... found that vegetables grown in soil enriched with sargassum had higher levels of arsenic and cadmium, heavy metals that can be toxic to humans and animals. Researchers warn that sargassum should not be used to compliment animal fodder, nor used as a fertilizer for consumables until further investigated.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/15/1163385168/sargassum-seaweed-...
... we're finding [sargassum] can contain heavy metals, including arsenic. It has fairly high concentrations of the toxin," he said. "There's a concern that, through leaching, that could impact groundwater."
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230622-what-is-causing-...
Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called 'zot' genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome," says Mincer. The toxins produced by bacteria carrying these zot genes increase the permeability of the intestinal tract, leading to a range of symptoms including chronic diarrhoea.
Distributing to farmers would be terrible, but it seems like distributing near roadways is exactly the right move given that land is already unsafe to eat from due to car pollutants.
The metals are already there in the moss. Is it better to decompose on the beach, throw into a landfill, or recycle into ornamental land use?
Literally poisoning the people they serve.
It seems like they probably are doing due diligence and they’re not poisoning the people they serve.
They talk about the city using it for fill soil on their site. They do have a picture suggesting it might be usable in a garden but that’s it.
https://gyr.fortlauderdale.gov/greener-government/natural-re...
I suggest if you’re concerned that you email them and let them know not to suggest using it for gardening.
This is the same city that made an ecological disaster by dumping thousands of tires into their ocean. So I'm not surprised.
"The Osborne Reef is an artificial reef project situated off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was one of many attempts in the 1970s and 80s to mimic the environmental benefits of coral reefs using old tires, but it has become an environmental disaster.
...It was approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the dumping operation was supervised by a U.S. Navy minesweeper.
In the years to follow, many of the tires — which were held together only with nylon rope and steel clips — came loose, making the “reef” useless as a habitat and, in some cases, damaging real coral reefs nearby.
Over the past two decades, groups both public and private have launched programs to remove the remaining Osborne Reef tires from the ocean.
...The state estimated that there were 650,000 tires remaining in 2016, and 4ocean estimates that there are still over 500,000 in 2022."