Clarity vs. Purity: When it comes to water, what you see isn’t always what you get Mark Dzurko

04/20/23 draft 3_no visuals 1

Clarity vs. Purity:Clarity vs. Purity:

When it comes to water, When it comes to water, what you see isn’t what you see isn’t

always what you getalways what you get

Mark DzurkoMark Dzurkomdzurko@trentu.camdzurko@trentu.ca

Ph.D candidate, Trent-Queen’s Graduate ProgramPh.D candidate, Trent-Queen’s Graduate Program

Water is one of our most precious resources in Canada, yet we take it for granted each and every day

Toxic chemicals: the legacy of a chemical society

• We are a "chemical" society, using hundreds of chemicals in our normal daily activities: washing, eating, house-cleaning, tending the lawn and garden, driving

• Of the almost 10 million chemicals known today, approximately 100 000 chemicals are used commercially.

Toxic chemicals: the legacy of a chemical society

• Most toxic chemicals are discharged directly into our waterways as waste, but many also enter the water after everyday use in the home, agriculture and industry

• They constantly change the chemical composition of our waters

Pollution Cycle

• The chemicals can cause problems with the taste, odour and colour in water

• Fish and wildlife can experience reduced fertility, genetic deformities, immune system damage, increased incidence of tumours, and death

Non-persistent (degradable)

• Domestic sewage • Fertilizers • Some industrial wastes • These compounds can be broken down by

chemical reactions or by natural bacteria into simple, non-polluting substances such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen

• The process can lead to low oxygen levels and eutrophication if the pollution load is high

Persistent (degrade slowly)

• Many pesticides (e.g., DDT, dieldrin) • Some leachate components from landfill sites

(municipal, industrial) • Petroleum and petroleum products • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins,

polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) • Radioactive materials such as strontium-90,

cesium-137, radium-226, and uranium • Metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium

• Metal and positive ions: arsenic, lead, mercury

Inorganic Contaminants

• Negative ions: fluoride, chloride, phosphate

Inorganic Contaminants

Organic Contaminants

• Pesticides are used in agriculture, forestry and homes

• PCBs although no longer used in new installations, are still found as insulators in older electrical transformers

• PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are widely used by industry for their flame retarding properties

• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products are being detected in an increasing number of waterbodies

Organic Contaminants

Levels in the Environment

• State-of-the-art analytical instruments can detect down to one part per trillion of some substances – comparable to tracing one thousandth of a teaspoon of salt dissolved in an Olympic-size swimming pool

Worsfold Water Quality Center www.trentu.ca/wqc

Aquatic Cycling of Toxins

The Effects of Water Pollution

• Pollution is not always visible

• A river or lake may seem clean, but still be polluted

• In groundwater, on which over one quarter of all Canadians rely for their water supply, pollution is especially difficult to discern

• Nor are the effects of pollution necessarily immediate; they may take years to appear

What can we do?

• Use eco-friendly household products

• Don't misuse the sewage system

• Use elbow grease, not hazardous materials in your gardens and lawns

• Storm drains are not dumping sites for hazardous products

• Don't forget about water quality – even when you're having fun

For more information or to get involved

• Nature Canada – Water Campaign

www.naturecanada.ca/advocate/water_campaign

• Environment Canada

www.ec.gc.ca/WATER/

• Ontario Ministry of the Environment

www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water

• Health Canada

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/water-eau/drink-potab

• Trent University – Worsfold Water Quality Center

www.trentu.ca/wqc

Water is the Lifeblood of the Environment