ferenc jakab on sat 5 aug 00
And for those from Seattle who joined in the great coffee mug discussion
some time ago,
5 August 2000
THEY DRINK an awful lot of coffee in Seattle--so much so that an
investigation into local water pollution has literally gone down the drain.
Water quality researchers had planned to use caffeine--which doesn't occur
naturally in water but gets into sewage through people's urine--as a tracer
to deter-mine where treated sewage flows when it enters the sea at Puget
Sound. But after initial tests the idea had to be abandoned.
The problem was the number of pavement cafes selling Seattle's favourite
drink. At the end of the day, waiters throw the dregs down the drains, which
lead directly into the sound. The sound is now so full of coffee it has the
same concentration of caffeine everywhere, so caffeine can't be used to
track sewage flow.
The researchers have decided to go back to using traditional dye tests--a
decision taken, no doubt, while sipping non-fat, extra-foam, double-shot,
grande lattes.
>From New Scientist magazine.
Feri.
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