"Here’s What We Know About The Legacy of DDT Dumping Off L.A.'s Coast"

"Although DDT, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, was banned 50 years ago, its toxic — and insidious — legacy continues to haunt the marine ecosystem off the California coast.

Public calls for action have intensified since The Times reported that the nation’s largest manufacturer of DDT once dumped its waste into the deep ocean near Catalina Island. This pollution bubbling 3,000 feet under the sea remained hidden until a new generation of scientists discovered the evidence.

Significant amounts of DDT-related compounds are still accumulating today in Southern California dolphins and California’s critically endangered condors, and a recent study linked the presence of the chemical to an aggressive cancer in sea lions. "

Rosanna Xia reports for the Los Angeles Times May 18, 2022.