New research from the University of Florida has found humans are leaving traces of DNA in lots of different places
You might be thinking of something electronic because of the 'e' prefix - but it's not that! High quality DNA found in environments where humans have been - the beach, a hospital or even air - is known as eDNA.
Normal DNA samples can be extracted and studied in a lab to discover someone's heritage. You might have heard of this before through things like ancestry tests, where people send a lab a sample of their spit to find out more about their biological family's past.With eDNA, scientists can look at DNA in certain places to find out genetic history and ancestry of people nearby.
Scientists even think they can use eDNA for disease prevention, by looking at what genetic mutations there are in certain areas. A genetic mutation is a change in a piece of DNA - it can happen naturally, be passed on through generations, or caused by things like cigarette smoke and radiation. One of the professors in the study said he had concerns around how eDNA could be used - such as to track people from the DNA in their environment - and said that some safety checks should be put in place amongst scientists to make sure people's privacy is protected.
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