Why this matters
The Tijuana River flows past southern San Diego neighborhoods and feeds into an estuary with endangered species before flowing into the ocean. Scientists are trying to get a handle on the impact.
Scientists are now seeing the toxic plumes from Tijuana River sewage from outer space.
Using a device built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to detect minerals on the ground while orbiting Earth, scientists were able to detect cyanobacteria in the mouth of the river. A study published last week suggests that the instrument can be an effective tool in mapping water quality.
For years, millions of gallons of untreated wastewater have been flowing through the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean. Recently scientists have turned their attention to new ways of monitoring the pollution.
Scientists have already been able to monitor algal blooms using satellite imagery, but Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation, or EMIT, may be able to distinguish other pollutants that satellites have yet to be able to capture.
The device uses hyperspectral imaging, a technology that composes images using the electromagnetic spectrum, to detect what molecules are present on the Earth’s surface, or in this case, in wastewater. Scientists believe the technology may provide more cost effective ways of detecting water quality.
Scientists found that their aerial data matched studies conducted in the field.
The study’s lead author Eva Scrivner, a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut, compared the wastewater plumes emanating from the river into the ocean to a “smoking gun.”
“From orbit you are able to look down and see that a wastewater plume is extending into places you haven’t sampled,” said Christine Lee, a co-author of the study. “It’s like a diagnostic at the doctor’s office that tells you, ‘Hey, let’s take a closer look at this.’ ”
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre says she hopes the study serves as a “wake-up call” for government officials.
“The science is clear, the health risks are real, and seeing it all from space satellites just underscores what South County families are being forced to endure.”
