New Study Reveals Worrying Long-Term Effects of DDT: ‘I Was Surprised’

Scientists reveal the dark reality of DDT’s long-term effects on marine life in Southern California. Decades after the toxic pesticide was banned, a new study shows its lasting impact on local wildlife, Hoodline San Diego News reports.

What happens?

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego just published their results after studying the long-term effects of DDT on the southern coast of California. Although the harmful chemical was banned in 1972, researchers found that its residues continued to harm fish and the seabed near former dump sites.

After collecting and analyzing datasets from nine institutions, including the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program and the Coastal Fish Contamination Program, the researchers were surprised by their results. While data shows that DDT levels are significantly higher near established landfills, the association between sediment contamination and local fish varies more than expected.

According to the researchers, diet, habitat and where the fish swim influence internal DDT contamination.

“I was surprised at how strong the relationship was,” lead study author and postdoctoral researcher Lillian McGill told Hoodline. “Strong enough to reasonably predict DDT concentrations in a fish based on where it was caught, as well as its diet and habitat.”

Why is the new study important?

The new study provides an in-depth examination of the long-term effects of toxic chemicals like DDT on the environment. When toxic chemicals enter waterways, they leach into the seabed and surrounding vegetation. Fish then eat the contaminated vegetation, threatening wildlife populations even decades after disposal.

Sustained levels of DDT in the fish population also impact our food supply. While the study shows that DDT levels in fish decrease over time, bottom dwellers like halibut can still have levels of DDT that are unsafe for consumption.

What is being done about DDT contamination in the oceans?

Over time, layers of sediment have begun to cover the DDT-contaminated seafloors, leading to declines in DDT levels in the fish population.

However, scientists are studying the long-term effects of DDT on marine life. More research needs to be done to investigate the extent of previous DDT deposition sites in marine life.

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“It remains to be seen whether DDT from these deep dumps is more problematic than our results reflect,” marine biologist and study co-author Brice Semmens told Hoodline.

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