More than 100 professionals have contributed to this important book summarizing much of what is known about the issue of chemicals in the Great Lakes environment and the risks these chemicals pose to human health. The book makes significant recommendations for action in policy, communication, education, and research regarding the chemicals and their risks. The views of individuals from government, universities, industries, and public special interest groups in Canada and the United States have been integrated into a comprehensive statement that reflects scenarios that are applicable worldwide.

ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of live associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollutin present in the environnment. The activities described in this report support this mission and are consistent with achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 2000, a national strategy put forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to significantly improve the health of the nation over the next decade. The ATSDR research program is designed to investigate and characterise the association between the consumption of contaminated Great Lakes fish and short- and long-term harmful health effects.