6 ms·

It is 12 miles out, and 3,000 feet deep. It isn't going to affect humans directly. Maybe it could work its way into the food chain.

adreamingsoul 6y ago
Right... do you have any evidence to support your assumption?
- refurb 6y ago
  DDT isn’t water soluble. And the small amount that is dissolved is dispersed in literally an ocean of water.
  - gzer0 6y ago
    This is exactly why it is so dangerous. Because of DDT’s chemical properties it has the tendency to accumulate in animals. As animals lower on the food chain are eaten by other animals higher up, DDT becomes concentrated in the fatty tissues of predators. DDT was canceled because it persists in the environment, accumulates in fatty tissues, and can cause adverse health effects on wildlife [1][2][3]. Edit: I want to mention again that the company responsible is Montrose Chemical Corporation of California. CEO is Samuel Rotrosen and they have gone to extensive lengths to scrub their Google and online search histories. [1] Suspended, canceled, and restricted use pesticides; EPA-20T-1002; U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,Office of Pesticide Programs, U. S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC, 1990 [2] https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-... [3] https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/DDT_FactSheet.html https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/DDT_FactSheet.html
    - refurb 6y ago
      Important note from your 3rd link. ” Blood serum levels of DDT and DDE in the U.S. population appear to be five to ten times lower than levels found in smaller studies from the 1970s.” Exposure to DDT, even with bio accumulation being an issue, is 5-10x lower than 50 years ago. We’re headed in the right direction despite this dumping site.
      - Spooky23 6y ago
        We still need to be vigilant. Every few years some brain dead congressmen proposes allowing DDT again!
      - pvaldes 6y ago
        So they are still in detectable levels...
        refurb 6y ago
        That means absolutely nothing. Analytical chemistry has gotten so good we can detect many chemicals at levels of parts per trillion or better. Well below any biological effect.
hetspookjee 6y ago
Your statement reminds me of this quote from the sketch from Dave & Clarke about "The Front Fell Off.": "We towed it beyond the environment. There's nothing out there; but sea and birds and fish, and 20 thousand tons of crude oil, and the front off the ship that fell off."
- pflanze 6y ago
  The mentioned sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM (ah, linked in another thread, too)
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
bch 6y ago
Probably what the OP was thinking of, and significant enough to consider. The days of mass direct-contact with DDT[0] are over in America. [0] https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/in-1945-a-truck-spraying-ddt-on-jones-beach-long-island-to-news-photo/104420174 https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/in-1945-a-truck...
TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
1. Many of the containers were punctured just before disposal so they would sink 2. These containers oxidize and eventually fail, leaking their contents. Some of them are from the 1940s. 3. All sorts of wildlife and humans have been affected. It has most definitely worked its way into the food chain. Source: https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-coast-ddt-dumping-ground/ https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-coast-ddt-dumping-ground...
- galangalalgol 6y ago
  Is it possible this is why the west coast has so few mosquitoes? Or is it all the pesticide from the agriculture? Or is it just natural?
  - hahamrfunnyguy 6y ago
    It's too dry for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water where the larvae develop and hatch into mosquitoes.
- unpolloloco 6y ago
  1) That means those are probably just empty containers at this point due to diffusion. The DDT is already in the environment and has been for decades. 2) Those ones are the dangerous ones right now. And moving them risks massive immediate releases. Making this cleanup process entirely terrible... 3) Yep! And has done so for decades now
  - TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
    Sounds like you are advocating to leave the entire site alone. Is that accurate?
    - unpolloloco 6y ago
      No - just that it's a massive PITA

adreamingsoul 6y ago

Right... do you have any evidence to support your assumption?

refurb 6y ago
DDT isn’t water soluble. And the small amount that is dissolved is dispersed in literally an ocean of water.
- gzer0 6y ago
  This is exactly why it is so dangerous. Because of DDT’s chemical properties it has the tendency to accumulate in animals. As animals lower on the food chain are eaten by other animals higher up, DDT becomes concentrated in the fatty tissues of predators. DDT was canceled because it persists in the environment, accumulates in fatty tissues, and can cause adverse health effects on wildlife [1][2][3]. Edit: I want to mention again that the company responsible is Montrose Chemical Corporation of California. CEO is Samuel Rotrosen and they have gone to extensive lengths to scrub their Google and online search histories. [1] Suspended, canceled, and restricted use pesticides; EPA-20T-1002; U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,Office of Pesticide Programs, U. S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC, 1990 [2] https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-... [3] https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/DDT_FactSheet.html https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/DDT_FactSheet.html
  - refurb 6y ago
    Important note from your 3rd link. ” Blood serum levels of DDT and DDE in the U.S. population appear to be five to ten times lower than levels found in smaller studies from the 1970s.” Exposure to DDT, even with bio accumulation being an issue, is 5-10x lower than 50 years ago. We’re headed in the right direction despite this dumping site.
    - Spooky23 6y ago
      We still need to be vigilant. Every few years some brain dead congressmen proposes allowing DDT again!
    - pvaldes 6y ago
      So they are still in detectable levels...
      - refurb 6y ago
        That means absolutely nothing. Analytical chemistry has gotten so good we can detect many chemicals at levels of parts per trillion or better. Well below any biological effect.

hetspookjee 6y ago

Your statement reminds me of this quote from the sketch from Dave & Clarke about "The Front Fell Off.": "We towed it beyond the environment. There's nothing out there; but sea and birds and fish, and 20 thousand tons of crude oil, and the front off the ship that fell off."

pflanze 6y ago
The mentioned sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM (ah, linked in another thread, too)

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

bch 6y ago

Probably what the OP was thinking of, and significant enough to consider. The days of mass direct-contact with DDT[0] are over in America. [0] https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/in-1945-a-truck-spraying-ddt-on-jones-beach-long-island-to-news-photo/104420174 https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/in-1945-a-truck...

TedDoesntTalk 6y ago

1. Many of the containers were punctured just before disposal so they would sink 2. These containers oxidize and eventually fail, leaking their contents. Some of them are from the 1940s. 3. All sorts of wildlife and humans have been affected. It has most definitely worked its way into the food chain. Source: https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-coast-ddt-dumping-ground/ https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-coast-ddt-dumping-ground...

galangalalgol 6y ago
Is it possible this is why the west coast has so few mosquitoes? Or is it all the pesticide from the agriculture? Or is it just natural?
- hahamrfunnyguy 6y ago
  It's too dry for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water where the larvae develop and hatch into mosquitoes.
unpolloloco 6y ago
1) That means those are probably just empty containers at this point due to diffusion. The DDT is already in the environment and has been for decades. 2) Those ones are the dangerous ones right now. And moving them risks massive immediate releases. Making this cleanup process entirely terrible... 3) Yep! And has done so for decades now
- TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
  Sounds like you are advocating to leave the entire site alone. Is that accurate?
  - unpolloloco 6y ago
    No - just that it's a massive PITA