimmers should not enter water which is “cloudy, foul-smelling, or the wrong colour”.

Sarpten on Monday had cast doubt over the readings given as “clean”.

“The ministry has announced the seawater analysis and of course it is all clean again! They even explained shamelessly that the second readings of the 12 beaches which were polluted in their first reading turned out to be ‘clean’,” he said.

“Of course, it is also a coincidence that the 12 beaches in question are at the bottom of large [hotel] facilities. Anyway, if the second samples had come out dirty, they would have taken a third sample which would have come out clean.”

“These analyses do not reflect the truth. We cannot know [exact figures] because, despite all our requests, civil society organisations are not included in the process, but my belief is that most of these samples were taken from the computers of political appointees.”

Last month, Green Action Group board chairwoman Feriha Tel had criticised the previous month’s analysis results for not including any figures.

“I will share more sea water analysis results, the sea in Nicosia is clean, you can swim in it,” she quipped.