CHICAGO, August 28 The Great Lakes region has long been valued
for its recreational opportunities, but there may be a price to
be paid for these pleasures: A new study has found that wood
smoke, most likely from campfires and residential fireplaces, is
toxic to certain aquatic organisms in the lakes and is a source
of air pollution in the region. The study was described today at
the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the
worlds largest scientific society. Previous studies of the
impact of pollution on the area have focused on polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), mercury and other toxins regulated by the
federal government. This is believed to be the first study to
explore the potential toxicity of the areas recreational smoke.
Rebecca J. Sheesley, a graduate student at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and a contributing researcher in the study,
cautions that the study so far is limited to toxicity tests
exposing aquatic animals to smoke residues. Although the study
does not address the i