Human Risks on Lake Contamination
Problem setting
Contamination and pupation is an integral aspect of modernity. Just as humans have a significant part in air pollution, human activities have been known to have a far-reaching impact on the aquatic ecosystems, including the lakes. The industrialization era across the globe was characterized by the boom of industrial activities and the extensive commercialization of agriculture. Agriculture and industrial activities depend on a constant supply of clean water. Natural sources of water, like the rivers and the lake, are known to be reliable sources of water.
After production, the water that was cleaned is expected to be purified and channeled back to the source from which it was obtained. Standards have been established for the quality of water that is released back to the environment. Due to constant activity, monitoring of the water discharge presents a significant challenge for the authorities. In some instances, water is laced with chemicals in unacceptable limits, and the release of such contaminated water has far-reaching environmental impacts.
Agricultural activity and domestic use also have the potential of polluting the water sources that include the lake and rivers. Rivers are worth mention because many rivers drain into lakes, and when polluting along the channel, the lakes end up polluted as well. Commercial farms are in a constant race to feed the ever-rising urban population. They employ the use of chemicals; in many instances, excess and the residues are then washed to the river, causing pollution downstream and by extension to the lakes.
Algae bloom is a common problem that is associated with contamination. Algae boom is occasioned by phosphorous pollution. Farms use phosphorous based fertilizers to boost production. Excess use of fertilizers and poor agricultural practices contribute to water contamination by phosphorous. Mercury is another significant contaminant. The presence of mercury in water has been linked to an increase in the cases of cancer. Power plants and other human activities have been thought to be the leading causes of mercury contamination.
The document takes an analytical approach model in trying to establish the cause of contamination and propose to mitigate techniques to curb pollution. The different aspects of infection are examined, including the settling rate, the properties of the contaminants, and the level of contamination at various point sources. A risk analysis is also embarked on in a quest to understand the risk involves and the extend of effects imposed on the different parties. The study models are applicable in the regulatory analysis, including emission, transport, and environmental fate, health effects, ecological impacts, economics, Pharmacokinetics (dose), and engineering.
Fig 1: The model
Implementing the Model
Mercury Contamination
The model hypothesizes that the power plant is the first course of mercury contamination in the water. There is a need to study and analyze the water released to the river and eventually to the lake. The analysis needs to collect water samples at the different points of the river and the lake, and The closes point to the power plans should be assigned the letter A while the forgets end takes the furthest the last notes. The water collecting equipment needs to be clean and rid of the mercury traces. The samples were then analyzed, and the amount of mercury in the samples indicated as recorded in the table below. Differed scenarios were examined and analyzed in a quest to find deeper dynamics around the concentration of mercury in the lake. High-Pressure Liquid chromatographically technique can be applied in the analysis of the mercury levels in the water. Flame AAS, as well as Cold Vapor AAS, are some alternative techniques that can be used in establishing the levels of mercury. Japan water works Association (2001) recommends the application of multicomponent simultaneity analysis as a formidable technique in the detection of heavy metals with specificity being emphasized on AAS and ICP.
| Collection Points | Concentration of mercury |
| Point A (before the station) | 0.002 mg/L |
| Point B (Immediately After the station) | 0.083 mg/L |
| Point C (1km from the station | 0.074 mg/L |
| Point D (2km from the station) | 0.053 mg/L |
| Point E( Lake collection point) | 0.247 mg/L |
Effects of increasing the flow of the river
| Collection Points | Concentration of mercury |
| Point A (before the station) | 0.002 mg/L |
| Point B (Immediately After the station) | 0.083 mg/L |
| Point C (1km from the station | 0.078 mg/L |
| Point D (2km from the station) | 0.064 mg/L |
| Point E( Lake collection point) | 0.247 mg/L |
Expected results
| Collection Points | Concentration of mercury | ||
| Point A (before the station) | 0.002 | ||
| Point B (Immediately After the station) | 0.0022 | ||
| Point C (1km from the station | 0.0021 | ||
| Point D (2km from the station) | 0.002 | ||
| Point E( Lake collection point) | |||
Effect of mercury on humans
Studies indicate that with sufficient exposure, mercury has been known to have extreme disruption of tissues that they come into contact with. In acute exposure cases, renal disturbances ad neurological dysfunctions are known to result from exposure. Renal problems are said to occur as a result of ethyl mercury and methylmercury salts.
Consumption of mercury in lethal acute doses has been known to cause extreme gastrointestinal damage, shock, acute renal failure, and cardiovascular collapse. Oral poisoning that is acute in nature gives symptoms that include hemorrhagic colitis and gastritis that later cause damage to the kidneys. Clinical manifestations include dysphagia, shock, blood diarrhea, pharyngitis, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort. With then set o symptoms encompassing stomatitis, nephritis, hepatitis, loose teach, and inflamed salivary glands and anuria (Stockinger, 1981).
Bidsrup (1964), indicate that ingestion of mercury (2) chloride can be a cause of extreme poisoning and deaths. The compound can result when the water undergoes the process of chlorination. Dermal exposure in cases where the water can be used for bathing or swimming, alkyl-mercurials are known to occur in eczematous and acute toxic dermatitis. Carcinogenicity, mutagenesis, and related endpoints, as well as known effects in reproductive development, are some of the well-studied impacts on human beings.
Interpretation
The results from the study support the hypothesis that the plant emits a significant amount of toxic mercury into the environmental water that then accumulates in the lake. The water tested before the power plant indicates that the mercury limits before the power plant installation are within the acceptable limits. All the measures from the different variations show elevated levels of mercury immediately after a plant. The high levels indicate that activities as the plant significantly contribute to the water contamination downstream and accumulation at the lake.
The elevated levels are evident by a sharp increase in the mercury levels in the water. As the post of collection progress downstream in the first setup, the levels drop slightly. The drop can be attributed to the settlement and sedimentation of some elements of the mercury compound. The flow at the river is relatively slow. On exciting trend is observed in the lake where the mercury levels are higher. This suggests that there is an accumulation of mercury and other heavy metals at the lake. That explains a slight decline and finally an elevated level at the lake.
Increasing the speed of the flow of the river is set to interfere with sedimentation and settlements of mercury from the water. The increase in speed means that very little to no mercury settles as the stream progresses downstream. The rate of accumulation around the lake slightly increases because a significant amount of mercury gets to the lake.
Enforcements of legislation to limit the production of mercury from the plant are a means to reduce the contamination. However, cleaning efforts need to be embarked on to reduce the accumulated mercury to acceptable limits. The advice to the authority is that the plant significantly contributes to mercury poisoning that has adverse effects on human beings and the environment. The police, therefore, need to ensure that the power plant installs a treatment mechanism that effectively gets rid of mercury from the water. The company needs to monitor the quality of water they release to the environment.
Conclusion
Mercury has been known to have an adverse effect on the environment and to humans. There is a need for the authorities to enforce measures that protect the people and the environment. Prevention of future contaminations is critical, but also the recovery of the sources should also be prioritized to put a stop to the episodes of mercury contamination.
Works Cited
Bidstrup, FL (1964) Toxicity of mercury and its compounds. Amsterdam, Elsevier
Japan Water Works Association (2001) Standard method for the test of the water supply. Tokyo, Japan Water Works Association.
Stockinger HE (1981) The metals. In: Clayton GD, Clayton FE, eds. Patty’s industrial hygiene and toxicology, 3rd ed. Vol. 2A. New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1769–1792