Great Lakes, contaminant controls

The Great Lakes have served as a focal point for PCB research. This research has provided an understanding of the processes controlling fate and transport of PCBs, and has led to the development of models than can be applied to other contaminants and water bodies. The processes of atmospheric deposition and net sediment accumulation are described adequately in these models, but the exchange at the sediment-water interface and seasonal depositional patterns need further improvements. While concentrations have declined in air, water and sediments over the last decade, trends in fish indicate a slowing or stopping of such a decline. Thus future research efforts should address the bioaccumulation process and foodweb dynamics, and the physical processes mentioned above. 

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