Conference proceeding
Natural waters as important sources of PCBs to the regional atmosphere: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Green Bay, 1989-1992
The 36th Conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research : June 4-10, 1993, pp.65-65
06/01/1993
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent and common chemical contaminants in all the Great Lakes. Coupled air and water samples collected simulataneously are used to predict the direction and magnitude of PCB flux into or out of the lakes. In lakes Michigan (1991), Superior (1990, 1992) and Green Bay (1989) the paired data indicate that the overall direction of PCB flux is out of the water. Overall fugacity gradients (w/a) range from 1.2 to 9 in these waters. High PCB concentrations in Green Bay waters induce high local atmospheric PCB concentrations but the large surface areas of lakes Superior and Michigan mean that these lakes may be the most important source of atmospheric PCB to the region. A strong north/south PCB concentration difference exists in air over Lake Michigan and Green Bay. In both systems, concentrations in the south are five to ten times higher than in the northern region. This difference is largely due to more volatile compounds. Regressions of PCB congeners in air and water suggest that water is a major PCB source to air over Green Bay but air in southern Lake Michigan appears to be more influenced by urban emissions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Natural waters as important sources of PCBs to the regional atmosphere: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Green Bay, 1989-1992
- Creators
- K C HornbuckleR PearsonJ JeremiasonD A AchmanD L SwackhammerS J Eisenreich
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Publication Details
- The 36th Conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research : June 4-10, 1993, pp.65-65
- Publisher
- International Association for Great Lakes Research; Wisconsin
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/01/1993
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health; Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9983997417902771
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