So I just signed up for this triathlon and didn't realize til after the fact that the swim is in lake crabtree.

Does anyone with more expertise in environmental health know if there is any risk in doing a 15 minute swim in this lake?

I've done a little research but have seen mixed opinions (and facts) on PCB levels in this lake and its safety.

Am I going to die or get cancer because of this triathlon?

5/27/2008 9:17:20 PM

no

5/27/2008 9:21:43 PM

the Triangle Triathlon? I did the race and I was fine. It's hard to see in the lake but no big deal

5/27/2008 10:06:15 PM

Britta now has a third tit, by the way.

5/27/2008 10:07:14 PM

thats really odd because Lake Crabtree has signs posted every where stating no swimming and not to eat the fish. I've seen plenty of people fall into the lake after falling out of a sail boat...but they lived to come back another day.

There is also a lot of info posted at lake crabtree about this.

5/27/2008 10:08:51 PM

You'll be fine. PCB's are bad in large quantities. The reason you can't eat the fish is because the fish eat the plants in the lake and the PCB's build up in their bodies over time, leading to high concentrations.

I went swimming in lake crabtree before, I'm still alive. I learned that climbing back into a canoe in the middle of the lake is rather difficult.

5/28/2008 12:33:31 AM

^

Right but when you get cancer at 40 you know one place it possibly came from.

5/28/2008 12:34:42 AM

man i wouldnt get anywhere near that water.

and i just bought a seahawk raft to float down crabtree creek in.

5/28/2008 8:17:38 AM

once a year for 750m isn't going to hurt you

5/28/2008 8:58:16 AM

Quote :

"thats really odd because Lake Crabtree has signs posted every where stating no swimming and not to eat the fish. I've seen plenty of people fall into the lake after falling out of a sail boat...but they lived to come back another day."

I used to manage teh resource and i can tell you that PCB are only harmful if you are going to eat them - such as the fish (bottom) feeders that feed off of the plants in the lake, or the plants themselves. The fish, according to the EPA, are safe to eat in small portions however we decided at Wake County to have a policy that is more strict than the EPA because we feel it is in the publics best interest, and we cannot control how many portions of fish people eat. you must realize that people in the are fish not for sport or recreation, but they fish for food and livlihood. This is especially the case in the hispanic and asian populations of the area - hence the signs in three languages.

As far as no swimming in lake crabtree - this is because of fecalform (sp?) bacteria that has a potential to build up in the lake if it were become a heavily used swim area. The lakes depth is avering 3.7 feet deep, so it is extermely shallow and bakes in the sun all day - a perfect recipe for the spread of the bacteria. Using the lake for the triathlon, such as swimming for such a short duration (which is more like water running since you are able to touch the bottom the whole time) will not alter the resource.

I hope this helps you guys out a bit.

5/28/2008 9:05:23 AM

^thank you peakseeker

When it comes to stuff like this, it's really disgusting how environmentally paranoid everyone is. Ok, global warming, that's great. But to act like getting in a lake for 15 minutes (unless it's got a direct inlet for toxic sludge or industrial runoff, and even then) is going to kill you or give you cancer is stupid. Meanwhile people will sit 'safely' inside their homes and gorge on high fructose corn syrup and all manners of chemically synthesized shit. Do some research before you DON'T DO A TRIATHALON based on the color of the water you'll be in for a few minutes. Dumb

5/28/2008 10:12:34 AM

mulva, I highly doubt that nchockey was going to cancel his triathalon based on the water color at lake crabtree. It seems as though he was more worried about the fact that when you go out there, there are multiple signs stating how it is not safe because of PCB levels in the water.

Simply asking what the difference between injesting PCBs and being exposed to them in the water seems a valid question.

don't get your panties in a bunch, or learn to read better.

I do agree however with the fact that people get so crazed about water pollution, yet sit at home and pollute their bodies all day

5/28/2008 10:54:26 AM

yeah didnt like Ward Transformers spill all there transformer liquid (PCBs) around that place in the 80's?

5/28/2008 3:24:03 PM

yeah, i'm pretty sure you'll be fine. PCB's accumulate in the sediment then enter fish through the food chain...they shouldn't be just free-floating in the water, and unless a few fish swim into your mouth while you're in the water i wouldn't be worried.

5/28/2008 3:51:24 PM

i highly doubt they'd hold a race in a place that was environmentally toxic...

5/28/2008 8:09:56 PM

thanks to all the helpful people.

my original post was obviously tongue in cheek... some of you need to work on your reading comprehension

5/28/2008 11:02:01 PM

or next time you should make this shit in chit chat

5/28/2008 11:03:06 PM

definitely. because when you want information you post in chit chat.

5/28/2008 11:05:35 PM

wtf information did you need??? ^^^^ is about as simple as it gets

5/28/2008 11:08:52 PM

i was curious about the actual levels of PCB in the lake and their actual effects. i got that information from the helpful people in this thread.

but listen, i'm not going to argue with the wolf web's community retard, SO YOU'RE RIGHT DUDE

[/thread]

5/28/2008 11:19:59 PM

i win this thread

5/28/2008 11:21:03 PM

lol josh just got called out for being the TWW community retard....

5/29/2008 3:31:29 PM