This is incredibly depressing. It sounds like the chemicals may have been impacting some sea life, but who knows how many humans have been impacted in that area of LA. I can't even imagine how much the clean up will cost.
[0] https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/in-1945-a-truck...
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...
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-...
” 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.
Analytical chemistry has gotten so good we can detect many chemicals at levels of parts per trillion or better. Well below any biological effect.