Note: The Dow wild game study did not include any facts or
data pertaining to the impact on birds other than turkeys.
However, a review of the Dow data by the EPA and Dr. Hector Galbraith indicate
the contamination has far reaching effects on birds, especially those that are predators
and bioaccumulate dioxin because of their feeding habits. Additional data
snippets being leaked by the DOW funded MSU study indicate wild birds and their
food have also assimilated extremely high levels of dioxin.
"It might look like the same trees and
shrubs from a bird’s-eye view, but whether an eastern bluebird, tree swallow or
house wren builds its nest upstream or downstream of The Dow Chemical Co. could
mean the difference between everyday flies and earthworms and slightly more
contaminated grub."
We are not sure if it was the Dow researcher or the reporter that used the
phrase "slightly more contaminated", but whoever it was has a warped sense of
statistics:
Earthworms downstream of Dow have 339 times
more dioxin than those upstream
Moths downstream of Dow have 20 times more
dioxin than those upstream
Flies downstream of Dow have 32 times more
dioxin than those upstream
Evidently the MSU student "researchers" have quite a few classes remaining in
their education. Have they ever heard of a
"population sink" or where they instructed not to mention it.
Click here to read more about MSU
and it's link to corporate funded "research".
EPA indicates there is much more in the Tittabawassee River than contaminated
fish and dioxin,
click here
04/28/06
Owls downstream of Dow have 100 times dioxin as those upstream
At a recent presentation by Michigan State University, a
biologist revealed a snippet from their Dow funded study of area wildlife in the
dioxin contaminated flood plain. Click here for details from the
Midland Daily News.
April 2005 Tittabawassee River Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessment
Image from T.River Aquatic Ecological Risk
Assessment, see slide show below
Click here
for official Final report: MDCH Dioxins in Wild Game Taken from the
Tittabawassee River Floodplain South of Midland, Midland and Saginaw
Counties, Michigan EPA ID# MID980994354 Final Report April 29, 2005.
Report is officially peer reviewed and backed by the Federal Government
ATSDR.
GES memo (7/16/04) to the MDEQ indicates the results of the Dow/Entrix Wild Game study
in the Tittabawassee River Flood plain confirms findings of MDEQ/GES 2003 T.River Aquatic
Ecological Risk Assessment. Conclusions:
Review of the Entrix (2004) report has shown that the data contained therein support one
of the major conclusions of the Michigan DEQ terrestrial ecological risk assessment (GES,
2004), that is that biota and food chains on the Tittabawassee River downriver of Midland
are contaminated by PCDDs and PCDFs. A reasonable conclusion from this is that predators
and scavengers at the tops of these food chains are likely to be even more exposed to
these contaminants than the deer, squirrels, and turkeys sampled in the Entrix (2004)
study.
However, the Entrix (2004) study was designed to generate data for an evaluation of risk
to human health, rather than to ecological receptors. Because of this, design elements in
the Entrix (2004) study, though perhaps appropriate for a human health risk analysis,
result in an underestimation of the contaminant concentrations to which wildlife would be
exposed and, hence, the magnitude of the risks incurred. These design elements comprise:
The sampling was confined to organisms which, because of their diets, are unlikely to
bioaccumulate PCDDs and PCDFs to the extent that other organisms would.
The carcass handling procedures resulted in a likely underestimation of the magnitudes
of the PCDD/PCDF whole-body burdens to which predators and scavengers may be exposed.
The sample spatial distribution almost certainly results in an underestimation of the
PCDD/PCDF body burdens of turkeys in the lower sections of the floodplain, and, hence, in
the potential exposures to their predators and scavengers.
EPA 7/30/04 memo on DWG study which includes
concerns about cancer risk of consuming T.River fish.
The contamination has similar characteristics regarding levels of risk and area affected
as the Kalamazoo
and Fox Rivers, which are currently a focus of
the US EPA remediation plans.
It is clear than a persistent, un-addressed dioxin problem exists.
Unacceptable, elevated cancer risk's to public health to frequent consumers of fish.
Potential health risks to persons consuming game.
Dioxin contamination of game indicate contamination of the terrestrial food chain
Unacceptable, serious aquatic ecological risks to fish, fish eating birds, and mammals.
Strong consideration should be given to removal of dioxin contaminated sediments
and flood plain soil.
There is particular concern regarding distortions
of risk information which are causing inaccurate risk messages to the public.
Tittabawassee
River Watch www.trwnews.net
