Cause and Effects of Water Pollution Essay

Water Quality is very much in the news these days and it is also a growing public concern. Water is one of the most important resources on the planet and affects nearly every aspect of life. The Great Lakes watershed contains a large percentage of the world’s fresh surface water. The Lakes support the water needs, and jobs of millions of people and poor water quality is an increasing frustration. Description: Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes and the fifth largest in the world, with the most irregular shape of any of the Great Lakes. Even its largest island, Manitoulin, is wider than the State of Rhode Island, and has five small lakes of its own. The lake is connected with its neighbor, nearly same-sized L. Michigan, only by a narrow straight called the Straights of Mackinac, which is spanned by an 8 km-long bridge, the Mighty Mac. (International Lake Environment Committee) Water pollution is defined as a change in the chemical, physical and biological health of a waterway due to human activity. Unfortunately, this definition applies to the waters of Lake Huron and has had a negative impact on the people who use and rely on this body of water. (Study mode 04, 2012) Although there are many causes of Lake Huron’s pollution, most fall under three categories: 1) Point-source pollution; 2) Nonpoint-source pollution; and 3) Air pollution. Point-source pollution refers to mercury, fecal matter, and sewage, from treatment plants or industrial facilities, being dumped into the Lake. Nonpoint-source pollution refers to runoff of polluted water from crops or lawns which contain contaminants. These contaminants may be oil, sand, and salt from roadways, agricultural chemicals, and nutrients and toxic materials from urban or rural areas (The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, 1998-2012). There are many different causes for the pollution in Lake Huron. Some pollutants found include chemicals and metals, nutrient enrichment, pathogens and bacteria, and calefaction. (Cause and Effect of the Pollution of Lake Huron. Anti Essays. Retrieved February 21, 2013) Most of these pollutants come from urban areas. As populations grow, so does the amount of urban areas. The urban areas are constructed with a lot of impermeable materials used to lay roads and build houses. With impermeable materials covering most of the ground, there is no place for rain water to sink in. All the rain water, along with all the chemicals it washes away, runs off in a gutter system. This in turn flows into a stream or the lake itself. This type of runoff includes chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides and suspended solids. (Cause and Effect of the Pollution of Lake Huron. Anti Essays. Retrieved February 21, 2013) www.lakescientist.com Effects of water pollution: Water pollution affects the health of the waterway, the health of the organisms living in and around the waterway, and, eventually, the health of humans. The effects of water pollution can range from aquatic deformities to contaminated fish to â€Å"dead† lakes. Thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2011/10/31 www.lakescientist.com/2011/lake-huron-salmon-fish Microbial contamination Pathogens refer to bacterial organisms (microbes) typically found in the intestinal tracts of mammals, capable of producing disease. Sources of nutrients include municipal wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, and agricultural runoff. Areas of Lake Huron where pathogens are of concern are Saginaw Bay, Severn Sound, and the southeastern shore of the Lake Huron Basin. Effects of pathogens in these regions have included localized beach closings due to E. coli contamination. (Human Health and the Great Lakes April 29, 2003) Chemical contamination Contaminants to Lake Huron originate from a number of sources, including industrial and municipal discharges, spills, landfills, storm sewers, and agricultural runoff. Contaminants enter Lake Huron through a variety of pathways including direct discharges, atmospheric deposition, and tributary discharge. In comparison to Lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario, contaminant concentrations are relatively low in Lake Huron. Nevertheless, public health advisories exist regarding consumption of trout from the open lake and all Areas of Concern. (Human Health and the Great Lakes April 29, 2003) www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/june2008 Economic Cope Zone Definition: Zone A – Water level regimes that are acceptable and within the tolerance and expectations of a sector. Acceptable levels may vary by sector and location, but are generally within the historical range and not at the extremes. Minimal economic impact. ïÆ'ËœZone B – Water level regimes at which stakeholders can cope under existing policies and infrastructure, but conditions are less than ideal. Stakeholders may suffer negative impacts and may incur additional costs to minimize impacts in this zone. Marginal conditions but generally survivable. Moderate economic impact – short to moderate term. ïÆ'ËœZone C – Water level regimes at which stakeholders can’t cope using existing policies and infrastructure. Sustainability is threatened – for example: marinas to go out of business, commercial shipping is severely curtailed, coastal properties are destroyed, significant damage to infrastructure. Severe economic impact – long-term permanent lo ss. www.glisaclimate.org/wiki/hrwc-economics-impacts. Sources: World Wide Web: http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/211875.html The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, 1998-2012. www.lakehuron.on.ca Human Health and the Great Lakes http://www.great-lakes.net