Mercury Pollution in the Great Lakes Region-Nearly Forgotten, But Not Gone 10-11-2011
gengberg October 11th, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2011
MERCURY POLLUTION IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION-NEARLY FORGOTTEN, BUT NOT GONE
NEW SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH HAS IMPORTANT POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Detroit, Michigan - The scope and intensity of mercury pollution in the Great Lakes region is
much greater than previously reported, but additional mercury controls should bring needed
improvement, according to a new summary of scientific research on the subject.
Despite general declines in mercury levels in the Great Lakes region over the past four decades,
mercury concentrations still exceed human and ecological risk thresholds, especially in inland
lakes and rivers, according to the report Great Lakes Mercury Connections: The Extent and
Effects of Mercury Pollution in the Great Lakes Region, which summarizes 35 new scientific
papers. Also, new research indicates that for some species of fish and wildlife in particular areas,
mercury concentrations may again be on the rise.
While the risk of elevated mercury concentrations to human health is well known-all of the
Great Lakes states and the province of Ontario have issued fish consumption advisories due to
high mercury-new studies cited in the report suggest that adverse effects of mercury on the
health of fish and wildlife occur at levels much lower than previously reported.
“The good news is that efforts to control mercury pollution have been very beneficial,” says
David C. Evers, Ph.D., executive director and chief scientist at Biodiversity Research Institute,
and the principal investigator in the Great Lakes study. “However, as we broaden our
investigations, we find that fish and wildlife are affected at lower mercury concentrations and
across larger areas, and that impacts can be quite serious. For example, we found that estimated
mercury concentrations in the blood of common loons were above levels that are associated with
at least 22 percent fewer fledged young in large areas of the Great Lakes study region.”
Great Lakes Mercury Connections distills key results from 35 peer-reviewed papers in special
issues of two scientific journals: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Pollution. The report
represents the work of more than 170 scientists, researchers, and resource managers who used
more than 300,000 mercury measurements to document the impact and trends of mercury
pollution on the Great Lakes region.
A collaboration of the Biodiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine, the Great Lakes
Commission based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the
project is the product of a binational, scientific synthesis sponsored by the Commission through
its Great Lakes Air Deposition Program, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA).
“One of our core missions is to support the policymaking process with good science,” says Tim
Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission. “This report represents a wealth of
scientific knowledge developed by some of North America’s leading experts in this field. Continue Reading »
