Ron Hites has plowed the way for many of us in developing environmental GC-MS in the 1970’s, analyzing sediment cores for PAHs in rivers and coastal areas, contaminant characterization of the most toxic waste sites on the continent (e.g., ‘Love Canal’), the discovery of ‘new’ toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes region, and the unlocking of atmospheric signals of organic contaminants in the Great Lakes by leading for 25+ years the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) arguably the ‘best’ in the world. With these credentials earned by analysis of many rivers and lakes, Ron is often heard to claim that he ‘doesn’t go outside’, has only one lung, and has convinced decades of students, postdocs and colleagues to represent him superbly in the field. My research groups have had the distinct pleasure of working and playing, alongside Ron's groups for a quarter century. My studies on organic contaminant fate and transport in the Great Lakes, the estuaries of the US northeast and in IT lakes make us unlikely but strong friends and colleagues. Here I address the relationship of the time-dependent accumulation of PCBs and DDT PAHs) in sediment cores from the Great lakes and around the globe (sediment chronology) to their regional and global production and use, atmospheric source functions, and how POP chronology ireflects environmental policies and controls. POPs profiles in aquatic sediment represent signals of the Anthropocene surprisingly well (source strengths), insights on the linkage between the atmosphere and water bodies, and how emission controls and regulations influence their signaling iin water bodies. Ron Hites has distinguished himself over these many years by the 100’s of academic offspring produced, the 36+ postdoctoral fellows he has directed, the ability to convince certain analytical instrument manufacturers to provide ‘free’ these valuable tools, and the terror he has instilled in graduate students by the guy standing in the back of the conference room yelling “SO WHAT!" If this were not enough he has served as Associate Editor of ES&T for approaching 30 years with the claim that he has probably handled 5500 article submissions, and certainly has declined many. He has received all the acclimation from scientific organizations as his soft ego can carry. Ron has been on an incredible journey and who knows, perhaps it will continue for this “Simple Chemist.”

Environmental signals of the anthropocene: POPs in sediments and Ron Hites as a first ‘anthropocener’

2019 Spring National Meeting

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