NOAA Study Finds PBDEs on Rise in Lake Michigan.

Ozone Depletion Today, December, 2004

The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that a new government study has found increasing concentrations in Lake Michigan of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), flame retardants.

According to AP, the study, conducted over three years by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Wisconsin, found that PBDEs in the lake's sediment are on the rise.

"They're really showing up all over the world," said University of Wisconsin Professor Bill Sonzogni. "And the Great Lakes -- because of the food chain for bioconcentrating contaminants -- has sometimes served as a sentinel for other parts of the world."

AP noted that scientists remain unsure how PBDEs are getting into the lake, and no concrete correlation...

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