Overview

• Researchers from UC San Diego found that sea spray aerosols at the Tijuana River mouth and Imperial Beach contain untreated sewage, industrial chemicals and illicit drug residues.
• Using benzoylecgonine as a wastewater tracer, the team identified airborne particles of cocaine byproducts alongside methamphetamine, octinoxate and dibenzylamine.
• Pollutant levels were highest at the border mouth and Imperial Beach, decreasing significantly northward toward La Jolla’s Scripps Pier.
• Scientists warn that the health impacts of chronic exposure to these airborne contaminants are unknown and call for expanded air quality monitoring.
• The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and local health experts are evaluating environmental data to determine risks to border communities.