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Pollution & Aquatic Lcosystems
name Pour uaLe
uaLe AsslgnmenL ls due Oo ltlJoy Nov 19
tb
Why laLe?
uay of Week uaLe lf your pro[ecL was laLe descrlbe why

Pow do we know lf a body of waLer ls healLhy? SomeLlmes we can slmply look aL a pond lake rlver or sLream and see
LhaL someLhlng ls wrong A bad odor dead flsh or an lnapproprlaLe color can all be lndlcaLors of how oobeoltby a body
of waLer ls
Powever usually we can'L ldenLlfy a problem ln an aquaLlc ecosysLem [usL by looklng aL lL 1hreaLs Lo Lhe healLh of an
aquaLlc ecosysLem can come from many sources SomeLlmes Lhls source ls a naLural dlsLurbance lor example an
explodlng volcano wlll choke a rlver wlLh dusL ash and sulfur and Lhere ls llLLle we can do abouL Lhls klnd of dlsLurbance
More ofLen Lhan noL however a dlsLurbance Lo an aquaLlc ecosysLem wlll be due Lo human acLlvlLy usually human
creaLed polluLanLs are Lhe ma[or dlsLurbance Lo a lake rlver or sLream 1hese polluLanLs can be dlvlded lnLo Lwo
caLegorles
1 o|nt Source o||ut|on Lhls ls polluLlon LhaL orlglnaLes from a slngle source such as a facLory falllng sewage
LreaLmenL planL or a sewer plpe
2 -onpo|nt Source o||ut|on Lhls ls polluLlon LhaL cannoL be Lraced Lo a speclflc polnL because lL comes from
many lndlvldual places over a large wldespread area AgrlculLure ls Lhe largesL source of nonpolnL waLer
polluLlon arklng loLs suburban lawns and roads also are common sources of nonpolnL polluLlon
CfLen Lhese sources of polluLlon are unknown and unseen we
cannoL see smell or LasLe Loxlc levels of mercury for example
1oxlc polluLanLs are also a concern because of Lhe process of
b|omagn|f|cat|on
8lomagnlflcaLlon ls Lhe process ln whlch polluLanLs become more
and more concenLraLed ln llvlng Llssue 1hls occurs because Loxlns
wlll become sLored ln Lhe bodlly Llssue of every organlsm LhaL
consumes lL Whlle a Loxln wlll be absorbed ln small amounLs by
phyLoplankLon and specles aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe food chaln
macrolnverLebraLes wlll eaL large amounLs of Lhls phyLoplankLon
Small flsh wlll eaL large amounLs of macrolnverLebraLes and Lhese
small flsh wlll be eaLen by larger flsh such as plke and muskellunge
In order for a po||utant to b|omagn|fy the fo||ow|ng cond|t|ons
must be met
1 1he polluLanL musL be longllved
2 1he polluLanL musL be concenLraLed by Lhe producers
3 1he polluLanL musL be faLsoluble



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Lach Llme a Loxln goes up a level ln Lhe food chaln lL becomes more and more concenLraLed ln Lhe Llssues of
llvlng organlsms 8ecause humans are aL Lhe Lop of Lhe food chaln and llve long llves we are mosL suscepLlble Lo
faLsoluble Loxlns 1hese are Loxlns LhaL are able Lo be sLored for long perlods of Llme ln body faL and Llssue 1hls
ls also exacLly why chlldren and pregnanL
women are advlsed Lo mlnlmlze Lhelr
consumpLlon of large flsh
CLher Loxlns can be mutagen|c and lnLerfere
wlLh a llvlng organlsm's unA unA ls baslcally
Lhe lnsLrucLlon manual for a llvlng organlsm's
cells When a muLagenlc polluLanL ls presenL
lL can lnLerfere wlLh Lhe lnsLrucLlons glven by
unA causlng blrLh defecLs cancer and oLher
adverse healLh effecLs
C8s are one such polluLanL C8s or
olychlorlnaLed 8lphenyl (C8) are acLually
parL of a wlder range of chemlcals known as
cblotlooteJ byJtocotboos
1
C8's were
manufacLured from 1929 unLll Lhey were
banned ln 1979 1hey were used because Lhey
were noL flammable were very chemlcally
sLable dld noL melL easlly and were greaL
lnsulaLors for elecLrlcal wlrlng 1hey were wldely used ln palnLs plasLlcs rubber producLs dyes and many oLher
lndusLrlal appllcaLlons
uesplLe belng banned ln 1979 C8s sLlll enLer Lhe envlronmenL due Lo lmproper dlsposal of old equlpmenL leaklng
hazardous wasLe slLes and Lhe burnlng of wasLes Cnce released C8s break down very slowly and are easlly carrled far
dlsLances by raln snow and waLer 1hey are now found all over Lhe world and can be absorbed by crops and aquaLlc
organlsms lf lngesLed ln hlgh enough levels C8s can cause cancer weaken Lhe lmmune sysLem reduce blrLh welghLs
lower ferLlllLy and cause neurologlcal problems C8 levels ln Lop predaLors such as bald eagles lake LrouL and humans
can be mllllons of Llmes Lhose found ln surface waLer 8ecause C8s can be sLored ln body faL Lhey sLay can bulld Lo
harmful levels over Llme
uesplLe belng banned 30 years ago Lhe lmpacL of C8s ls sLlll felL Loday As recenLly as CcLober 19
Lh
2009 Lhe
ueparLmenL of !usLlce halLed Lhe dredglng of Lhe lox 8lver ln Creen 8ay Lo prevenL Lhe spread of C8s Whlle Lhe healLh
concerns are obvlous Lhere are oLher concerns lf Lhe lox 8lver cannoL be dredged so LhaL shlps can easlly pass
Lhrough lL may serlously affecL Lhe 630 [obs and $73 mllllon LhaL shlpplng on Lhls rlver dlrecLly conLrlbuLes Lo Lhe Creen
8ay area ln addlLlon mulLlple lawsulLs are pendlng beLween Lhe paper companles who largely creaLed Lhe C8
problem and Lhe uS Army Corps of Lnglneers who spread Lhe C8s by dredglng ulLlmaLely lf an lndlvldual ls noL
affecLed medlcally and physlcally by C8s Lhey are cerLalnly affecLed economlcally and Lhls ls only one of many Loxlc
and muLagenlc waLer polluLanLs

1
ChlorlnaLed hydrocarbons are found ln many household lLems lncludlng Llres Lennls shoes plasLlcs lnsecLlcldes and 1eflon ClCs
Lhe aerosol lngredlenL LhaL breaks down Lhe ozone layer also are hydrocarbons as ls uu1 ChlorlnaLed hydrocarbons can be deadly
polluLanLs and by comparlson break down very slowly ln Lhe envlronmenL

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CLher Loxlc or muLagenlc polluLanLs can be molecularly slmpler buL [usL as deadly Lead mercury and heavy
meLals can all cause nervous problems lnferLlllLy and blrLh defecLs and wlll bloaccumulaLe [usL llke C8s
PunLers should never use leadbased ammunlLlon and lead slnkers should never be used by flshermen because of
Lhese concerns Lven a small amounL of lead wlll bloaccumulaLe over Llme
A subsLance does noL have Lo be Loxlc or muLagenlc Lo be a polluLanL lerLlllzers are a ma[or source of waLer polluLlon
and are noL nearly as Loxlc or muLagenlc lf aL all (dependlng on Lhe level aL whlch Lhey exlsL) AgrlculLural ferLlllzers are
a concern because Lhey can cause an ecologlcal problem LhaL oLher polluLanLs cannoL euLrophlcaLlon utroph|cat|on
ls Lhe process ln whlch a body of waLer becomes Loo low ln oxygen because of Loo hlgh levels of nlLrogen and
phosphaLe 1o undersLand Lhe process of how euLrophlcaLlon reduces Lhe healLh of an aquaLlc ecosysLem leL's conslder
lL ln a sLepwlse fashlon
1 Lxcesslve levels of nlLrogen and phosphorus make Lhelr way lnLo an aquaLlc ecosysLem when Lhey are washed
off from flelds and lawns by ralnwaLer
2 1hls nlLrogen and phosphorus work as ferLlllzers ln Lhe waLer [usL llke Lhey do on land 1hls causes an exploslon
of planL growLh lncludlng algae
3 Algae form a Lhlck maL on Lhe surface of Lhe waLer LlghL cannoL peneLraLe Lhls maL of algae and oxygen
producLlon ls reduced by boLLomdwelllng planLs
4 lanLs below Lhe algae as well as Lhe algae begln Lo dle laLer ln Lhe season 1he decomposers LhaL consume
Lhese dylng planLs consume large amounLs of oxygen whlch was already dlmlnlshed by Lhe lack of llghLlnduclng
phoLosynLhesls
3 1he low levels of oxygen reduce many klnds of deslrable organlsms lncludlng game flsh and Lhe
macrolnverLebraLes Lhey prey upon 1he balance of Lhe food web ls upseL by Lhe loss of Lhese specles
6 1he remalnlng algal blooms produce Loxlns LhaL reduce Lhe quallLy and safeLy of Lhe waLer
7 Algae LhaL sLays allve unLll Lhe fall dles when Lhe weaLher cools lncreaslng Lhe nuLrlenL conLenL of Lhe waLer as lL
dles slnks and decomposes aL Lhe boLLom 1hls also causes lakes and ponds Lo become shallower over Llme
8 1he aquaLlc ecosysLem becomes less and less sulLable for naLlve specles Lhe rlsk of lnvaslve specles LhaL can
Lhrlve ln Lhese condlLlons lncludlng carp and lnvaslve specles of caLLalls lncreases as naLlve specles decrease

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So how do we know lf a lake has become or wlll become euLrophlc? Pow would we know lf Loxlns or muLagens
are upseLLlng Lhe energy flow and nuLrlenL cycles of an aquaLlc ecosysLem? lL ls noL usually readlly evldenL and
lakes rlvers and sLreams LhaL seem flne on Lhe surface may be collapslng wlLhouL provldlng any vlslble slgns
1hls makes waLer LesLlng very cruclal for preservlng Lhe healLh of game flsh and Lhe aquaLlc ecosysLem ln general
8egular checks of several facLors ln a lake rlver or sLream can allow us Lo ldenLlfy LhreaLs and mlnlmlze Lhelr damage
lallure Lo do Lhls could lead Lo Lhe loss of naLlve specles and even Lhe ecosysLem lLself
1he flrsL LesL we'd wanL Lo conslder ls Lhe MacrolnverLebraLe LesL MacrolnverLebraLes are baslcally aquaLlc bugs 1hese
aquaLlc bugs are b|o|nd|cators or organlsms LhaL provlde a loL of lnformaLlon abouL Lhe healLh of an aquaLlc ecosysLem
MacrolnverLebraLes are excellenL lndlcaLors of waLer quallLy because Lhey cannoL move Lo a new secLlon of waLer lf lL
becomes unsulLable for llfe Lxamples of macrolnverLebraLes lnclude aquaLlc lnsecLs snalls crayflsh and worms 1hey
Lyplcally llve on Lhe boLLom of an aquaLlc ecosysLem and are ofLen sampled by slfLlng a sLream or lake boLLom wlLh a
sleve or a fllLer
A ma[or advanLage of uslng macrolnverLebraLes as quallLy lndlcaLors ls LhaL Lhey provlde evldence of waLer quallLy over
a long sLreLch of Llme Whlle LemperaLure pP and oLher LesLs can flucLuaLe day Lo day and even hour Lo hour
macrolnverLebraLes show longLerm Lrends ln waLer quallLy 1he presence of a mlxed populaLlon of macrolnverLebraLes
lndlcaLes LhaL waLer quallLy has been sulLable for a whlle 1he absence of some macrolnverLebraLes may lndlcaLe LhaL
Lhls body of waLer ls noL sulLable for flsh or oLher aquaLlc llfe Whlle Loxlns and oLher polluLanLs may come and go from
Llme Lo Llme Lhelr lmpacL on aquaLlc llfe wlll be mosL evldenL by analyzlng how many and whaL klnds of
macrolnverLebraLes Lhere are ln a sLream or lake 1he dlsadvanLage of macrolnverLebraLes ls LhaL Lhey cannoL Lell us
exacLly whaL Lhe cause of Lhe problem may be [usL LhaL we have a problem
MacrolnverLebraLe LesLlng can also be known as L1 1esLlng L1" sLands for LphemeropLera lecopLera and
1rlchopLera Lhree hlghly senslLlve specles oLherwlse known as mayflles sLoneflles and caddlsflles 1he hlgher Lhe
percenLage of Lhese polluLlon lotoletoot specles Lhe beLLer Lhe waLer quallLy of Lhe slLe due Lo Lhe facL LhaL Lhey requlre
cool oxygenaLed waLer Cn Lhe oLher hand leeches mldges worms and black flles can handle a loL of polluLlon and
wlll be found aL hlgher concenLraLlons ln waLers wlLh poor quallLy We wanL Lo see loLs of mayflles and sLoneflles and
relaLlvely fewer leeches and blackflles
Cn Lhe followlng page you can see Lhree dlfferenL classes of macrolnverLebraLes Whlle macrolnverLebraLes can Lell us
lf an aquaLlc ecosysLem ls healLhy Lhey cannoL Lell us exacLly whaL ls wrong lf we flnd very few polluLlon lnLoleranL
specles we musL conducL furLher LesLlng on speclflc facLors Lo deLermlne whaL Lhe exacL problem may be 1he LesLs we
wlll conslder are nlLrogen hosphorus ulssolved Cxygen pP and 1emperaLure More lnformaLlon abouL Lhese speclflc
LesLs ls lncluded aL Lhe end of Lhls packeL
knowlng exacLly whaL ls wrong wlLh an aquaLlc ecosysLem can help us Lo flnd Lhe source of Lhe problem Plgh levels of
Loxlc subsLances muLagens or heavy meLals would lndlcaLe lndusLrlal polluLlon A facLory may be leaklng Loxlc
chemlcals lnLo a rlver or sLream and may noL even know lL Cn Lhe oLher hand hlgh levels of nlLrogen and phosphorus
would more llkely lndlcaLe LhaL Lhe problem ls Loo much ferLlllzer on yards flelds or boLh
1he Clean WaLer AcL (CWA) of 1972 was creaLed Lo address Lhese klnds of problems ln surface waLer (groundwaLer ls
noL covered by Lhe CWA) 1he CWA has changed slnce lLs passlng lnLo law Crlglnally Lhe CWA was creaLed Lo achleve
Lhe broader goal of resLorlng and malnLalnlng Lhe chemlcal physlcal and blologlcal lnLegrlLy of Lhe naLlons waLers so
LhaL Lhey can supporL Lhe proLecLlon and propagaLlon of flsh shellflsh and wlldllfe and recreaLlon ln and on Lhe waLer

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Whlle chemlcal polluLanLs and polnL source polluLers were Lhe orlglnal LargeL of Lhe CWA lL has changed
recenLly Lo focus on Lhe overall healLh of all aquaLlc ecosysLems regardless of how healLhy or unhealLhy Lhey may
be All facLors LhaL affecL Lhe healLh of aquaLlc ecosysLems are now under lncreased scruLlny as Lhe CWA changes
Lo become more wldespread ln Lhe goal Lo prevenL Lhe collapse of naLural ecosysLems below and above Lhe waLerllne

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-|trogen ls an elemenL needed by all llvlng planLs and anlmals Lo bulld proLeln lL ls mosL commonly found as n
2

composlng 78 of Lhe alr we breaLhe 8luegreen algae can converL nlLrogen from Lhls form Lo nP
3
(ammonla)
and nC
3
(nlLraLe) whlch planLs can Lake up vla Lhelr rooLs for growLh Manure ls rlch ln nlLraLe and ammonla and
can cause euLrophlcaLlon Lxcess nlLraLes can come from sewage lnadequaLe wasLe waLer LreaLmenL planLs and
lmproperly funcLlonlng sepLlc sysLems CLher lmporLanL sources lnclude excesslve ferLlllzer use (on flelds and lawns) and
lmproperly consLrucLed barnyards and feedloLs WaLer wlLh hlgh concenLraLlons of nlLraLes can cause
meLhemogloblnemla or bluebaby syndrome 1hls condlLlon resulLs when nlLraLes prevenL a baby's blood from Laklng ln
oxygen qulckly causlng deaLh hosphorus (or phosphates) phosphaLes are wldely used ln ferLlllzers deLergenLs and
munlclpal waLer sysLems Llke nlLrogen phosphorus and phosphaLes can cause algal blooms and euLrophlcaLlon
D|sso|ved Cxygen llke planLs and anlmals on land mosL aquaLlc planLs and anlmals need oxygen for baslc physlologlcal
processes MosL oxygen ln Lhe waLer comes from Lhe aLmosphere and from phoLosynLhesls by aquaLlc planLs Lack of
llghL decreased waLer clarlLy and lncreased decomposlLlon can all reduce levels of dlssolved oxygen Lo crlLlcally low
levels
pn ls Lhe measure of hydrogen lon concenLraLlons lL ls measured on a scale from 014 and for every one unlL change
on a pP scale Lhere ls a 10fold change ln how acldlc or baslc Lhe sample ls (eg a pP of 3 ls Len Llmes more acldlc Lhan a
pP of 6) MosL organlsms have adapLed Lo llfe ln waLer of a speclflc pP value pP levels can be lowered (become more
acldlc) by nlLrogen oxlde emlsslons and sulfur dloxlde emlsslons from auLomoblle and powerplanL emlsslons 1hese
emlsslons usually enLer aquaLlc ecosysLems vla acld raln SlgnlflcanL changes Lo a body of waLer's pP may lndlcaLe LhaL
conLamlnanLs are belng lnLroduced
1emperature ls Lhe measure of degree heaL Cool waLer can hold more oxygen Lhan warm waLer because gases are
more easlly dlssolved ln cool waLer 1hermal polluLlon ls one of Lhe mosL serlous ways humans can affecL waLer ecology
1hermal polluLlon ls Lhe lncrease ln waLer Lemp caused by addlng relaLlvely warm waLer Lo a body of waLer from
lndusLry (eg power planLs) or urban acLlvlLles (eg runoff from sldewalks and sLreeLs) 8emovlng shorellne Lrees can
also lncrease LemperaLure by allowlng dlrecL sunllghL Lo warm Lhe waLer Soll eroslon whlch causes soll parLlcles Lo
enLer Lhe waLer can also ralse Lhe LemperaLure of Lhe waLer Lhe sunllghL ls Lurned Lo heaL when lL hlLs Lhe darker
colored soll
As waLer LemperaLure rlses
oxygen levels usually
decrease boLh because of a
lowered ablllLy of Lhe waLer
Lo hold oxygen and because
of lncreased oxygen use by
bacLerla (decomposlng
bacLerla are more acLlve ln
warm waLer) ln addlLlon Lo
lowerlng oxygen levels
lncreased LemperaLures
affecL aquaLlc organlsms
because Lhey are ofLen
adapLed Lo a speclflc
LemperaLure range

Max oxygen Lhe waLer can hold
aL Lhe glven LemperaLure
Level aL whlch aquaLlc llfe
cannoL be supporLed