03-27-2023, 10:17 PM
pdq wrote:
[quote=hal]
[quote=pdq]
Seems like the "pure" in the headline is kind of misleading. First of all, it suggests, like, a pool of, well, pure DDT, rather than high concentrations of DDT in ocean floor sediments.
Secondly, it sounds like it's probably mixed with other nasty stuff.
Technically - it's ok.
It didn't say 'Scientists uncover pure DDT along seafloor off L.A. coast' - they said they found it in 'high concentrations'.
But the headline is taken directly from the article: Scientists uncover startling concentrations of pure DDT along seafloor off L.A. coast
The "pure" in that title is redundant/meaningless at best, and clickbait at worst. "Scientists discover high concentrations of pure sodium in seawater" doesn't make sense either (to me).
Especially since commercially available DDT exists as a mixture containing about 65-80% DDT. The reaction used to make the product produces three other compounds as well. Depending on the method of concentration, it is rather unlikely to be “pure”, at least to the standards I’m used to. It doesn’t dissolve in appreciable amounts in water and has high affinity for other organic (carbon containing) substances.