The Great Lakes and Toxic Pollution

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The Great Lakes and Toxic Pollution
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Top Facts about the Great Lakes

• Have a LOT water! the 2nd largest
  amount of fresh surface water, (18
  percent) Only polar ice caps contain more.
• Lake Superior is LARGEST! could contain
  all the other Great Lakes and three more
  Lake Eries.

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TOP Facts

• The Water levels are going down.
• - 1 Percent of the water flows to the St.
  Lawrence River less than 1 of new water
  enters the lakes (from rain, snow,
  groundwater, etc.)
• Lake Erie is the smallest. - has an average
  depth of 19 metres. It can empty/flush the
  quickest of all lakes (2 ½ years) over 13
  million people live on the shores of Lake Erie.
• TOXIC Pollution is well documented.
• Over 460 toxic chemicals are listed 42 Places
  (HOT Spots) are identified. Governments have
  posted warnings to protect people.

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What is a Toxin?

• A Toxin is a substance that causes water, soil,
  air or food to be harmful to health.

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Pollution and Toxins in the Lakes

• - Human effects include Illness and problems
  with a) the reproduction system b) the
  immune system c) learning issues and
  developmental delays
• d) nervous and brain disorders
• e) increased cancer rates

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Pollution involves the addition of Toxins into
the natural environment.
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Toxins

• 4 Properties
• (P) Poison cause illness/death/dysfunction
• (C) Carcinogen cause cancer
• (T) Teratogen cause birth defects when pregnant
  mother is exposed to
  the toxin
• (M) Mutagen cause problems with DNA and
  chromosomes. Affect future
  offspring

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Toxins
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Toxin 1 Mercury

• Source
• Fungicide in Pulp and Paper/ Agriculture
• Problems (Poison)
• - causes Brain and nervous disorders
• - I.Q. lowering is a documented proven effect

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Mercury toxicity causes changes in the brain.
The red part indicates the area of the primary
affect. Blue is the area secondarily affected
Details . Mercury accumulates in predatory fish.
As humans eat fish, mercury is absorbed through
the digestive tract and passes throughout the
body. In a pregnant woman, it also crosses
the placenta into the fetus, building up in fetal
brain and other tissue. Effects can include a
decrease in I.Q., delays in walking and talking,
lack of coordination, blindness and seizures.
In adults, exposure can lead to health effects
such as personality change, tremors, deafness,
loss of muscle coordination and sensation, memory
loss, intellectual impairment, and even death.
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Toxin 2 PCBs
Source A non-conductor in electrical
systems.(as a liquid and as a solid) Problems
(Poison and Teratogen) - Infertility and
developmental delays - Crossbills in Cormorant
Birds
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• Thousands of studies have shown that
  polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) cause a wide
  variety of direct health effects at very low
  exposure levels in humans and wildlife. PCBs
  alter major systems in the body (immune,
  hormone, and nervous systems)

Crossed Bills in Cormorants are Teratogenic.
Mother birds who eat PCB loaded fish have babies
with crossed Billswho are unable to survive.
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Toxin 3 Mirex
Uses An insecticide also used in fire
extinguishers Problems (Poison and
Carcinogen) Causes infertility and nervous
disorders. This is likely a cause for human
male infertility It is also a laboratory
proven Carcinogen. .
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• More info. .
• Effects based on lab Results include
• 1)Poison effects are Convulsions, tremors and
  nerve damage.
• 2) Cancer caused in laboratory mice at low doses.
• 3) Linked to lost reproductive abilities.

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Toxin 4 DIOXIN

• Uses
• It is a non-useful by-product of industry. It
  is associated with the production of Vinyl.
  (PVC)
• Problems (P, T and C)
• Poisonous, Carcinogen and a Potent Teratogen

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Dioxin information

• Source Factories that make polyvinyl chloride
  (PVC) products .
• Poisonous effects There is no known no-effect
  dose of dioxins.
• MANY ISSUES Suppression of the immune system
  and withering of the thymus gland. Other issues
  with development and growth, skeletal,
  cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS)
  malformations, decreased sperm quality, and
  feminization.
• Teratogen Birth defects abnormal development
  the central nervous system and sense organs.
• Carcinogen Evidence links dioxins to lung and
  prostate cancer. Increased incidents of thyroid
  and breast cancer, and increased deaths from
  stomach and brain cancer are reported. Studies in
  humans have shown that the risk of cancer rises
  significantly when the body burden reaches109
  ppt.(parts per trillion)

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Toxin 5 PAH

• (Aromatic Hydrocarbons)
• Source
• These chemicals are found in gasoline, coal,
  tar, and natural gas. They can be airborne or in
  water, soil or food.
• Problems (4 major problems existP,T,C,M)
• Poisonous, Proven Carcinogen, Teratogen, and also
  a Mutagen.

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PaH details

• PAHs are one of the most widespread organic
  pollutants. In addition to fossil fuels they are
  also formed from burning fuels such as wood,
  coal, diesel, fat, tobacco, or incense.
• As a pollutant, they are of concern because they
  are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic.
  PAHs can leak from gasoline storage tanks into
  drinking water.

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An infamous Aromatic Hydrocarbon benzoapyrene

• . It is the first chemical carcinogen to be
  discovered in cigarette smoke. Causing
  Lung and Bladder cancers.
• . In the News ground water gets poisoned from
  leaky gasoline
  storage tanks.
• . Lately has shown genetic mutation in
  animals
• (Oral exposure of a dose of 10 mg/kg
  benzoapyrene produced gene mutations
  in laboratory Rats)

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Toxin 6 E. COLI

• (Coliform Bacteria)
• Source
• Comes from excrement of livestock. Contaminates
  soil, food, and water.
• Problems (Poison)
• Once inside a human body, it can produce toxins
  that make you sick and cause permanent damage.
  (encephalitis (brain swelling) , kidney failure
  or digestive problems)

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E. Coli Walkerton Case

• Starting May 15, 2000, many residents of the town
  of about 5,000 began to simultaneously experience
  bloody diarrhea, gastrointestinal infections and
  other symptoms of E. coli infection.
• At least seven people died directly from drinking
  the E. coli contaminated water, who might have
  been saved if the Walkerton Public Utilities
  Commission had admitted to contaminated water
  sooner. About 2,500 also became very ill for an
  extended period of time.

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Toxin 7 ATRAZINE

• Source
• Is a widely used herbicide chemical since 1958.
• It is used to prevent broad leaf weeds
  (dandelions, etc.) on golf courses, lawns and in
  crops like corn.
• Notes
• It is banned in Europe and British Columbia
• Most common chemical in Ontario and USA
  groundwater
• It is very effective in increasing plant yields
  for corn
• Problems (NOT SURE! - Poison, Teratogen ???)
• A proven Hormone (estrogen) mimic for Amphibians
• Suspected effects on Mammals are not fully
  proven but include suspected Hormone issues.

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• Widely used in USA and all provinces except B.C.
• Is the most common agricultural chemical in all
  ground water and tap water in Ontario
• Can be removed from water with extra filtration
  beyond what most cities do
• Suspected (possible) effects include early
  puberty in females, early menopause, male
  infertility and feminization in males, an
  increase in breast/prostate cancer.
• Health Canada says 5 parts per billion is Ok in
  drinking water. USA says 3 ppb is limit to be
  OK.

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Assorted Atrazine info

• In the USA in 2012 Syngenta corporation,
  manufacturer of atrazine, agreed to pay 105
  million to reimburse more than one thousand water
  systems for "the cost of filtering atrazine from
  drinking water". The company denied all
  wrongdoing
• In the United States as of 2014, atrazine was the
  second most widely used herbicide
  after ROUNDUP with 76 million pounds of it
  applied each year.
• Since 2001, Atrazine has been the most commonly
  detected pesticide contaminating drinking water
  in the United States.

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