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Congress members request investigation into DDT

December 2, 2021

U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) and Julia Brownley (D-Thousand Oaks), co-chairs of the California Coastal Caucus, were among a group of legislators on Nov. 29 to pen a letter requesting an investigation into whether dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane causes a spike in cancer in humans.

The letter was addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan. It follows a visit Lieu took to the Marine Mammal Center, where he learned of a startling increase in cancer among sea lions. Researchers believe the increase could be attributed to the presence of DDT in the fish that sea lions consume, which can also be consumed by human beings.

"The Southern California coast was previously used as a DDT dumping ground," the legislators wrote. "Humans can also eat the same seafood that sea lions do, and the obvious question is if DDT is indeed causing a spike in cancer in sea lions, is this DDT also causing a spike in cancer in humans? We ask your agencies to take the actions necessary to answer that critical health question.

"If sea lions are developing cancer at alarming levels due, in part, to their diet, does that present a danger for the human population who are consuming the same fish from the same contaminated waters? In the short term, we request that your agencies take action to answer this critical question as soon as possible. For the long term, we urge more investment into research and studies that will unlock our understanding of risks and disease manifestations from pollutants in our oceans."