Toxaphene levels in Lake Superior are the highest of all the Great Lakes
Ann Arbor, MI — Toxaphene is a pesticide heavily used on cotton fields in the southern United States as well as in the Great Lakes region in 1970s. Because of its toxicity and potential health effects, this pesticide was banned in 1982. However, because of its persistence, high toxaphene levels remain in the Great Lakes and are highest in Lake Superior. High levels of toxaphene can be harmful to the environment and eating contaminated fish could cause health problems.
From 2004 to 2009, lake trout of similar size were collected from each Great Lake except for Erie where walleye were collected. Toxaphene analysis was then performed by state-of-the-art methods. The analytical results show that toxaphene levels in fish vary among the lakes with the highest concentrations in Lake Superior lake trout and lowest concentrations in Lake Erie walleye. Combined with historical data, the overall toxaphene levels were determined to be decreasing in all of the Great Lakes. Continued monitoring of toxaphene in fish in the Great Lakes is needed in future years to ascertain the continuing changes in toxaphene concentrations.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study, "Toxaphene trends in the Great Lakes fish," are reported by Xiaoyan Xia, Philip K. Hopke, Bernard S. Crimmins, James J. Pagano, Michael S. Milligan and Thomas M. Holsen in Volume 38, No. 1, of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by Elsevier, 2011.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact authors: X. Xia, xiax@clarkson.edu, (315) 268-3949; P.K. Hopke, hopkepk@clarkson.edu, (315) 268-3861; B.S. Crimmins, bcrimmin@clarkson.edu, (202) 368-6926; J.J. Pagano, pagano@oswego.edu, (315) 312-2810; M.S. Milligan, milligan@fredonia.edu, (716) 673-3500; T.M. Holsen, holsen@clarkson.edu, (315) 268-3851.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; jglr@ec.gc.ca; (306) 975-5310.
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