Latest news with #EarthSurfaceMineralDustSourceInvestigation
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Science
- Newsweek
NASA Satellite Detects Sewage on California Beach
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Scientists have discovered signs of sewage in the water at a beach in southern California in NASA satellite images. In their study, researchers examined a large wastewater plume at the mouth of the Tijuana River, south of Imperial Beach near San Diego, using NASA's EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) instrument. EMIT, which orbits the Earth aboard the International Space Station, was able to detect the sewage by observing sunlight reflecting off the planet. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) explained that the EMIT's "advanced optical components split the visible and infrared wavelengths into hundreds of color bands." Scientists were able to differentiate what molecules were present based on their unique spectral "fingerprint" by analyzing each satellite scene pixel by pixel. The EMIT's observations of the Tijuana River plume were compared with water samples tested on the ground. The comparison revealed "a spectral fingerprint pointing to phycocyanin, a pigment in cyanobacteria, an organism that can sicken humans and animals that ingest or inhale it." A stock image of a view from the California side of the United States/Mexico border into Tijuana, where the border fence meets the Pacific Ocean. A stock image of a view from the California side of the United States/Mexico border into Tijuana, where the border fence meets the Pacific Ocean. Getty Paper author and oceanographer Eva Scrivner of the University of Connecticut said that the findings "show a 'smoking gun' of sorts for wastewater in the Tijuana River plume." Christine Lee, a scientist at JPL in Southern California who is a co-author of the study, added: "It's like a diagnostic at the doctor's office that tells you, 'Hey, let's take a closer look at this.'" "From orbit you are able to look down and see that a wastewater plume is extending into places you haven't sampled." Hundreds of millions of liters of untreated wastewater are discharged into the Tijuana River each year. This water brings harmful pollutants through two major cities—with more than three million combined residents—as well through a protected estuarine reserve before emptying into the Pacific Ocean, the researchers note. Contaminated coastal waters not only impact human health but also harm marine ecosystems, fisheries, and wildlife. Scientists have monitored water quality issues, such as harmful algal blooms, for decades using satellite instruments that analyze ocean color. However, other pollutants and harmful bacteria are harder to track as they are more difficult to decipher using traditional satellite sensors. The researchers say that "current monitoring methods are resource-intensive and limited in coverage" and "optical satellite imaging may enable broader spatiotemporal monitoring." The findings of the latest study provide a base for future projects to develop "remote sensing derived wastewater plume maps that also estimate associated water quality parameters such as bacterial concentrations in this system." The scientists concluded: "The ability to do so fills a critical gap in our ability to study how wastewater plumes impact regional biodiversity, local economies and public health at varying spatial and temporal scales." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about pollution? Let us know via science@ Reference Scrivner, E., Mladenov, N., Biggs, T., Grant, A., Piazza, E., Garcia, S., Lee, C. M., Ade, C., Tufillaro, N., Grötsch, P., Zurita, O., Holt, B., & Sousa, D. (2025). Hyperspectral characterization of wastewater in the Tijuana River Estuary using laboratory, field, and EMIT satellite spectroscopy. Science of The Total Environment, 981.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Space station sensor helps detect water pollutants off California coast
(FOX 5/KUSI) — A sensor on the International Space Station that helps map minerals was able to help track water contaminants off the San Diego coast. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, researchers involved in a study of the instrument's capabilities found that it could potentially help track some water contaminants faster than traditional means. The instrument is called the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) and it observes sunlight reflecting off the Earth. Recently, EMIT was used to examine the wastewater from the Tijuana River as it emptied into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Imperial Beach. The wastewater has been emptying into the ocean for decades and has harmed ocean and river ecosystems, humans and wildlife. Researchers examined EMIT's images pixel by pixel and were able to identify signs that indicated certain molecules present in specific areas of the image. When they cross-referenced their findings with water testing done on those same areas of the Pacific Ocean, the findings lined up, helping detect phycocyanin, a pigment in cyanobacteria, which can make humans and animals sick. 'From orbit, you are able to look down and see that a wastewater plume is extending into places you haven't sampled,' JPL scientist Christine Lee said in a news release. 'It's like a diagnostic at the doctor's office that tells you, 'Hey, let's take a closer look at this.'' Eva Scrivner, the lead author of the study, said that EMIT could help fill data gaps about polluted sites where traditional water testing could take too much time or money. EMIT was launched in July 2022 and was dedicated to mapping minerals and dust across Earth's deserts, but now researchers have found that it can provide insights about water too. 'The fact that EMIT's findings over the coast are consistent with measurements in the field is compelling to water scientists…It's really exciting,' Scrivner said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
