Flame Retardant Found in Lake Michigan
WASHINGTON (Nov. 24) - Concentrations of a flame retardant have been found in Lake Michigan and are increasing, adding to concerns over previous findings that the chemicals were showing up in supermarket foods.
In the latest study, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Wisconsin scientists found PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, in sediment hundreds of feet down in Lake Michigan. Fish and other animals absorb chemicals and pollutants through the environment, storing them in fat that people then eat. Studies in rats and mice suggest high levels can cause liver and thyroid damage, NOAA said.
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Well, maybe they are just trying to prevent a second Chicago fire. Except that it wasn't Lake Michigan that caught fire in 1871. It was the Cayahuga River and Lake Erie that caught fire in 1969.
In the latest study, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Wisconsin scientists found PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, in sediment hundreds of feet down in Lake Michigan. Fish and other animals absorb chemicals and pollutants through the environment, storing them in fat that people then eat. Studies in rats and mice suggest high levels can cause liver and thyroid damage, NOAA said.
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Well, maybe they are just trying to prevent a second Chicago fire. Except that it wasn't Lake Michigan that caught fire in 1871. It was the Cayahuga River and Lake Erie that caught fire in 1969.
posted by Greg Finnegan @ 6:33 PM
2 Comments:
At 11:28 AM,
Anonymous said…
Out here along the Pacific Coast we have also found great quantities of a flame retardant....it's called salt water. Deal with it!
Silfox
At 6:32 PM,
Greg Finnegan said…
Wow! The Left Coast is heard from! True, not much burns under salt water. Or under tequila, I think, another liquid you folks are known for. You might want to test this fire retardent, though, along the coastline. It may help to hold things together during The Big One. Otherwise, beachfront property in Tucson!
Any tremors recently? If so... it's tequila time!
-Greg
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