Latest news with #ChristineLee
Newsweek
a day ago
- Science
- Newsweek
Mexican Sewage Flooding Into California Can Be Seen From Space
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. A NASA instrument aboard the International Space Station has detected contamination from Mexican sewage that spilled into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. Why It Matters The Tijuana River flows from Mexico into California and drains into the Pacific Ocean, transporting millions of gallons of untreated sewage along with it. This long-standing issue has raised alarms over its impact on both public health and the environment. What To Know The instrument, known as the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), was originally used to map minerals in desert regions but is now offering insights into water quality. In a recent study, EMIT was able to identify phycocyanin—a pigment found in cyanobacteria—within a massive wastewater plume off the mouth of the Tijuana River. A plume spreads out to sea in this image captured off San Diego by the Sentinel-2 satellite on March 24, 2023. A plume spreads out to sea in this image captured off San Diego by the Sentinel-2 satellite on March 24, 2023. SDSU/Eva Scrivner/NASA Cyanobacteria are an organism capable of causing illness in humans and animals through ingestion or inhalation, NASA said. EMIT operates by analyzing light reflected from Earth's surface, breaking it down into hundreds of visible and infrared color bands. Each material, including pollutants, has a unique spectral signature that allows scientists to identify it. Researchers matched EMIT's satellite data of the Tijuana River plume with results from ground-tested water samples. Both methods identified a spectral signature indicating the presence of phycocyanin. The findings come as Southern California beaches near the United States-Mexico border have repeatedly faced closures due to contamination. Millions of gallons of wastewater enter the Tijuana River annually, emptying into the ocean and posing a health hazard to swimmers and military personnel stationed in the area. San Diego County beaches have seen 1,000 days' worth of closures in recent years, and a report from the Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General documented 1,100 cases of illness among Navy SEALs and other service members exposed to polluted waters. What People Are Saying Christine Lee, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a co-author of the study, said: "From orbit you are able to look down and see that a wastewater plume is extending into places you haven't sampled. "It's like a diagnostic at the doctor's office that tells you, 'Hey, let's take a closer look at this.'" Eva Scrivner, a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut and the study's lead author, said that the findings "show a 'smoking gun' of sorts for wastewater in the Tijuana River plume." What Happens Next Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, stated in May that the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission was expediting an expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which treats sewage and wastewater from Tijuana, by 10 million gallons per day in an effort to mitigate the crisis.
Newsweek
7 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
12-06-2025
- 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.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Waverly Community House to unveil Underground Railroad historic marker
WAVERLY TWP. — Visitors at the Waverly Community House can learn about Waverly's role in the Underground Railroad with a historic marker outside the building. Community House staff will formally dedicate the marker on June 19 — Juneteenth — at 10 a.m. EJ Murphy, program manager for Destination Freedom, the interactive historical program that examines the township's history with a focus on its role in the Underground Railroad, will lead walking tours around the community house grounds following the dedication. The Destination Freedom gallery will also be open. The marker details the history of Waverly as it relates to the Underground Railroad and how the township connects with other municipalities in Northeast Pennsylvania that were significant to the cooperative system among antislavery people in the United States by which Blacks were secretly helped to reach the North. It also highlights the abolitionists and formerly enslaved people, some of whom fought for the union during the Civil War, who made the area their home. 'It's just an overview of what you can learn here if you come and take our tour,' Murphy said. Posture Interactive of Scranton designed the sign, and the base was made by Pannier Graphics of Gibsonia. Funding for the marker came from two $5,000 grants from Lackawanna Heritage Valley and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, as well as donations through the state's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. Murphy was inspired to add a sign detailing Waverly's role in the Underground Railroad after seeing it referenced in books on the secret network of routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans. The Underground Railroad is also mentioned on a state historic marker across from Hickory Grove Cemetery. 'I wanted to try to find a way that even if you're just walking around or even just walking your dog, you can kind of get a sense of the history that we offer here,' he said. * EJ Murphy, program manager for Destination Freedom, stands beside the base that will hold a historic marker that will detail Waverly's role in the Underground Railroad Tuesday, June 10, 2025. The Waverly Community House will dedicate the historic marker on Juneteenth. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo) * Gia Tugend, interim executive director of the Waverly Community House, looks through books on the American Civil War at the community house's archives Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo) * EJ Murphy, program manager for Destination Freedom, talks about some of the Civil War items on display at the Waverly Community House Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo) * A display of artifacts related to the American Civil War and the Underground Railroad is on display at the Waverly Community House Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo) Show Caption 1 of 4 EJ Murphy, program manager for Destination Freedom, stands beside the base that will hold a historic marker that will detail Waverly's role in the Underground Railroad Tuesday, June 10, 2025. The Waverly Community House will dedicate the historic marker on Juneteenth. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo) Expand In addition to being the home of several formerly enslaved African Americans, Waverly was home to people involved with the Underground Railroad. Murphy said the marker makes more people aware of that role. 'It's just a way for people to get that connection to this history that they might not otherwise be aware of,' he said. Destination Freedom guided tours began in 2017, and in 2022 they were added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, which connects sites throughout the U.S. Gia Tugend, the Waverly Community House's interim executive director, said the marker is in line with the community house's mission of education, recreation and culture. Murphy and Tugend said Juneteenth is a good way to recognize the abolition of slavery in the U.S. Destination Freedom, they added, shows the local connection to the fight to end slavery. 'I think local history makes something a little bit more tangible,' Tugend said. 'It allows people to actually see something in a different way. I feel like because they're able to be here and see the homes and see the churches and the locations on the tour … it adds a different perspective, and I feel like that's so important to us to be able to do that.' Destination Freedom tours will be offered Tuesdays at 2 p.m. during the summer months.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labor Dept Reverses Crypto Caution in 401(k)s, Unlocks $8T for Bitcoin
The U.S. Department of Labor has reversed its 2022 caution against including cryptocurrencies in 401(k) plans, potentially unlocking $8 trillion in retirement assets for bitcoin investments. CoinDesk's Christine Lee explains on 'Chart of the Day.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
