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Great Lakes Air Deposition Program (GLAD) Atmospheric Toxics Webinar Series
The Great Lakes Air Deposition (GLAD) program, which concluded in 2013, was coordinated by the Great Lakes Commission to address the deposition of toxic pollutants to the waters of the Great Lakes region, to promote efforts to reduce toxic pollutant depositions, and to reduce the resulting adverse impacts on human and wildlife health.
For more than two decades the program supported scientific research, and engaged scientific leaders throughout the region to better understand the sources of toxic pollutants, their transport in the environment, their deposition to the Great Lakes basin, and the resulting impacts on human health and the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Reducing input of toxic substances to the lakes and the mitigation of impacts from these substances on human health and wildlife are major priorities for restoration efforts in the Great Lakes basin. Of greatest concern are those chemicals that are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulate as they move up the food chain, and are toxic to humans or wildlife (referred to as persistent bioaccumulative toxics or PBTs).
Many such chemicals enter Great Lakes waters in substantial amounts through deposition from the atmosphere. Despite much progress, further scientific assessment and technological developments are needed to enable effective management of the problems posed by deposition of toxic substances to the region’s waters.
Toward this end, the GLAD Program supported scientific projects to identify and quantify the sources, environmental transport processes, deposition rates, fate and impacts of these chemicals. The program operated with the goal of assisting the Great Lakes states and their partners in forming scientifically sound policies regarding this issue, including regulatory and non-regulatory pollution control and prevention programs.
Atmospheric Toxics Webinar Series
The Great Lakes Commission, under funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and in cooperation with the eight Great Lakes states, awarded research grants dealing with atmospheric toxic pollutants affecting the Great Lakes and their tributary watersheds. Thirty-five research grants were awarded addressing a diverse array of research concerning atmospheric pollutants and their movement within the basin, and the associated impacts of numerous persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals on wildlife and human health. A substantial amount of new scientific knowledge has been attained through these research activities.
The GLAD Atmospheric Toxics Webinar Series was intended to provide a forum for GLAD Principal Investigators (PIs) to disseminate information on their respective research activities, including specific findings, recommended follow-up actions, and potential public policy actions to foster elimination of PBT threats to the region.
Topics:
- Mercury research synthesis
- Human and wildlife contaminant exposure & effects
- Contaminant fate, transport, and loadings to the Great Lakes
- Emissions from outdoor wood fired boilers & agricultural plastic incineration
- Emerging contaminants
Webinars:
1. Wednesday, October 13, 2010 Great Lakes Mercury Research Synthesis
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2. Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Sources of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)
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3. Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Multimedia monitoring
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4. Tuesday, November 30, 2010 Multimedia models
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5. Wednesday, December 15, 2010 PBT measurement techniques
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6. Thursday, February 3, 2011 Fate of mercury in the Great Lakes environments
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7. Tuesday, March 15, 2011 PBT effects on humans & wildlife
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8. Thursday, March 31, 2011 Emissions from outdoor wood fired boilers and agricultural plastic incineration
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