Whole-lake neutralization experiments in Ontario: a review. [Salvelinus fontinalis; Etheostoma exile; Culaea inconstans; Microterus dolomieui]

Journal Article · · Fisheries; (United States)

OSTI ID:6355742

Scheider, W A; Brydges, T G

A review is presented which summarizes studies performed in Sudbury, Ontario area lakes during 1973-1979 and outlines an ongoing study which began in 1981. All lakes were neutralized with Ca(OH)/sub 2/ and CaCO/sub 3/ resulting in pH changes. Levels increased from 4.1 to 7.5 and remained high during the study. Following neutralization, waterborne levels of Cu were reduced by 48-95% from pretreatment values of 80-1100 ..mu..g/L/sup -1/ and Ni levels declined by 23-91% from pretreatment values of 250-1900 ..mu..gL/sup -1/. An immediate decline in phytoplankton standing stock followed neutralization but levels returned to pretreatment values within a few months. Phytoplankton community composition changed such that chrysophytes and diatoms replaced Cryptophyceae and Dinophyceae as dominants. Lakes were stocked with brook trout, Iowa darters, brook stickleback and smallmouth bass after neutralization. Extensive netting yielded no fish and mortality was attributed to Cu toxicity. Further lake neutralization experiments are being conducted to test the feasibility of whole-lake or site-specific neutralization to protect aquatic systems from further damage due to acidic precipitation, and to test the feasibility of using neutralization to rehabilitate an acidified, clear-water lake with low Cu and Ni levels to the point of establishing a self-sustaining lake trout population.

• OSTI ID: 6355742
• Journal Information: Fisheries; (United States), Vol. 9:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COPPER
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TOXICITY
FISHES
POPULATION DYNAMICS
LAKES
LIMING
NICKEL
PHYTOPLANKTON
ZOOPLANKTON
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM HYDROXIDES
CANADA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
PH VALUE
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
DATA
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INFORMATION
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANKTON
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560305 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)
560306 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Man- (-1987)
560302 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)