Rapper cum actor Ludacris caused a stir on social media after he posted a video of himself drinking untreated glacier water during a trip to Alaska. The viral video shows the Stand Up rapper fetching untreated water from a glacier pool with a water bottle before he takes a gulp.
“Oh my God!” he is heard screaming in excitement after he sips the water. However, his actions raised eyebrows on social media as a section of users worried the 46-year-old may have exposed himself to contracting an infection as the untreated water could be contaminated with the giardia parasite, The Associated Press reported.
But Martin Truffer, a geologist and glacier expert from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, downplayed those concerns, describing them as “ludicrous.” “He’s totally fine,” Truffer stated.
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“It’s sort of understandable that somebody would be concerned about just drinking untreated water, but if you drink water from a melt stream on a glacier, that’s about the cleanest water you’ll ever get,” the scientist explained.
Ludacris, whose real name is Christopher Brian Bridges, had been booked to perform at the Alaska State Fair on Friday, August 23, when he visited the Knik Glacier. The Fast & Furious star is said to have visited the glacier to fulfill a bucket list endeavor.
“I’m a water snob,” Ludacris said in another video posted on Tuesday. “It was the best tasting water I’ve ever had in my life.”
Per Healthline, giardiasis is a parasitic infection in the small intestine. “It’s caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lamblia. Giardiasis spreads through contact with infected people,” it adds. “And you can get giardiasis by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. Pet dogs and cats also frequently contract giardia.”
The symptoms of giardiasis include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea or greasy stools, loss of appetite, and vomiting. “Ponds, streams, rivers, and other bodies of water can all be sources of giardia,” Healthline states.
“Don’t swallow water if you go swimming in one of these. Avoid drinking surface water unless it’s been boiled, treated with iodine, or filtered. Bring bottled water with you when you go hiking or camping.”
In an email to The Associated Press, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation spokesperson Kelly Rawalt said the drinking of untreated surface water is not approved by the department. The department also has a flyer that encourages people to treat such liquids before consuming them.
And though Truffer also highlighted that drinking water from a spring in the wild could pose health risks, he said the untreated glacier water that Ludacris consumed hadn’t come into contact with any biological activity.
“There’s just really no concern on these glacial streams about safety,” he explained. “I’ve done this many, many times myself without ever having any issue.”
