The Environment Agency has been monitoring beaches between Portland and Brixham since the MSC Napoli was deliberately grounded off Branscombe on 20 January 2007
Water samples taken from beaches near the stricken container ship, MSC Napoli remain clear of any signs of pollution.
Samples are checked for over 165,000 man-made chemicals at the Environment Agency's laboratory at Starcross where staff have been working round-the-clock to turn-around results within 24-hours.
Beaches tested include Branscombe, Sidmouth, Seaton, Budleigh Salterton, Sandy Bay, Beer, Exmouth, Ladram Bay in Devon and Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Seatown, Eypemouth, West Bay, Burton Bradstock and Abbotsbury in Dorset.
The Fleet, a lagoon that lies behind Chesil Beach, is also being monitored because of its high conservation value.
The sampling has been extended to include a number of additional Devon beaches including Dawlish, Teignmouth, Maidencombe, Meadfoot, Torre Abbey, Paignton, Broadsands, Shoalstone and St Marys.
Results show that so far there is no pollution from pesticides and other chemicals from the Napoli.
However, traces of man-made substances have been found in a small number of samples, but in concentrations so low as to be insignificant.
The type of chemicals detected are all hydrocarbons.
It is thought they come from plastic packaging and car and bike parts in some of containers washed into the sea from the Napoli.
Vehicle parts are often coated in a film of light oil during transportation to protect them from corrosion.
The samples containing hydrocarbon contaminants were taken from beaches at Branscombe, Seaton, Ladram Bay, Sidmouth and Exmouth.
Traces of fatty acids were also found.
"Fatty acids occur in food and sewage.
"The tiny amount found could have come from food or treated sewage effluent discarded into the sea and didn't necessarily come from the Napoli," said Judy Proctor for the Environment Agency.
The Starcross laboratory uses a hi-tech method known as gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) to analyse water samples.
Scientists search for the unique 'fingerprint' left by each of 165,000 man-made chemicals.
Once a fingerprint is found the concentration of a chemical can be measured using GCMS.
The method is so sensitive it can detect chemicals in concentrations less than 0.5 parts per billion.
Some of the hydrocarbon chemicals found in samples described above were present in such low concentrations they were at the limit of detection.
As well as water testing, the agency has taken samples of mussels and limpets that have been stored for possible use in a long term study in the impact of the Napoli incident.
Local commercial fishermen have provided shellfish samples that will also be used as 'baseline' data.
Divers have reported seeing debris from the ship on the seabed off Branscombe and flotsam is still being washed ashore and removed by specialist contractors, but the latest monitoring results indicate water quality remains good.
The agency is advising on the storage and disposal of waste from this incident.
Most of the waste being cleared from Branscombe is non-hazardous.
Where possible the agency is working to ensure waste is recovered rather than simply disposed of.
Some materials washed up are contaminated with oil and are therefore classified as hazardous waste requiring special disposal.
Scrap metal from beached containers is being taken to local scrapyards for sorting and recycling.
The agency is sharing its water monitoring results with all the relevant organisations including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Cefas, Health Protection Agency, Food Standards Agency, local authorities including environmental health experts and Defra.
