Toxic chemicals Great Lakes

The Brominated Flame Retardants Industry Panel (BFRIP) was formed ia 1985 within the Flame Retardant Chemicals Association (FRCA) to address such concerns about the use of decabromodiphenyl oxide. Siace 1990 the BFRIP has operated as a Chemical Self-Funded Technical Advocacy and Research (CHEMSTAR) panel within the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) (64). As of 1993, members of BFRIP are Ak2o, Amerihaas (Dead Sea Bromine Group), Ethyl Corp., and Great Lakes Chemical. Siace its formation, BFRIP has presented updates to iadustry on a regular basis (65,66), and has pubhshed a summary of the available toxicity information on four of the largest volume brominated flame retardants (67,68) tetrabromo bisphenol A, pentabromodiphenyl oxide, octabromodiphenyl oxide, and decabromodiphenyl oxide. This information supplements that summarized ia Table 11. 

The unique physical characteristics of the Great Lakes also contribute to their sensitivity to toxic substance inputs. The vast surface areas of the lakes makes atmospheric contributions of these chemicals, even at low concentrations, quantitatively significant. The relatively large ratio of the lake surface to drainage basin area, and the fact that the boundary of the drainage basin in some locations... 

In many ways, both Canada and the United States continue to be involved in a unique experiment of co-operative management of serious environmental issues which plague a shared international resource. Despite the institutional complexity and the history of abuse that man s activities have wrought on the Great Lakes, the experiment to restore and protect them has had several successes typhoid and cholera were eradicated eutrophication problems are now largely under control and where adequate control programs for toxic chemicals have been implemented and enforced (e.g., mercury, DDT, PCBs), there have been associated declines in concentrations in the lakes. These successes have been due in no small way to the spirit of co-operation that has continued to exist between Canada and the United States and the unique institutional arrangements entered into by the two countries. 

Environment Canada. 1992. Toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes and associated effects. Vol. II Effects. Ottowa, Canada Environment Canada, Health and Welfare Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. March, 1992. 

Smith, S.B., Savino, J.F., and Blouin, M.A. Acute toxicity of Daphnia pulex o( six classes of chemical componnds potentially hazardous to Great Eakes aquatic biota, / Great Lakes Res., 14(4) 394-404, 1988. 

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation. 2001. Initial submission Letter from Great Lakes Chemical Corporation to U.S. EPA summarizing 90-day inhalation toxicity study of octabromodiphenyl oxide in albino rats, dated 05/25/01. Submitted to U.S. EPA under TSCA Section 8E, Fiche no. OTS0574171. 

W. M. J. Strachan and S. J. Eisenreich, Mass Balancing of Toxic Chemicals in the Great Lakes The Role of Atmospheric Deposition, International Joint Commission, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1988. 

Voldner, E. C., Smith, L., et al (1986) Production, usage and atmospheric emissions of 15 priority toxic chemicals. W.Q.B. Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, International Air Quality Advisory Board, International Joint Commission. 

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (1987) Toxicity data of octabrorno-diphenyloxide (DE-79). West Lafayette, Indiana, Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (Unpublished data, submitted to WHO by BFRIP)... 

The causal relationship between the occurrence of non-ortho CBs and other dioxin-like compounds and reproductive impairment in Forster s tern was firmly established in 1989 by US Great Lakes researchers, [154, 155]. An improvement in reproductive performance of the same population between 1983 and 1988 was recorded [156]. This was due to low river flow and consequent reduction in contamination input to the Lake ecosystem. TEQs derived from congener-specific PCB analysis showed 42% reduction in chemical toxicity. Subsequent studies in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA by USEPA established uptake rates for specific CB congeners in Forster s tern chicks. For example, 70 ng/day, 200 ng/day, 6.5 ng/day, and 0.14 ng/day for CB-77, CB-105, CB-126, and CB-169 respectively and 270 pg/day for TEQs [157]. Determination of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in California peregrine falcons and their eggs indicated that CB-126 was largely responsible for the TEQs derived. The other CBs of importance were CB-126[Pg.146]

This database contains toxicological data on over 850 chemicals of particular interest to the United States Great Lakes basin. Each record provides descriptive data on up to 23 topic areas, including physical and chemical properties, toxicity, and environmental fate. Produced by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Fully evaluated and referenced data. (CCINFOline contained in CCINFOdisc CHEMpendium series from CCOHS) Chemical Safety Newsbase (CSNB) ... 

Hoff RM, Strachan WM, Sweet CW, et al. 1996. Atmospheric deposition of toxic chemicals to the Great Lakes A review of data through 1994. Atmospheric Environment 30(20) 3505-3527. 

More than 30,000 different chemicals are produced or used in the Great Lakes region of the United States. This area contains 118 different hazardous waste sites that are contaminated with thousands of different chemicals. A study of this region has shown that human populations in it have elevated body burdens of persistent toxic chemical compounds. 

Many of the observed Great Lakes region toxic effects are attributed to persistent toxic chemical compounds. TCDD is associated with human thyroid hormone fluctuation, problems in male reproductive function, and neurological malfunction. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and methyl mercury (MeHg) are associated with human thyroid hormone fluctuation, problems in female reproductive function, neurological and neurodevelopmental problems. These effects, summarized in Table 13.1, illustrate the difficulty in attributing a particular toxic effect to a single chemical, particularly when one considers the potential impacts of thousands of other chemicals. 

Environment Canada. 1991b. Toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes and associated effects Volume... 

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