If you’ve ever stood on a beach on the coast of southern San Diego and caught a whiff of something foul that made your nose hairs curl, it wasn’t your imagination — and definitely not something the ocean does. Nope, some of that sea breeze is contaminated by the Tijuana River. Wastewater. Chemicals. Even traces of drugs. And while it sounds gross, researchers say it’s more than just a bad smell; it may also be hazardous to people’s health.
What’s happening?
A new study from UC San Diego tracked pollution from the Tijuana River and found it’s showing up in the air, not just the water. According to Phys.org, scientists detected sewage pollutants — including industrial runoff and personal care product chemicals — in sea spray aerosol.
Lead author Adam Cooper collected samples across several sites, including Imperial Beach and La Jolla. Among the pollutants found were methamphetamine, benzoylecgonine (a cocaine byproduct), tire chemicals, and octinoxate — a common sunscreen ingredient.
“It’s been shown that octinoxate can degrade DNA when exposed to light,” said Jonathan Slade. “And if it’s in these tiny aerosols we’re breathing in, it can get deep into our lungs and pass into our bloodstream. That’s very concerning.”
Why is this concerning?
Residents near the Tijuana River, especially in Imperial Beach, are breathing these contaminants every day. Some, like cocaine, appear in tiny amounts. Others, like octinoxate, show up in concentrations similar to those inside wastewater treatment plants…