Lake Superior contaminants face year of scrutiny
In February, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will release a blueprint on how it plans to begin to deal with "forever chemicals."
7:00 am, Jan. 27, 2021
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The Lester River empties into Lake Superior earlier this month. The Lester River and other streams can carry contaminants like PFAS from runoff to the lake. (Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com)
In Lake Superior, the sediment at the bottom of its watery depths tells a story.
It’s where things settle and accumulate, including contaminants. In its way, the sediment serves as a historical record of the lake.
In core samples, research scientists can see when concentrations of, say, mercury were highest, and how now-much-lower concentrations at the top layers of the sample means the contaminant is no longer being so heavily put into the lake.