The holiday season is in full swing. Some people go to the mountains, while others prefer to relax on the beach. The latter involves getting sand in your shoes, sunbathing for a golden tan, and solving the dilemma of whether it is okay to pee in the sea or whether it's better to look for a restroom or a restaurant that provides one. The issue of urinating into the sea was investigated by TikTok scientist Dr Adam Mirek.

Dr Adam Mirek has seriously examined the impact of peeing in the sea. The scientist explains how urine affects seawater and marine organisms: "Should you feel remorse? Not really. First of all, urine is mostly water, and so is seawater. Surprising, right? Urine contains 10 to 15 grams per litre of sodium and chloride ions, which are the same elements that make seawater salty. Another major component of urine is urea, a byproduct of protein breakdown in our bodies that helps remove nitrogen.

When you pee in the sea, the nitrogen released is minimal compared to the enormous volume of the Baltic Sea, estimated at 21,720 quadrillion litres. An average person produces about one and a half litres of urine a day, containing around 35 grams of urea. So, the nitrogen you add by peeing in the sea is, quite literally, just a drop in the ocean."

Later in the TikTok video, Adam Mirek adds: "If all the people living near the Baltic Sea gathered at the beach, they probably wouldn't fit. We're talking about roughly 40 million people, including those from small countries, Polish voivodeships, Russian oblasts, and German Länder. If they all peed in the sea at once, the concentration of urea would rise to 0.0000000064% or 64 parts of urea per trillion parts of the sea. That's a minimal amount. Every sea-dwelling animal pees in the sea, and it causes no harm, and neither will you. Just don't make it a daily habit. Once every 20 years is fine, as that's about how long it takes for all the water in the Baltic Sea to exchange with the ocean."

Dr Adam Mirek has tips for everyone. This time, the TikTok scientist explained how to best pee in the sea. According to him, the first thing to do is to find a good spot where no one is around. The scientist adds that you should move to the side, not deep into the sea, so that someone can hear you call for help if anything happens.

The second tip is to find a place without creatures and, in exotic seas, avoid coral reefs. Why? Adam Mirek explains, "Urine, particularly nitrogen, helps marine plants, especially algae, to grow. It can cause algae to overtake coral reefs, block the sunlight they need, and ultimately kill them."

The third advice is to avoid piers, as strong currents build up around them and can pull you away from the shore. What next? Turn your back to the shore. The fifth tip is to submerge at least to your waist and keep your swimming trunks or underpants on. The sixth tip suggests spreading your feet shoulder-width apart to help the pee flow out more easily. Finally, you should rinse your body afterwards to remove any urine residue, and wash your swimming trunks or swimsuit when you get home.