The Great Lakes Water Quality Issues - Term Paper Example

The great lake water quality As John Drinkwater puts in the Remipranding Voice.’When you defile the pleasant streams, and the wild bird's abiding place, You massacre a million dreams And cast your spittle in God's face. Introduction Around 20 percent of the World’s surface fresh water are accounted by the great lakes of North America, the Erie , Ontario , Superior, Michigan and Huron The inhabitants of the Great Lakes basin are around 40 million people - 30% of it being Canada's population and the other 10% of it is U.S. population. This Great Lakes basin supports over 50% of Canada's Manufacturing output, 25% of Canada's Agriculture and over $330 billion of annual Ontario-U.S. Trade done annually. (http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=FC147FA0- Great Lakes Overview (1) The purpose of the paper is to instill the importance of the great lakes, the natural hazards threatening to imbalance the lakes fruitfulness, various act and steps taken to protect the lake. This paper also hopes to review the existing effect of these governmental orders on the current situation, aiming to through much highlight on the steps that could implemented now to protect the natures gift. The paper is organized as first discussing the geography of the great lakes, discussing about the pollutants that contaminate the lake, to the acts and laws enacted to protect the environment of the lake, and the steps that can be taken still to make the plans effective. A brief overview The geological significance of the lake: From the time the history has evolved, the Great Lakes form an important part of the physical and cultural heritage of North America. They span an area of more than 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from west to east. These vast inland freshwater seas provide water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses. As with any other nation, the water of the lake and the river basin has been the cradle of civilisation for the United States and Canada. They had acted as the gateway for invasion and best resource for transportation for the early European explorers and settlers. Now the Great Lakes basin serves as home for more than one-tenth of the US population and for one-quarter of the Canadian population. The great lake region now has become the strongest power centre for industrialization supporting nearly,25%of Canadian agriculture production and 7%of American production.. The lake is estimated to holds about 23,000 km 3 (5,500 cu. million.) of water, spanning an total area of 244,000 km 2 (94,000 sq. mi.) Accounting for 18%of world’s fresh water supply, . Lake Superior is considered as the largest and deepest of the five lakes with the huge retention time of 191 years. (The retention time being calculated based on the volume of water in the lake and the mean rate of outflow from the lake. This lake area is extremely forested with lesser agriculture. Lake Mitchigan is the second largest within US. It is sparely populated except for green bay with fisheries as the main occupation, Lake Huron's main bustle is in Georgian Bay and Saginaw being intensely farmed and fishery also serves the commercial end. Lake Eric is smallest in volume but has the greatest urbanization with 2.6 years as water retention. Lake Ontario also enjoys the same status as lake Eric. (Lee Bott and Bruce Krushedric, 1995) (2) The geographical location of the great lakes (source Lee Bott and Bruce Krushedric,1995) The population of the lake basin (source Lee Bott and Bruce Krushedric,1995) The lake basin was exploited by Europeans during the early 10,000 years with the immigration intensifying the farming and fishery profoundly. this also paved way naturally for pollution, clogging and exposed soil that dully followed them. The human inhabitation brought industrialization into foreplay, leading the lake to be deterred by untreated waste, bacterial contamination ,contaminated drinking water that invited the diseases. As the norm goes, as the modern settlement grew in strength, deterioration in water quality and habitat began very soon. Beginning as with any other inhabitation the impact was localized. But as agricultural development, forestry and urbanization pledged to full swing, slitting up of streams and shores and harbor areas sepsis began. The water was rendered unfit due to the domestic and industrial waste discharges, oil and chemical spills and the effects of mining . Though Waste-treatment solutions were eventually adopted to treat biological pollutants that threatened the immediate health of populations, eventually, however, it took a major threat to the whole Great Lakes basin to make the authorities awaken to the fact that the entire Great Lakes ecosystem was being damaged. The primary contaminant being, chlorine, that is widely used to contain the pathogens present in the water to make the water more palatable. The consumable characteristic of the lakes is characterized by their biological productivity, which can be explained as the amount of living material that they support within them, primarily in the form of algae., which is stimulated by the Increase nutrients in the lake. Generally In the aquatic system the plant life when increases beyond bound, eventually dies soon and decomposes as it sets in the bottom. As the plant gets decomposed the organisms that breaks down the plants use up oxygen dissolved in the water. So with with the increase in plants, there is more material to be decomposed, and more consumption of oxygen. Usually under an normal condition, that is when the nutrient loadings is low, the level of dissolved oxygen is maintained aptly maintained by the diffusion of oxygen into water, served by the mixing currents and wave action, and by the oxygen produced by the photosynthesize of plants. Now the depletion of oxygen caused by decomposition of organic material is known as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).This is caused by two ways, one by the decaying algae and other by the is often by materials contained in the discharges from treatment plants. As the net change the results of these actions is basically kills many species of fish and many other pollution-intolerant species that require less oxygen, such as sludge worms and carp, so the indicators of oxygen depletion is changes in species of algae and bottom dwelling organisms (or benthos) and fish .The increase in Turbidity in the water as well as an increase in chlorophyll is also seen to accompany the accelerated algal growth that indicates increased eutrophication. Lake Erie rang the warning bell as the first indicator of eutrophication in great lake that demonstrated the serious problem of eutrophication as it was the shallowest, warmest and naturally most productive than all other lakes. The sobriquet as ‘dying lake eerie’ caused uproar among public in both Canada and the United States, raising concern about the issue of water pollution everywhere. As an response to the public concern, new pollution control laws were adopted and enacted in both countries to deal with water quality problems, including the loading of phosphorus . Phosphorus loads entering the lakes have been found to further augment eutrophication. As the mankind grew, with them grew much advancement in technological inventions. The agricultural field saw an increase in use of synthetic organic chemicals that turned out to be toxic contaminant to the environment ,causing potential risk to human health. The danger that it could cause to the natural environment was first illustrated through the study of the presence and persistence of the chemical DDT. With this it was found that many toxic substances tend to bioaccumulate in the organisms as they pass through the food chain in the aquatic ecosystem. The concenteration of some chemicals as PCBs in water is shown to be so low that they tend to be almost undetectable, Bio magnification (Source Lee Bott and Bruce Krushedric,1995) Biomagnification, as it is called is found to occur in increased concentration in predator fish such as large trout and salmon by a million times as it ascends through the food chain. Larger level of biomagnification is observed to occur in birds and other animals that eat fish. As researches starts pouring in the fact that bioaccumulative toxic are found to be in larger concentration in the birds and animals that eat the fish. As the water pollution issue started to heat up, many researches in lake basin and also across the world started looking for effects of persistent contaminants on the immune system, the nervous system, pre-natal and post-natal development, fertility and the development of cancers. On more investigation, some of the chemicals found in the lakes have been shown to be cancer promoting agents (carcinogens) by acting along with other factors in synergy,(in high-dose animal studies ). As further biological researches is being conducted, certain contaminants are found to mimic the actions of hormones in the human body. For example, the chlorinated organic compound DDT is found to mimic estrogen, by profoundly altering the sexual characteristics and is being cornered as a potential carcinogen that could cause breast cancer. Studies have also pointed out that TCDD, a form of dioxin, could also mimic estrogen, with the potential results of feminization of sex organs in males and vast disruption in the development of other sexual characteristics. There is also concern raised about the effect of these compounds on the sperm quality. Many pollutants are deposited from the atmosphere. As observed with acid rain, whose precursors are found to originate from areas far away from place of damage done, nutrients and toxic contaminants can be carried long distances from their sources to be deposited in the lakes in both their wet and dry forms. The notorious example being phosphorus. Some times sediments are found to pollute as pollutant discharges and could be an potent in-place pollutants that is a problem in most urban industrial areas. Groundwater movement is also assessed to be another valid pathway for pollutants to enter in .it could be explained as water slowly passes through the ground it tends to pick up dissolved materials that could have been buried or soaked deep into the ground. An perspective study shows that contamination of groundwater always tends to be localized near an badly contaminated sites. But it is not an hard and fixed rule as in case the contaminant is an pesticide it can be widely spread. The mean and ways of pollution. Source Lee Bott and Bruce Krushedric,1995) The phenomenon of ‘Surface runoff’ is found to act as the pathway for a wide variety of substances that enter the lakes. The Nutrients, pesticides and soils present in the lake are released by agricultural activities., while in the urban areas, the street runoff matters includes an array of materials as automobile-related substances, salt, sand, asbestos, cadmium, lead, oils and greases. Surface runoff also brings in biological matter as particulates, bacteria, nutrients and toxic substances. An important point to be remembered is unlike other water bodies as rivers that run to the oceans, the pathways end in the lakes. So regardless of nature of pollutants either diluted or strong, they are found to be sediment particles as they eventually reach the lakes and add to its total burden. Habitat that dwells around the Great Lake’s basin has been significantly altered following, especially during the last 150 years. Thus the Biodiversity when analysed in those areas shows some species to be extinct owing to the changes produced. . (Lee Bott and Bruce Krushedric, 1995) JOINT MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT LAKES With all the factors and features evolving, the US and Canadian government started an ecosystem oriented project to manage and safeguard the lakes. Thus an understanding was brought in of how human use of nature caused danger to natures resource, paving way for formation of an committee that could research, monitoring and be committed to Great Lake as the issue started its effect was very much local and specific and solutions were framed in that level to deal with it. But eventually pollution that had been local began to affect whole lakes and then became basin-wide concerns. (Claudia Copeland,1996). (3) 1909’s Boundary Waters Treaty The international waterways commission that was created in 1905’s main work was to advice both the countries about the water inflow level and hydropower generation. As years passed, the boundary water treaty was signed that provided way to formation of international joint commission (IJC). This was the first regulatory body that took issues regarding water pollution by 1919 many studies were conducted by it to assess the water quality problem and steps necessary to contain it. But no agreement was reached by it. The main achievement by it was the reduction of phosphorus in flow into the lake, which it achieved by regulating the effluent limits of industries and municipal sewage treatment. Further research suggested that land runoff could also be an important source of nutrients and other pollutants into the lakes. So this study resulted in signing of the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. The formation of international Joint Commission Thus the IJC brought about cooperation between the 2 countries for an amicable water sharing and management. The Fishery commission of Great Lakes The main problem that circled around the Great lakes during 1950s and 1960s was the parasitic sea lamprey invasion of the lake. By 1955 this started working in full swing for the establishment of an way for the control of lamprey. By 1970 they were able to largely contain the lamprey’s population by 90% by the usage of selective chemicals that could the larvae. Ever Since after that, the Fishery Commission has expanded its activities to include work on rehabilitation of the fisheries of the lakes and to help the government in its efforts to stock and restore fish populations. 1972’s, The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement With the success of first commission it became evident that management of water quality by both the country was far most effective that the single-handed management. So the second agreement was drawn that kept the spirit of the first agreement intact, but to it built a new agency for effective joint management. (US environmental protection agency, 1994) (4) 1978’s, The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement In 1987, the existing Agreement was revised to strengthen the management. Calls were made to public to cooperate in the development of ecosystem, its objectives and indicators, and to address the issues of pollution, and its source as contaminated sediments, airborne toxic substances and pollution from contaminated groundwater. The various plan laid down by the New management included the development of Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) and Lakewide Management Plans (LAMPs) that would deal with Critical Pollutants. The one point agenda of this act was to reduce the load of pollutant entry into the lake and to meet the water quality. (Environment Canada and USEPA, 1995) (5) By 1988, an act called as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA ) was conceived that provided the framework for controlling toxic substances. This act for example brought into use the removal dioxins and furans from pulp and paper mill discharges. To ensure further production of lake, several environmental laws as The Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Recovery Act (Superfund) and the National Environmental Policy Act was brought into force. This new agreement like the 1972 Agreement, also strives to obtain quality objectives, improve pollution control throughout the basin and this is also under the continuous monitoring by IJC.. The new managements goal was called as 'an ecosystem approach.' This looks contrast to the earlier Agreement that called for protection of waters of the Great Lakes, while this one calls for restoring and maintaining 'the chemical, physicaland biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.' The definition of ecosystem being’ the interacting components of air, land and water and living organisms including man within the drainage basin of the St. Lawrence River.' (Government of Canada and USEPA,1995) (6) NEW DIRECTIONS THAT COULD LEAD TOTHE GREAT LAKES COMMUNITY The last heading explained many acts made by the government and other organizations. But in the end lets us as citizens from all sectors of society discover our own personal connection to the Great Lakes and various actions we could take to protect and preserve this vital ecosystem. The world is every mans place, and it is every mans right to work together in preserving the natural treasure and pass it over to the next generation as it was given to us. As the past unfolds before us it could be seen that many Fronts have come together with positive will and cooperation, that shows how the people of both Canada and United States are committed to protect Great Lakes future and are ready to wage war against pollution thus preventing further degradation. As a positive step in the same direction, many researches should be conducted in universities and government agencies, contributing to a substantial body of theory and information for practical management programs, and a better understanding of the ecosystem and its properties. Research should be aimed at providing an permanent solution to the existing problems. A mass refinement on the mass balance and biomonitoring techniques. Should be initiated There is still an a far fetching cry for the understanding of how toxic substances move through the Great Lakes ecosystem in land, in the air, by water and through the food web. More information is needed to be divulged about the less obvious, non point pollution sources to the Great Lakes, such as the land runoff, long-range transport of contaminants in the atmosphere into the Great Lakes basin, movement of chemicals in groundwater and the secondary pollution that occur when the substances combine chemically in air or water. (Toledo Blade,2005) (7) Thus though many steps has been taken To restore the beauty and quality of great lake,there are many areas of pollution are to be addressed in a bold way to achieve the ultimate target.some clues that might help us to achieve that being, A broader range of regulation on toxic chemicals should be felt e necessary as many research and undulated monitoring reveal that these are harmful. As a step in right direction, still more stringent controls of waste disposal are already being applied in many locations, but I feel it should be made mandatory. Agricultural practices are to be examined band revised highly, turning more towards the nature friendly way, as there is a far-reaching effects of pesticides and fertilizers. Also it should be noted that, in addition to pollution problems, a better understanding of the living resources and habitats of the Great Lakes basin is needed to support protection and rehabilitate the biodiversity of the ecosystem and also to strengthen management of natural resources. The government should take strong step in protecting the Wetlands, forests, shorelines and other environmentally sensitive areas and, in some cases, rehabilitation and expansion should be initiated. In nutshell always being for the nature, with the nature, through the nature may be the opt solution to all pollution related troubles in the world. As Dennis Gabor said, Till now man has been up against Nature. and from now on he will be up against his own nature as a positive step towards preserving the nature.~Dennis Gabor, Inventing the Future , 1964 BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=FC147FA0-1Great Lakes Overview Lee Botts and Bruce Krushelnicki , Third Edition 1995, The third edition of atlas ,A revision and update of the original document produced by Environment Canada, United States Environmental Protection Agency Claudia Copeland ,1996. Great Lakes Water Quality: Current Issues Specialist in Environmental Policy Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Water. National Water Quality Inventory, 1994 Report to Congress. EPA841-R-95-005. December 1995. pp. 314- 320. Environment Canada and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. State of the Great Lakes 1996, report prepared for the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference 1994. Available on the Internet http://www.cciw.ca/glimr/data/sogl-finalreport/ intro.html#ExecSumm3. "Final Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System. Federal Register, Mar. 23, 1995, vol. 60, no. 56, p. 15365-15424. The case studies were of these three regions: the Fox River near Green Bay, Wisconsin. the Saginaw River near Bay City, Michigan. and the Black River near Cleveland, Ohio. Toledo Blade, 2005. Great Lakes Article Editorial: A little Great Lakes unity. Read More