A team of geneticists and marine biologists from the Duffy Laboratory at the University of Florida found that humans DNA from the environment. Until now, scientists have been able to collect and sequence eDNA from soil or water samples to track biodiversitywild animal populations and pathogens that cause disease.

The scientists took samples from various locations in Florida, including the ocean and rivers in urban and rural areas, sand from secluded beaches, and a remote island not normally visited by humans. They found human DNA in all of these locations except for the remote island, and these samples were of high enough quality for analysis and sequencing.

Environmental DNA has been obtained from air, soil, sediment, water, permafrost, snow and ice, and these methods are mainly used to identify and protect endangered animals.

However, the possibility of obtaining human DNA from the environment could have a number of unintended and malicious consequences, the researchers add. These include invasion of privacy, collection of personal data, and genetic tracing of individuals or groups.

“All of this very personal data is in the environment, and right now it’s just hanging in the air,” David Duffy, professor of wildlife disease genomics at the University of Florida, told CNN.

Source: CNN