<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.mktdeal
{mso-style-name:mkt_deal;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:339281846;
mso-list-template-ids:150653824;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://admin.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3758018-more-chemicals-found-remote-minnesota-lakes">http://admin.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3758018-more-chemicals-found-remote-minnesota-lakes</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:.75pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:11.25pt;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1;background:white">
<![if !supportLists]><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN">A chemical associated only with X-ray technology is showing up in Lake Kabetogama in Voyageurs National Park and other northern lakes,
</span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><span lang="EN">The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Tuesday released the results of its latest survey of 11 lakes and four rivers tested for 125 different chemicals, many of which are suspected of being harmful to the environment and, possibly, to humans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Several of the compounds are considered so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals that, in other studies, were shown to cause male fish to develop female characteristics and spurred other disruptions in ecosystems.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">The survey shows that even remote Minnesota waters are contaminated by a variety of pharmaceuticals, ingredients of personal care and hygiene products as well as endocrine-disrupting compounds — everything from antibiotics, nicotine, caffeine
and antidepressants to medications that regulate diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">The chemical DEET, for example, a common ingredient in most commercial mosquito repellents, was found in 10 of the 11 lakes studied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">The X-ray contrast drug iopamidol, which is injected into some patients who are X-rayed, showed up in 73 percent of the lakes tested. But, inexplicably, remote Lake Kabetogama contained the highest level, even though there is no obvious source
on or near the lake or even upstream.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Other northern lakes also tested positive for chemicals:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">• Northern Light Lake, north of Grand Marais and just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, contained DEET; BPA; diltiazem; and the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, trimethoprim, and clinafloxacin, which is a human antibiotic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">• In Stewart Lake, north of Two Harbors, researchers also found iopamidol as well as clinafloxacin and other chemicals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">• Elk Lake, in Itasca State Park, contained DEET, cotinine, metformin, colchicine and BPA.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Most of the compounds found were in small amounts — just parts per trillion. That's below the expected human problem level for some but may be enough to be making trouble for aquatic creatures. The PCA is working with the Minnesota Department
of Health to evaluate potential human health impacts from long-term, low-level exposure to the chemicals found in the state waterways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">"It's not just so much that we are finding these things. We have been for years. We now want to go beyond detection and determine what affect they are having on fish and wildlife. And what concerns should we have about human health,'' Mark
Ferrey, the study's lead author, told the News Tribune.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">The latest survey echo results from 2008 and 2009 testing, with the chemicals showing up even in northern lakes considered remote and pristine, far from municipal or industrial pollution sources.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Ferrey said scientists have found these chemicals for years below city wastewater plants. But recent research has found them in many in remote areas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">"We have a lot to learn about how they end up there,'' he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Scientists later this summer will collect rain and air samples to see if the chemical may be hitchhiking on dust in the atmosphere before falling in rain or snow far from any populated area.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Ferrey said that, in addition to municipal wastewater treatment plants, residential septic systems from cabins and lake homes as well as stormwater runoff are among the potential sources of contamination to surface water.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">It could just be a few people impacting each specific waterway, Ferrey noted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">"Even Kabetogama, while it's a fairly clean lake, has a certain amount of development around it. What we're finding is there may be a fingerprint of what is in the people who live around the lake. What we find is a fingerprint of what (compounds)
our society is using,'' Ferrey said. "But this stuff (iopamidol) appears in urban lakes, outstate developed lakes and even relatively undeveloped lakes ... so it could be from local sources or it could be floating around in the air. We don't know yet."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">The PCA asks that consumers not toss any pharmaceuticals or other chemicals down their drain, noting wastewater plants aren't designed to remove them. Instead, take the drugs to a recycling center, located at many law enforcement offices,
including the Duluth Police/St. Louis County Sheriff's headquarters in Duluth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Laurie Tenace<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Environmental Specialist<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Waste Reduction Section<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Florida Department of Environmental Protection<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">850.245.8759<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>