03-26-2023, 03:45 PM
Thrift Store Scott wrote:Since it has remained more or less concentrated in certain areas, I'm wondering if it is by nature more dense than seawater. That it hasn't dissipated into the surrounding seawater in all this time seems to suggest that when left undisturbed it doesn't mix easily with water, either. That could make cleanup somewhat easier, but vacuuming anything off the sea floor 3000 feet down isn't going to be a walk in the park regardless.
[quote=Filliam H. Muffman]
It sounds like the question they have to answer is, how much DDT does it take to poison all the seas on the planet?
DDT is hydrophobic, almost completely insoluble in water. Its specific gravity is .99, or just barely less dense than the water. But due to its hydrophobic properties it tends to bind to organic material and soil particles. It degrades to other materials very slowly, there is an estimated half-life in aquatic environments of 150 years. The cold water at the depths it is located at will probably extend that. That DDT is going to be there for a long time. Fortunately because it doesn't dissolve well, the main methods that will cause spreading will be currents strong enough to move silt it is present in or other ocean bottom disturbances.