Daywatch: Forever chemicals are on the rise in Lake Michigan
Good morning, Chicago.
Toxic forever chemicals are on the rise in Lake Michigan, an alarming finding that reflects how the Great Lakes act like sponges soaking up pollution from near and far.
Rain and contaminated air are major sources of the contamination detected by a team of researchers from Indiana University and Canada’s top environmental agency. So are discharges from sewage treatment plants and industries.
The new study found airborne concentrations of PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are much higher near Chicago and other urban areas than at rural monitoring stations in northern Michigan and upstate New York. Previous research recorded similar patterns for flame retardants and other toxic chemicals.
But unlike many other contaminants, PFAS in rain were consistent throughout the Great Lakes region, likely because the chemicals are so widespread in the environment.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne.
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