Lake Huron- Cause and Effect
Uploaded by jayme909 on Jan 01, 2014
INTRODUCTION
The ways that humans have affected the quality of Lake Huron over the centuries include sewage disposal, toxic contamination through heavy metals and pesticides, overdevelopment of the water’s edge, runoff from agriculture and urbanization, and air pollution.
WHY IS LAKE HURON SO POLLUTED?
During the 18th and 19th centuries, industries and individuals often used rivers and lakes as garbage cans. Industrial effluent, raw sewage and animal carcasses would often be dumped into Lake Huron, without much thought of contamination. The major cause of the pollution in Lake Huron seems to be nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source pollution is another term for polluted runoff (Water Pollution in the Great Lakes).
In the 20th century, this practice of dumping waste into the lake started changing as people became aware of the importance of clean water to their health. As more people and industries moved into the great lakes region, the more the rivers and lakes became polluted. Pollutants enter the great lakes in many different ways, but the entryways of pollutants are point source, nonpoint source, and atmospheric pollution. (Water Pollution in the Great Lakes).
POINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Point source pollution refers to the direct entry of pollutants, such as organic and inorganic substances, toxic metals and human waste, into a body of water. One of the main point source pollution is the discharge of contaminated water through a drainpipe directly into the lake. In the past, people thought that water would dilute anything and render all pollutants harmless. This persisted for centuries, and as a result the great lakes have accumulated pollutants and nutrients. Point source pollution is relatively easy to control and regulate since it can be traced to a specific point and owner (Great Lakes Considerations).
NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Nonpoint source pollution comes from many different sources and is extremely difficult to regulate and control. Nonpoint source pollution is the top hazard facing Lake Huron and the great lakes today. Nonpoint source pollution is caused by runoff from rain and snow that melts over the land, picking up pollutants along the way, and running into rivers (Great Lakes Considerations). Common nonpoint source pollutants include fertilizer, pesticides, oil, grease and salt from highways, sediment from construction sites, and animal...