New research shows the chemicals we use to kill pests, heal our bodies and package our foods are spread throughout the ocean, intermingling with the microorganisms that feed marine life. They’ve reached even the most distant and remote places on the planet.
In a new study, Daniel Petras, a biochemist at UC Riverside — together with 29 researchers from around the world — looked at 2,315 seawater samples collected from estuaries, coastal regions, coral reefs and the open ocean. The samples came from the North Pacific, the Baltic Sea and the coast of South Africa, among other places. For each sample, the researchers used a relatively new technique that allowed them to see every chemical present — not just ones they were looking for or suspected.
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**From The Los Angeles Times:**
New research shows the chemicals we use to kill pests, heal our bodies and package our foods are spread throughout the ocean, intermingling with the microorganisms that feed marine life. They’ve reached even the most distant and remote places on the planet.
In a new study, Daniel Petras, a biochemist at UC Riverside — together with 29 researchers from around the world — looked at 2,315 seawater samples collected from estuaries, coastal regions, coral reefs and the open ocean. The samples came from the North Pacific, the Baltic Sea and the coast of South Africa, among other places. For each sample, the researchers used a relatively new technique that allowed them to see every chemical present — not just ones they were looking for or suspected.
Read more: [https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/industrial-chemicals-reached-middle-oceans-160000061.html?ncid=redditnewsus](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/industrial-chemicals-reached-middle-oceans-160000061.html?ncid=redditnewsus)