Two presentations

1
Two presentations

• Toxins
• Erosion and phosphorous

2
Blue algae toxins
3
Reading from the book of Exodus (7, 19-25)

• And The Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
  Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the
  waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their
  rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their
  pools of water, that they may become blood and
  that there may be blood throughout all the land
  of Egypt (...)
• Aaron lifted up the rod, and smote the waters
  that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh,
  and in the sight of his servants and all the
  waters that were in the river were turned to
  blood.

In fact, it is probably a single-cell algae that
is closely related to blue algae
4

• Fish that were in the river perished, the river
  was corrupted, Egyptians could no longer drink
  water from the river and there was blood
  everywhere throughout Egypt ()
• All of the Egyptians began digging around the
  river to find water to drink, because they could
  no longer drink the water in the river
• Seven days went by after the Lord had smote the
  river

5
Blue algae

• Photosynthetic (light) bacteria
• Nitrogen and phosphorus conducive to growth
• Several species produce
• Nervous system toxins,
• Liver toxins
• Exposure drinking water, bathing (water that has
  been swallowed, or eye, skin irritation, etc.)
• The problem is relatively recent in the Outaouais
  (10 years)

6
Three types of toxins

• Involved in the toxicity of blooms in Quebec and
  everywhere else
• Dermatotoxins (or endotoxins, contact toxins)
• Neurotoxins
• Hepatotoxins

7
Contact toxins(LPS,lypopolysaccharides)

• Component of the cell wall of blue algae (all)
• Especially through contact
• irritation and/or allergies
• Many types of LPS
• Still many that are unknown

8
Neurotoxins

• Attack the nervous system
• Disrupt transmission of nerve impulses
• Such as organophosphate pesticides
• Anatoxin-a is a frequent example of a neurotoxin
  which is particularly found in the Anabaena
  genus.
• Rapidly destroyed in the environment

9
Hepatotoxins

• Hepatotoxins act on the liver and are the most
  widespread and persistent toxins there are.
• Microcystin is responsible for most of the
  damaging effects related to the consumption of
  contaminated water (drinking water problem).
• Microcystis, Anabaena, etc.
• Reduced liver activity
• Nausea, vomiting
• Risks of liver cancer in the long term
• Persistent in the environment (drinking water)

10
(No Transcript)
11
From brown water to green water

• Erosion around lakes with the contribution of
  phosphorus

12
Yogurt and blue algae similar process
Energy (lactose)
Some bacteria
Nutrients (including phosphorous)
Heat to accelerate the process 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
64, 128
13
Only the source of energy is differentA few
blue algae
Energy (Sun)
Nutrients (including phosphorus)
Heat to accelerate the process 2, 4, 8, 16, 32,
64, 128
14
Where does phosphorus come from?

• For years, phosphorus has been produced
• 1-Lawns fertilizers
• 2- Detergents
• 3- Septic tanks and disposal fields
• 1- Agriculture and road ditches
• phosphorus sticks to clay
• If there is brown water in streams and ditches,
  clay is present

15
Phosphorus natural chemical component Solid in
its natural state,very insoluble (unlike salt)
but essential to all life
16
Phosphorus in living beings

• Component of DNA (genes)
• Essential to the conveyance of energy
• Needed by all living beings
• Available phosphorus, i.e., soluble, accounts
  for only a fraction of total phosphorus
• Often not available FIGHT FOR PHOSPHORUS
• In fertilizers, phosphate rock is made more
  soluble by having it react with strong acid

17
(No Transcript)
18
EROSION
http//ridge.icu.ac.jp/gen-ed/ecosystem-jpgs/phosp
horus-cycle.jpg
19
Understanding the particularities of ones lake

• Watershed, P content
• E.g., lac des Cèdres

THINK IN TERMS OF THE WATERSHED
20
Watershed of the grand lac des cèdres
Watershed of the petit lac des cèdres includes
the grand lac des cèdres
21
When it rains in the woods
Area with no houses
Inhabited areas
22
The water is running but is constantly slowed
down byleaves from treesleaves on the
groundby the irregularity of the train. Almost
all water penetrates the soil Very little clay is
displaced
23
When it rains in a developed area
24
The water is running but everything is being done
so that it gets to the lake as quickly as
possible Straight regularly sloped ditches, with
surface sealing (gravel, asphalt). Water runs off
and brings clay with it as it leaches downward
(brown water) (eluviation)
25
Clay tiny lamina
H2PO4- binds with rust (sometimes directly to
clay)
Rust (Fe(OH)33)binds with clay when oxygen
present
5 1000ths of a mm

• Phosphorous often binds with clay in acidic soil
  through iron and aluminum hydroxides
• THEREFORE phosphorous is washed away with clay
• SO BROWN WATER ? GREEN WATER

26
Presence of oxygen rusty coloured soil
Oxidized iron area rust, which is not soluble,
binds phosphorous
Non-oxidized area SOLUBLE iron returns to the
water and therefore releases phosphorous
No oxygen present grey soil
27
Erosion will bring phosphorous with it

• Managing erosion where and why does brown water
  come in?
• Boat wharfs
• Ditches
• Make retention basins
• Do everything to SLOW DOWN the water
• Grass that is not cut along the waters edge must
  first slow down the water, not absorb phosphorous!

28
THEREFORE

• PROTECTING YOUR SOIL WILL PROTECT YOUR LAKE

(Not to mention detergents, fertilizers, beavers)
29
(No Transcript)