Toxic Substances in Lake Champlain

Justin MinottEthan Morehouse

Maya Thomas

Goals

Determine which chemicals present (or potentially present) in the Lake Champlain basin would cause detrimental effects

Determine the pathways in which these chemicals come about

Objectives

Identify potentially hazardous substances

Establish links between potentially hazardous substances and the habitats they may impact within the Lake Champlain basin

Determine the degree of impact each substance has upon each habitat type

Findings

Subcategories

Hydrocarbons Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Herbicides Atrazine Alachlor

Heavy Metals Mercury Cadmium Lead

Subcategories (cont.)

Pesticides

Dioxins & like compounds Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)

Pthalates

Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds Form during the incomplete combustion of organic

material

Released in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, and are transported to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by way of atmospheric deposition

Travel via water and sediments, accumulate in soils

Can bioaccumulate in organisms, leading to higher concentrations within the organisms than in the surrounding environment

Have carcinogenic effects, as well as negative effects on reproduction, development, behavior, and longevity

Volatile Organic Compounds

Typically human-derived/isolated solvents with high vapor pressure

Indoor air pollutants which can cause skin irritation and disorientation when inhaled

Enter the environment through volatilization or by dissolving into water, which can have a negative effect on aquatic ecosystems

Have been identified as carcinogens with chronic exposure

Atrazine

A non-selective herbicide that inhibits photosynthesis in plants

Used in commercial agriculture

Risk to aquatic systems based on toxicity and high mobility

Degrades slowly, which allows it to accumulate in animal tissue

Impacts gill function, hematology, metabolism, and behavior in fish species, and sexual determination in frogs

Alachlor

Selective herbicide which controls unwanted grasses and broad-leafed weed species in commercial agriculture

Can travel through both groundwater and surface water, moderately through soils

Chronic exposure increases the likelihood of cancer in fish and mammals

Has toxic effects on the liver, spleen, kidneys, and eyes of rats

Generated from industrial activities, mainly coal-burning

Transported through the environment in the form of methyl mercury

Affects mostly marine and wetland habitats, but moves to terrestrial habitats through bioaccumulation

Mercury

Cadmium

Sources: burning of coal and oil, incineration of municipal waste, smelting of zinc/lead/copper ores, phosphate fertilizers, sewage sludge

Increases the ability of certain plants to resist infection and disease

Wide range of health effects

Lead

Found in most plant and animal tissues, more so than mercury and cadmium

Human sources: paints, dishware glazes, moonshine, gasoline, pipes containing water for a long time

Causes anemia, neurological damage, chronic renal disease

Completely decays Daphnia in 15 days and is toxic to algae in 30 days

Lead air pollution in ecosystems causes loss in biodiversity, change in community composition, and decrease in growth and reproductive rates in animals

Pesticides

Organochlorines have been the most harmful and persistent type of pesticide

Endosulfan is one of the last organochlorines still being used today, and transports quickly throughout the environment due to its volatility, persistence, and ability to bioaccumulate

Known to have additive and synergistic effects with other pesticides, and therefore risk should not be determined solely upon chemical concentrations

Amphibians are affected the most by pesticides, esp. leopard frogs

Dioxins and Like Compounds

Released through the incineration of municipal waste, notably medical waste

Fat soluble, allowing them to move through habitats in animal tissue

Effects of PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs can be grouped as endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, and carcinogens

Dioxins function like hormones, having negative effects on the reproductive and immune systems, and can cause tumors

Pthalates

Absorbed by humans and organisms through skin exposure, inhalation, and ingestion

Enter the environment through leaching from plastics and secretion from urine

Affect human (male and female) and aquatic organism reproductive systems

Risk Assessment

Impact Importance

Stressor Open Water

Developed

Forest

Herbaceous

Agriculture

Wetlands

Pesticides 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 1 1

Dioxins & the like 2 1 1 1 1 2

Pthalates 1 0 0 0 0 1

Herbicides 2 1 1 2 2 1

Hydrocarbons 1 2 0 0 1 1

Heavy metals 2 1 1 1 1 2

Impact Link

Stressor Open Water

Developed

Forest

Herbaceous

Agriculture

Wetlands

Pesticides 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 1 1

Dioxins & the like 1 1 1 1 1 1

Pthalates 1 0 0 0 0 1

Herbicides 1 0.5 0.5 1 1 1

Hydrocarbons 1 1 0 0 0.5 0.5

Heavy metals 1 1 1 1 1 1

Impact Filter

Stressor Open Water

Developed

Forest

Herbaceous

Agriculture

Wetlands

Pesticides 1 0.25 0.25 0.25 1 1

Dioxins & the like 2 1 1 1 1 2

Pthalates 1 0 0 0 0 1

Herbicides 2 0.5 0.5 2 2 1

Hydrocarbons 1 2 0 0 0.5 0.5

Heavy metals 2 1 1 1 1 2

Thank YouQuestions?