The Effect Of Oxygen Deficiency On Lake Ontario

Introduction: The purpose of this research is to determine whether there has been a change in the overall water quality of the Lake Tarpon Basin, and if so, whether the quality has improved or worsened. The variables that will determine whether the quality has changed are: nutrients (phosphates and nitrates) and dissolved oxygen (DO). The expected changes are lower dissolved oxygen levels (from the already low levels), higher nitrogen levels (from the already high nitrogen levels), and the state qualifications still are not met for nutrients and dissolved oxygen (Levy, Flock, Burnes, Myers, Weed, River 2010). This topic relates to environmental management because the changes in water quality would be due to pollution, which relates to the question “How does human activity lead to the pollution of water stores?” The hypothesis that will be tested is that Lake Tarpon’s water quality will have worsened since the last measurements by Levy, Flock, Burnes, Myers, Weed, and Rivera in 2010.

When was the last time you swam in the Great Lakes? Could you say that it was clean, could you say that the organisms were all healthy and doing great? Well, unfortunately, there are many things harming our Great Lakes, like chemicals, pollution, and invasive species.

Climate change is a change in the average global or regional weather patterns. Climate changes includes factors such as; temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons, influenced by oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets. This plays a

Lake Erie is thriving biologically but not in the way one might think. It’s poisoned with toxic algal blooms that grow in the phosphorus-concentrated waters millions of Canadians and Americas alike depend on for drinking water. Unfortunately, this is also not the first time this has happened to the Great, not-so-great Lake.

Phosphorus, “...the primary algae-feeding nutrient in Lake Erie, and contributed to the largest algae bloom in history last year” (McCarty, para. 3), is a key factor in how

Many contaminants settle out of the atmosphere, such as acid rain, the pollutants and nutrients will transport from distant places by air depositing into the lake as the form of rain. The first pollutants as atmospheric deposition on the Great Lakes were phosphorus. It is found that about 20 percent phosphorus entering Lake Michigan comes from the atmosphere by determination of rain, snow and dust. Since phosphorus pollution generated by this approach cannot be controlled, so it is more urgent to reduce the phosphorus content of detergent, sewer and effluent fertilizers. People found fish in a lake of Lake Superior in a remote island containing PCBs and toxaphene, and this place isolated with no direct way to pollution. This determines the long-range transport of pollutants through the atmosphere and settlement in the lake. In fact the processes of material transport through atmospheric was very complex. For instance PCBs was insoluble in water, so as to re-enter the atmosphere during evaporation or connected together into small particles. A lot of PCBs volatilize from the lake, meanwhile, PCBs coming from various parts of the air mass experience the sedimentation on the lake. Other than that the contaminated sediment is another way to cause pollution of the lake. This is problems of the most urban industrial areas. Even if there is likely to remove severely contaminated sediments in

To assess and analysis the long term trends and seasonal trends of Phosphorus in relation to the lakes system within the catchments.

Water is an important resource and weather agent in our world, and the Great Lakes Region has an intimate relationship with water. The region was shaped by glaciers long ago and continues to be shaped by flowing surface water today. Groundwater is very pure in the area, which allows for plants, animals, and humans to thrive there. Migration into the area can be related to the groundwater found there. Human use of the water results in man-made structures, water flow alteration, and changes in water quality. Water is very influential in the Great Lakes Region.

Back to the history, the eutrophication problem was first time concerned by public on Great lakes at the 1960s, the Lake Erie was covered by algae as a result of over dumped phosphorus from the sewage and other waste water, at that time, the Lake Erie was known as the “Dead Sea of North America”(Fitzpatrick, J. J., and Di Toro 1999). The reason cause this problem can be concluded in 2 points, 1. the stresses of overfishing, 2. development of phosphorus-based detergents. At the end of 1960, the Canada and the United States have realized the penetrance of this problem and finally sit on the table to sign an agreement that limiting phosphorus dumps to the Lake Erie, and plan to control existing unstoppable algal growth. Because of the awareness of Canada and US government, the concentration of phosphorus got a significant success. And this problem happened again during the 1990s, but this time the reason why this happen is more complexly.

The aim of this essay is to investigate the overall health of the Credit River located in Southern Ontario, Canada through data collected for phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen and pH levels over many years. The Credit River originates around the city of Orangeville and then travels downstream for about 65 kilometers into Lake Ontario, near the Greater Toronto Area (Orphanos, 2004). It is essential to discover the health of this major river as it is one of the few which makes it way through the large urbanized zone including the city of Mississauga. There is a diverse wildlife that is supported by the water source, and it must be considered a priority to sustainably manage and investigate the concentrations of contaminants and water quality

The rise in phosphorus causes algae to bloom, and the toxins from the algae bloom result in unsafe water conditions for humans and animals. Phosphorus pollution appears everywhere in the state from individual wastewater facilities in urban areas to farmland water runoffs in Lower and Central Minnesota. It is a danger because it causes algae to thrive and algae bloom can be toxic to humans and animals. Phosphorus pollution affects people and pets such as fishermen, swimmers, and boaters. It also affects urban and suburban communities such as Mounds View that are built around lakes and freshwater bodies. Therefore phosphorus pollution is a danger to the population of Mounds View Minnesota, but can be reduced by use of alternative fertilizers and use of phosphorus free

Since the 1960’s, Lake Erie has been recovering from its unhealthy state and it’s public status. Lake Erie was terribly polluted that lead to fires and algae which was something locals were not happy about. Lake Erie’s water even got to the point of restriction. Pollutants were being dumped and phosphorus, fertilizers and pesticides were leaking into rivers that would later lead into Lake Erie. “As a result of these pollutants, Lake Erie contained increased levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, which contributed to eutrophication - a process that encourages the development of algal blooms.” (Rotman). Lake Erie was even known as the “burning river” or even the “dead lake”.

In this paper I will examine multiple perspectives in an attempt to understand the recent eutrophication of the Chesapeake Bay. Our textbook, Cambell Biology defines eutrophication as a process in which nutrients, usually phosphorus and nitrogen, are unusually present in a body of water, leading to algae blooms and accelerated growth. Anoxia is a condition in which areas of water are severely depleted of dissolved oxygen.

When talking about nutrient content and nutrient type in bodies of water (especially lakes), three terms help identify these types of bodies of water- oligotropy, eutropy, and dystrophy. Eutropy refers to the probably the best possible condition for a body of water, because this type of body of water has many nutrients available to it (often in the form of silt) such as phosphorous. These bodies of water are usually near farms or forests and are thriving with life. Algae is a common type of organism that grows in eutropy’s, but can serve as a problem for the survival of other species. Oligotropy is basically the opposite of eutropy condition wise. Oligotropic bodies of water usually have a small amount of organic matter, few nutrients, and especially lack phosphorous. These water bodies are often near terrestrial ecosystems. Dystrophy refers to the condition in bodies of water that have an abundance of organic matter- so much so that the water is often brown. These bodies of water are often near bogs. Lakes can gain these types of nutrients through things such as runoff that bring soil nutrients into the water;

In Lake Erie, there is out-of-control algae growth that created dead zones. The problem has become critical in the western Lake because of harmful chemicals. Contaminants in fish certainly are causing health problems. At present, the solution is to make