Alaska News

Blame it on the hipsters? Caffeine present in Northwest coastal water

A recently released NOAA-funded study reveals that ocean water off the United States' Northwest coast holds trace amounts of caffeine. The discovery, it turns out, although hilariously cliché given the region's reputation as a coffee Mecca, home to iconic brands such as Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffee, plus countless boutique cafés and artisan roasters, is no laughing matter.

According to Portland State and Washington State University scientists, it's not so much the abundance of coffee drinkers who call the Pacific Northwest home that's behind the contamination, as much as it is how their waste is handled.

You see, caffeine is a substance that the body quickly absorbs, but does not store or accumulate. So, all caffeine eventually has to go (just as all humans do) somewhere . Thus, researchers from both universities believe that sewer- and septic-related runoff is directly responsible for the presence of caffeine in Northwest coastal zones.

Over a period of two years, the researchers collected samples from locations along the coast. They found that caffeine levels spiked following area storm surges, suggesting sewer overflow. According to Portland State University professor Elise Granek:

And, just in case you were looking for an argument, Granek adds:

For more read Portland State University's report here.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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