brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
The Pacific Garbage Patch (aka, Pacific Trash Vortex) is a horrible mess. I'm glad to see someone has done a documentary related to it. Not fun stuff to watch but hopefully it will raise more awareness and lead to some working toward solutions.
Thanks for posting this, Jeanwah.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
The Pacific Garbage Patch (aka, Pacific Trash Vortex) is a horrible mess. I'm glad to see someone has done a documentary related to it. Not fun stuff to watch but hopefully it will raise more awareness and lead to some working toward solutions.
Thanks for posting this, Jeanwah.
Don't thank me, thank Jeff Ament.
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
Thank you, Jeff! :thumbup:
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
If plastic is Satan.....what does that make mercury.....or PCBs????
All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
that is atrocious. these oceans are so fucked up. imagine how much is out there.
in this environmental class i was in the professor was saying entire cars and washers and dryer often can ride the tide just under the surface. i was like what the fuck.... so i think and listen and envision and take notes and read.
cigarettes butts = plastic.
interesting. anybody ever fish? live in a fishing community?
i wonder how many dumb ass fishermen flick their smoke butts into the drink? it would be staggering if we knew this figure.
imagine how much pollution goes into the sea when a vessel goes down. sardines pulled my boss's boat under. no one drown thankfully. one gigantic net very full of fish, boat w/ fuel, oil, lotsa bullshit.
"yeah uh hey chad, no need comin in tonight, the boat sank bout 20 minutes ago(which was about 2:30am)
"is everybody alive?" "yeah the coast guard helicopter went and got em out of there raft" "as soon as the capt radioed for help and hung up the radio the milky way said, "good bye, chad, nice knowin ya buddy, you kept up well."
trash now. a coral reef maybe?
saw a tv in the harbour once. face down in the sand next to a baby harbour seal as momma swam and gathered food. it was a contrast, artisticly and w/ sadness. i couldn't move for quite some time. the tv being unreachable on my end. i was watching tv actually. :(
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
Have any of you noticed how much the use of plastic has increased since the advent of COVID-19? I find it very disturbing. Almost no one uses their own bags when buying groceries. Many stores don't allow it. Our Raley's supermarket does allow it but I'm one of the very few who take their own reusable bags. And the new plastic bags used by Raley's, Safeway, Goodwill (stores I have observed) and others are larger and much thicker. And what about restaurants? They're almost all take-out now. The amount of plastic trash from restaurants is staggering. The implications behind all this are disturbing, to say the least. I see this as yet more evidence that humans are on a course of self-destruction. The question is, can we/ will we reverse this trend?
Plastics
have become a severe transboundary threat to natural ecosystems and
human health, with studies predicting a twofold increase in the number
of plastic debris (including micro and nano-sized plastics) by 2030.
However, such predictions will likely be aggravated by the excessive use
and consumption of single-use plastics (including personal protective
equipment such as masks and gloves) due to COVID-19 pandemic. This
review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the effects of
COVID-19 on macroplastic pollution and its potential implications on the
environment and human health considering short- and long-term
scenarios; addressing the main challenges and discussing potential
strategies to overcome them. It emphasises that future measures,
involved in an emergent health crisis or not, should reflect a balance
between public health and environmental safety as they are both
undoubtedly connected. Although the use and consumption of plastics
significantly improved our quality of life, it is crucial to shift
towards sustainable alternatives, such as bio-based plastics. Plastics
should remain in the top of the political agenda in Europe and across
the world, not only to minimise plastic leakage and pollution, but to
promote sustainable growth and to stimulate both green and blue-
economies. Discussions on this topic, particularly considering the
excessive use of plastic, should start soon with the involvement of the
scientific community, plastic producers and politicians in order to be
prepared for the near future.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.
0
mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,641
Have any of you noticed how much the use of plastic has increased since the advent of COVID-19? I find it very disturbing. Almost no one uses their own bags when buying groceries. Many stores don't allow it. Our Raley's supermarket does allow it but I'm one of the very few who take their own reusable bags. And the new plastic bags used by Raley's, Safeway, Goodwill (stores I have observed) and others are larger and much thicker. And what about restaurants? They're almost all take-out now. The amount of plastic trash from restaurants is staggering. The implications behind all this are disturbing, to say the least. I see this as yet more evidence that humans are on a course of self-destruction. The question is, can we/ will we reverse this trend?
Plastics
have become a severe transboundary threat to natural ecosystems and
human health, with studies predicting a twofold increase in the number
of plastic debris (including micro and nano-sized plastics) by 2030.
However, such predictions will likely be aggravated by the excessive use
and consumption of single-use plastics (including personal protective
equipment such as masks and gloves) due to COVID-19 pandemic. This
review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the effects of
COVID-19 on macroplastic pollution and its potential implications on the
environment and human health considering short- and long-term
scenarios; addressing the main challenges and discussing potential
strategies to overcome them. It emphasises that future measures,
involved in an emergent health crisis or not, should reflect a balance
between public health and environmental safety as they are both
undoubtedly connected. Although the use and consumption of plastics
significantly improved our quality of life, it is crucial to shift
towards sustainable alternatives, such as bio-based plastics. Plastics
should remain in the top of the political agenda in Europe and across
the world, not only to minimise plastic leakage and pollution, but to
promote sustainable growth and to stimulate both green and blue-
economies. Discussions on this topic, particularly considering the
excessive use of plastic, should start soon with the involvement of the
scientific community, plastic producers and politicians in order to be
prepared for the near future.
just saw a headline this morning on a shift toward plant based food packaging. cant recall which app it was on. AP or Wapo I think.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
Have any of you noticed how much the use of plastic has increased since the advent of COVID-19? I find it very disturbing. Almost no one uses their own bags when buying groceries. Many stores don't allow it. Our Raley's supermarket does allow it but I'm one of the very few who take their own reusable bags. And the new plastic bags used by Raley's, Safeway, Goodwill (stores I have observed) and others are larger and much thicker. And what about restaurants? They're almost all take-out now. The amount of plastic trash from restaurants is staggering. The implications behind all this are disturbing, to say the least. I see this as yet more evidence that humans are on a course of self-destruction. The question is, can we/ will we reverse this trend?
Plastics
have become a severe transboundary threat to natural ecosystems and
human health, with studies predicting a twofold increase in the number
of plastic debris (including micro and nano-sized plastics) by 2030.
However, such predictions will likely be aggravated by the excessive use
and consumption of single-use plastics (including personal protective
equipment such as masks and gloves) due to COVID-19 pandemic. This
review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the effects of
COVID-19 on macroplastic pollution and its potential implications on the
environment and human health considering short- and long-term
scenarios; addressing the main challenges and discussing potential
strategies to overcome them. It emphasises that future measures,
involved in an emergent health crisis or not, should reflect a balance
between public health and environmental safety as they are both
undoubtedly connected. Although the use and consumption of plastics
significantly improved our quality of life, it is crucial to shift
towards sustainable alternatives, such as bio-based plastics. Plastics
should remain in the top of the political agenda in Europe and across
the world, not only to minimise plastic leakage and pollution, but to
promote sustainable growth and to stimulate both green and blue-
economies. Discussions on this topic, particularly considering the
excessive use of plastic, should start soon with the involvement of the
scientific community, plastic producers and politicians in order to be
prepared for the near future.
just saw a headline this morning on a shift toward plant based food packaging. cant recall which app it was on. AP or Wapo I think.
That's a great move! I know of a few places (our local food co-op and Totem Coffee) that use compostable containers. We need more of those!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
that is atrocious. these oceans are so fucked up. imagine how much is out there.
in this environmental class i was in the professor was saying entire cars and washers and dryer often can ride the tide just under the surface. i was like what the fuck.... so i think and listen and envision and take notes and read.
cigarettes butts = plastic.
interesting. anybody ever fish? live in a fishing community?
i wonder how many dumb ass fishermen flick their smoke butts into the drink? it would be staggering if we knew this figure.
imagine how much pollution goes into the sea when a vessel goes down. sardines pulled my boss's boat under. no one drown thankfully. one gigantic net very full of fish, boat w/ fuel, oil, lotsa bullshit.
"yeah uh hey chad, no need comin in tonight, the boat sank bout 20 minutes ago(which was about 2:30am)
"is everybody alive?" "yeah the coast guard helicopter went and got em out of there raft" "as soon as the capt radioed for help and hung up the radio the milky way said, "good bye, chad, nice knowin ya buddy, you kept up well."
trash now. a coral reef maybe?
saw a tv in the harbour once. face down in the sand next to a baby harbour seal as momma swam and gathered food. it was a contrast, artisticly and w/ sadness. i couldn't move for quite some time. the tv being unreachable on my end. i was watching tv actually. :(
RIP Chadwick
0
hedonist
standing on the edge of forever Posts: 24,524
that is atrocious. these oceans are so fucked up. imagine how much is out there.
in this environmental class i was in the professor was saying entire cars and washers and dryer often can ride the tide just under the surface. i was like what the fuck.... so i think and listen and envision and take notes and read.
cigarettes butts = plastic.
interesting. anybody ever fish? live in a fishing community?
i wonder how many dumb ass fishermen flick their smoke butts into the drink? it would be staggering if we knew this figure.
imagine how much pollution goes into the sea when a vessel goes down. sardines pulled my boss's boat under. no one drown thankfully. one gigantic net very full of fish, boat w/ fuel, oil, lotsa bullshit.
"yeah uh hey chad, no need comin in tonight, the boat sank bout 20 minutes ago(which was about 2:30am)
"is everybody alive?" "yeah the coast guard helicopter went and got em out of there raft" "as soon as the capt radioed for help and hung up the radio the milky way said, "good bye, chad, nice knowin ya buddy, you kept up well."
trash now. a coral reef maybe?
saw a tv in the harbour once. face down in the sand next to a baby harbour seal as momma swam and gathered food. it was a contrast, artisticly and w/ sadness. i couldn't move for quite some time. the tv being unreachable on my end. i was watching tv actually. :(
RIP Chadwick
That was my first thought as well.
And of course plastic use increased a shitton. Borne of necessity, of the need to keep the fucking disease from spreading.
Some things had to be sacrificed.
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
Re Chadwick, yeah, same here. I did a quick "plastic" search and saw both Sir Chadwick and my banned good friend Jeanwah on this thread. Like many of you, I miss Chad in this world and I miss Jeanwah on these PJ forums.
Using more plastic right now is somewhat inevitable, but this is a wake up call to get it together and start producing more hemp products (and I ain't just talkin' green ) Will we rise to the occasion or continue down the path to a darker world? Time will tell.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.
0
mickeyrat
up my ass, like Chadwick was up his Posts: 35,641
title needs changed. replace plastic with humans....
Scientists: Up to 25,000 barrels at DDT dump site in Pacific
By JULIE WATSON
2 hours ago
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marine scientists say they have found what they believe to be as many as 25,000 barrels that possibly contain DDT dumped off the Southern California coast near Catalina Island, where a massive underwater toxic waste site dating back to World War II has long been suspected.
The 27,345 “barrel-like" images were captured by researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They mapped more than 36,000 acres of seafloor between Santa Catalina Island and the Los Angeles coast in a region previously found to contain high levels of the toxic chemical in sediments and in the ecosystem.
Historical shipping logs show that industrial companies in Southern California used the basin as a dumping ground until 1972, when the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, also known as the Ocean Dumping Act, was enacted.
Resting deep in the ocean, the exact location and extent of the dumping was not known until now.
The territory covered was “staggering,” said Eric Terrill, chief scientist of the expedition and director of the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Underwater drones using sonar technology captured high-resolution images of barrels resting 3,000 feet (900 meters) below the surface all along the steep seafloor that was surveyed. They also were seen beyond the dumpsite limits.
“It really was a surprise to everybody who's worked with the data and who sailed at sea,” he told reporters Monday.
The survey provides “a wide-area map” of the barrels, though it will be up to others to confirm through sediment sampling that the containers hold DDT, Terrill said. It's estimated between 350 and 700 tons of DDT were dumped in the area, 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Los Angeles, and 8 miles (12 kilometers) from Catalina Island.
The long-term impact on marine life and humans is still unknown, said Scripps chemical oceanographer and professor of geosciences Lihini Aluwihare, who in 2015 co-authored a study that found high amounts of DDT and other man-made chemicals in the blubber of bottlenose dolphins that died of natural causes.
“These results also raise questions about the continued exposure and potential impacts on marine mammal health, especially in light of how DDT has been shown to have multi-generational impacts in humans,” said Aluwhihare, who was not part of the survey expedition.
Diana Aga, a chemistry professor at University at Buffalo who is not affiliated with the study, said the findings were shocking if the barrels are proven to contain the toxic chemical. “That's a lot of DDT at the bottom of the ocean," she said.
If the barrels haven't leaked, they could be moved to a place where disposal is safer, Aga said. If they leaked, scientists could take samples from the water, sediment and other marine life to gauge the damage.
Scientists conducted the survey from March 10-24 following a Los Angeles Times report last year about evidence that DDT was dumped into the ocean.
“Unfortunately, the basin offshore Los Angeles had been a dumping ground for industrial waste for several decades, beginning in the 1930s. We found an extensive debris field in the wide area survey,” Terrill said.
Scientists started the search where University of California Santa Barbara professor David Valentine had discovered concentrated accumulations of DDT in the sediments and spotted 60 barrels about a decade ago.
High levels of DDT have been detected in the area's marine mammals, and the chemical has been linked to cancer in sea lions.
The Los Angeles Times reviewed shipping logs from a disposal company supporting Montrose Chemical Corp. of California, a DDT-producing company. The logs showed 2,000 barrels of DDT-laced sludge were dumped in the deep ocean each month from 1947 to 1961 off Catalina, and other companies also dumped there until 1972.
Scripps researchers say they hope their survey will support clean-up efforts.
The expedition on the Sally Ride research vessel included a team of 31 scientists, engineers, and crew conducting 24-hour operations and two autonomous underwater vehicles.
___
Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 40,661
Scientists: Up to 25,000 barrels at DDT dump site in Pacific
By JULIE WATSON
2 hours ago
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marine scientists say they have found what they believe to be as many as 25,000 barrels that possibly contain DDT dumped off the Southern California coast near Catalina Island, where a massive underwater toxic waste site dating back to World War II has long been suspected.
The 27,345 “barrel-like" images were captured by researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They mapped more than 36,000 acres of seafloor between Santa Catalina Island and the Los Angeles coast in a region previously found to contain high levels of the toxic chemical in sediments and in the ecosystem.
Historical shipping logs show that industrial companies in Southern California used the basin as a dumping ground until 1972, when the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, also known as the Ocean Dumping Act, was enacted.
Resting deep in the ocean, the exact location and extent of the dumping was not known until now.
The territory covered was “staggering,” said Eric Terrill, chief scientist of the expedition and director of the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Underwater drones using sonar technology captured high-resolution images of barrels resting 3,000 feet (900 meters) below the surface all along the steep seafloor that was surveyed. They also were seen beyond the dumpsite limits.
“It really was a surprise to everybody who's worked with the data and who sailed at sea,” he told reporters Monday.
The survey provides “a wide-area map” of the barrels, though it will be up to others to confirm through sediment sampling that the containers hold DDT, Terrill said. It's estimated between 350 and 700 tons of DDT were dumped in the area, 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Los Angeles, and 8 miles (12 kilometers) from Catalina Island.
The long-term impact on marine life and humans is still unknown, said Scripps chemical oceanographer and professor of geosciences Lihini Aluwihare, who in 2015 co-authored a study that found high amounts of DDT and other man-made chemicals in the blubber of bottlenose dolphins that died of natural causes.
“These results also raise questions about the continued exposure and potential impacts on marine mammal health, especially in light of how DDT has been shown to have multi-generational impacts in humans,” said Aluwhihare, who was not part of the survey expedition.
Diana Aga, a chemistry professor at University at Buffalo who is not affiliated with the study, said the findings were shocking if the barrels are proven to contain the toxic chemical. “That's a lot of DDT at the bottom of the ocean," she said.
If the barrels haven't leaked, they could be moved to a place where disposal is safer, Aga said. If they leaked, scientists could take samples from the water, sediment and other marine life to gauge the damage.
Scientists conducted the survey from March 10-24 following a Los Angeles Times report last year about evidence that DDT was dumped into the ocean.
“Unfortunately, the basin offshore Los Angeles had been a dumping ground for industrial waste for several decades, beginning in the 1930s. We found an extensive debris field in the wide area survey,” Terrill said.
Scientists started the search where University of California Santa Barbara professor David Valentine had discovered concentrated accumulations of DDT in the sediments and spotted 60 barrels about a decade ago.
High levels of DDT have been detected in the area's marine mammals, and the chemical has been linked to cancer in sea lions.
The Los Angeles Times reviewed shipping logs from a disposal company supporting Montrose Chemical Corp. of California, a DDT-producing company. The logs showed 2,000 barrels of DDT-laced sludge were dumped in the deep ocean each month from 1947 to 1961 off Catalina, and other companies also dumped there until 1972.
Scripps researchers say they hope their survey will support clean-up efforts.
The expedition on the Sally Ride research vessel included a team of 31 scientists, engineers, and crew conducting 24-hour operations and two autonomous underwater vehicles.
___
Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
I read a similar article a month or two ago (forget where now). Even knowing this kind of thing happens, I was horrified. There are other, equally horrific toxic hot spots on the planet (Great Pacific Garbage Patch, literally tons of Mercury in the Baltic Sea, widespread pollution in the sea off Nordic countries, massive ocean die offs north of Russia), but when it hit's relatively close to home, it gets even more really real.
We keep lengthening the amount of time nature will require to clean up our mess when we are gone. I think that will eventually happen. At least so far I have not heard anything to convince me of the contrary.
Sorry, ma.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Jeanwah
Posts: 6,363
Comments
Thanks for posting this, Jeanwah.
Don't thank me, thank Jeff Ament.
in this environmental class i was in the professor was saying entire cars and washers and dryer often can ride the tide just under the surface. i was like what the fuck.... so i think and listen and envision and take notes and read.
cigarettes butts = plastic.
interesting. anybody ever fish? live in a fishing community?
i wonder how many dumb ass fishermen flick their smoke butts into the drink? it would be staggering if we knew this figure.
imagine how much pollution goes into the sea when a vessel goes down. sardines pulled my boss's boat under. no one drown thankfully. one gigantic net very full of fish, boat w/ fuel, oil, lotsa bullshit.
"yeah uh hey chad, no need comin in tonight, the boat sank bout 20 minutes ago(which was about 2:30am)
"is everybody alive?" "yeah the coast guard helicopter went and got em out of there raft" "as soon as the capt radioed for help and hung up the radio the milky way said, "good bye, chad, nice knowin ya buddy, you kept up well."
trash now. a coral reef maybe?
saw a tv in the harbour once. face down in the sand next to a baby harbour seal as momma swam and gathered food. it was a contrast, artisticly and w/ sadness. i couldn't move for quite some time. the tv being unreachable on my end. i was watching tv actually. :(
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Abstract
Plastics have become a severe transboundary threat to natural ecosystems and human health, with studies predicting a twofold increase in the number of plastic debris (including micro and nano-sized plastics) by 2030. However, such predictions will likely be aggravated by the excessive use and consumption of single-use plastics (including personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves) due to COVID-19 pandemic. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the effects of COVID-19 on macroplastic pollution and its potential implications on the environment and human health considering short- and long-term scenarios; addressing the main challenges and discussing potential strategies to overcome them. It emphasises that future measures, involved in an emergent health crisis or not, should reflect a balance between public health and environmental safety as they are both undoubtedly connected. Although the use and consumption of plastics significantly improved our quality of life, it is crucial to shift towards sustainable alternatives, such as bio-based plastics. Plastics should remain in the top of the political agenda in Europe and across the world, not only to minimise plastic leakage and pollution, but to promote sustainable growth and to stimulate both green and blue- economies. Discussions on this topic, particularly considering the excessive use of plastic, should start soon with the involvement of the scientific community, plastic producers and politicians in order to be prepared for the near future.
just saw a headline this morning on a shift toward plant based food packaging. cant recall which app it was on. AP or Wapo I think.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
That's a great move! I know of a few places (our local food co-op and Totem Coffee) that use compostable containers. We need more of those!
Some things had to be sacrificed.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marine scientists say they have found what they believe to be as many as 25,000 barrels that possibly contain DDT dumped off the Southern California coast near Catalina Island, where a massive underwater toxic waste site dating back to World War II has long been suspected.
The 27,345 “barrel-like" images were captured by researchers at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. They mapped more than 36,000 acres of seafloor between Santa Catalina Island and the Los Angeles coast in a region previously found to contain high levels of the toxic chemical in sediments and in the ecosystem.
Historical shipping logs show that industrial companies in Southern California used the basin as a dumping ground until 1972, when the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, also known as the Ocean Dumping Act, was enacted.
Resting deep in the ocean, the exact location and extent of the dumping was not known until now.
The territory covered was “staggering,” said Eric Terrill, chief scientist of the expedition and director of the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Underwater drones using sonar technology captured high-resolution images of barrels resting 3,000 feet (900 meters) below the surface all along the steep seafloor that was surveyed. They also were seen beyond the dumpsite limits.
“It really was a surprise to everybody who's worked with the data and who sailed at sea,” he told reporters Monday.
The survey provides “a wide-area map” of the barrels, though it will be up to others to confirm through sediment sampling that the containers hold DDT, Terrill said. It's estimated between 350 and 700 tons of DDT were dumped in the area, 12 miles (20 kilometers) from Los Angeles, and 8 miles (12 kilometers) from Catalina Island.
The long-term impact on marine life and humans is still unknown, said Scripps chemical oceanographer and professor of geosciences Lihini Aluwihare, who in 2015 co-authored a study that found high amounts of DDT and other man-made chemicals in the blubber of bottlenose dolphins that died of natural causes.
“These results also raise questions about the continued exposure and potential impacts on marine mammal health, especially in light of how DDT has been shown to have multi-generational impacts in humans,” said Aluwhihare, who was not part of the survey expedition.
Diana Aga, a chemistry professor at University at Buffalo who is not affiliated with the study, said the findings were shocking if the barrels are proven to contain the toxic chemical. “That's a lot of DDT at the bottom of the ocean," she said.
If the barrels haven't leaked, they could be moved to a place where disposal is safer, Aga said. If they leaked, scientists could take samples from the water, sediment and other marine life to gauge the damage.
Scientists conducted the survey from March 10-24 following a Los Angeles Times report last year about evidence that DDT was dumped into the ocean.
“Unfortunately, the basin offshore Los Angeles had been a dumping ground for industrial waste for several decades, beginning in the 1930s. We found an extensive debris field in the wide area survey,” Terrill said.
Scientists started the search where University of California Santa Barbara professor David Valentine had discovered concentrated accumulations of DDT in the sediments and spotted 60 barrels about a decade ago.
High levels of DDT have been detected in the area's marine mammals, and the chemical has been linked to cancer in sea lions.
The Los Angeles Times reviewed shipping logs from a disposal company supporting Montrose Chemical Corp. of California, a DDT-producing company. The logs showed 2,000 barrels of DDT-laced sludge were dumped in the deep ocean each month from 1947 to 1961 off Catalina, and other companies also dumped there until 1972.
Scripps researchers say they hope their survey will support clean-up efforts.
The expedition on the Sally Ride research vessel included a team of 31 scientists, engineers, and crew conducting 24-hour operations and two autonomous underwater vehicles.
___
Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14