Coastal Waters Provide Caffeine Jolt.

• Position: PACIFIC NORTHWEST - Brief article

Finding caffeine in waters just off a coastline heavy with coffee shops may not be surprising. However, what a study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Md., does reveal is that traces of caffeine in Pacific Northwest waters point to a likely source of the stimulant: septic tanks and sewer overflows, as scientists collected and analyzed samples from 14 Oregon coastal locations and seven adjacent water bodies.

Researchers identified locations as potentially polluted if they were near wastewater treatment plants, large population centers, and rivers and streams emptying into the ocean.

The study found high caffeine levels near Carl Washburne State Park in Florence, and at Cape Lookout-two areas not near the potential pollution sources. Meanwhile, the researchers also measured low levels of caffeine near large population centers. They found that caffeine levels spiked following a late-season storm of wind and rain that triggered sewer overflows.

The results...