Vacationers were wearing ponchos instead of swimsuits at the peak of the summer season because of the tropical storm, which has drenched Florida for at least four days straight like a giant showerhead set up over the state's Gulf Coast.
The team conducted a series of experiments in which known quantities of five such chemicals were mixed with water and passed through a dishwasher, a washing machine, a showerhead inside a shower stall or a tap in a bath, all inside a specially designed chamber.