The Causes and Effects of Water Pollution in Lake Huron - Essay Example

Lake Huron suffers from a number of water pollutants that have greatly affected its flora and fauna as well as the freshness of its water. The lake endures point source pollution from industrial wastes and non-point pollution from fertilizer and pesticide runoff from surrounding farms. These pollutants result in adverse effects that contaminate soils, reduce the quality of its water and damage its ecosystem. The damage from pollution in this lake has harmful repercussions on the wildlife, fishes and human beings that depend on water from this lake.

Point-source pollution This refers to the direct source of contamination in Lake Huron. This is often done when pipes or vessels direct their toxic wastes directly into the lake. Initially, paper and pulp industries located around the lake believed that water could dissolve anything and, thus, neutralize the toxicity of their wastes (Shear, 2006). This resulted in the companies dumping most of their wastes such as mercury into the lake. Other industries dump their wastes that contain harmful chemicals, heavy metals, organic toxins and oil by products into Lake Huron.

In the recent past, fecal matter has been observed in the lake. This means that sewerage companies are directing wastes into the lake as well. This has resulted in the increase of harmful and disease causing bacteria in the lake. At the same time, the sewerage and other inorganic and organic wastes disposed off in the lake have resulted in a decline in the quality of Lake Huron’s water. Non-point source pollution This is pollution that does not come from a specific location. The most prevalent non-point source of pollution in Lake Huron is pesticide and fertilizer runoff.

There are a number of farms surrounding Lake Huron. These farms depend on the lake for water that is vital for irrigation of the vast horticultural farms due to its constant and never-ending supply. These farms make use of a number of fertilizers and pesticides that are used to enhance crop growth. However, the chemicals used in making these fertilizers and pesticides are often washed down from the crops by rain or irrigation water. These chemicals find their way into the lake through rivers and stream that empty their waters in the lake (Shear, 2006).

This often results in the influx of harmful chemicals that greatly affects the lake’s ecosystem as evidenced by the large number of sea birds that are found dead along the lake’s shoreline. The fishes caught from this lake also have a lot of harmful chemicals in them. Residential waste Household waste has become one of the greatest Lake Huron pollutants. Residential wastes that contain organic or inorganic waste and detergents are major contributors to the lake’s water pollution. Organic waste is one which can be decomposed by bacteria such as fruit and vegetable remains.

Inorganic waste includes wastes such as leather, plastic, paper, glass, fabric, metals and wood among other wastes which do not decompose. These wastes cannot be broken down through the help of bacteria and is often referred to as non-biodegradable (Shear, 2006). Detergents are also not broken down easily by bacteria. This means that they remain active for prolonged periods after getting into the fresh water lake. This leaves the water polluted and results in the poising of aquatic organisms such as fish, birds and plants that reside in Lake Huron.

Human and animal wastes