Ocean has 20 million tons of gold in it! Can we extract it?

Credit: American Chemical Society.

The ocean has about 20 million tons of gold in it — that’s around 700 TRILLION DOLLARS worth of gold!

In this episode of Reactions, we explore how, for over a century, people have struggled to collect it.

And we see if, where they failed, we can succeed.

Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress.

ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people.

The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News.

As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge.

ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.