Synopsis: The purpose of this project is to: support atmospheric trend, loading, and source-receptor studies for critical contaminants identified in the Lake Ontario LaMP; increase the capacity to monitor for pollutants of concern in the lower Great Lakes; provide additional support for the calibration and refinement of the water quality model (LOTOX2); and enhance our understanding of emerging chemicals of interest by providing continued support for the permanent air sampling station established for the Lake Ontario Atmospheric Deposition Study (LOADS) at Sterling, NY. The project involves collection of air and dry deposition samples for congener-specific PCBs, organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and dioxin/furans (PCDD/F) In addition, this project involves the collection and analysis (PCBs, OCs, and PBDEs) of salmonid eggs and muscle tissue.

Chemicals Studied: The chemicals to be studied include: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of currently-used flame retardant chemicals that have caused concern recently due to rapidly increasing concentrations in the Great Lakes environment; dioxins and furans, a chemicals released from combustion-related and other sources that are known to have significant health impacts; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of chemicals banned from production in North America but still present in the Great Lakes at levels above risk thresholds; and several other chlorinated organic compounds.

Geographic Areas: Project work is being conducted within the Lake Ontario basin. Air and dry deposition samples are taken at the Sterling, New York sampling site. Fish samples are collected on the Salmon River. Related work has taken place aboard a research vessel on Lake Superior.

Project Duration: The project began in the Spring of 2005 and will conclude in the Spring of 2007.

Methods Used: Samples of ambient air (vapor and particulate) are being collected with Hi-Vol samplers and dry deposition samples collected with knife-edge surrogate surfaces every twelve days for a period of one-year at the Sterling, New York site on the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario. Samples will be analyzed for congener-specific PCBs, organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and dioxin/furans (PCDD/F). In addition, the project provides for the collection and analysis (PCBs, OCs, and PBDEs) of salmonid eggs and muscle tissue (fillet) from the New York State Altmar Fish Hatchery on the Salmon River for the 2005 and 2006 spawning runs. This information will be combined with preliminary data from the 2002, 2003, and 2004 spawning runs to determine if establishing a long-term monitoring effort using salmon eggs as an ecological indicator is warranted.

Potential Results and Implications: This work supplements and extends the sampling conducted at the IADN master site of Point Petre, by providing dry deposition PCB samples, air concentrations of PBDEs, and enhanced sampling frequency for dioxin/furans. The salmonid data will also be used to provide contaminant trend data for ongoing wildlife (mink reproductive AOC study, NYS … Great Lakes Protection Fund, SUNY Brockport and Oswego) and human health studies (ATSDR and NIEHS) currently being conducted at SUNY Oswego. The project result will be used to support current efforts to establish a mass balance model of contaminant fate and exposures for Lake Superior.

Project Contact:
James Pagano, Ph.D.
State University of New York at Oswego
Phone: (315)312-2725
Email: pagano@oswego.edu