Water Quality of Narragansett Bay - Research Paper Example

Water quality of Narragansett Bay: Nutrient Pollution Narragansett Bay was the seat of the Industrial Revolution in the United s and played in an important role in the economic development of the nation. However, the textile and later jewelry industries which took life at the bay were like parasites feeding on the bay and has ever since been taking away its life. Today, the Narragansett Bay is in a state of distress, over polluted and ‘eutrophic’ (Desbonnet v). The water quality in Narragansett Bay is a result of various influences both human and environmental. The contaminating agents could very broadly be classified into nutrient pollution, storm water and waste water (savebay.org). How does nutrient pollution affect the water quality of Narragansett Bay? Nutrient pollution is caused mainly by an excessive nitrogen level which is the largest source of pollution in coastal waters of the United States (Howarth 47). Nutrient pollution causes massive fish kill and affects the quality of water and ecosystem adversely. Let us examine briefly how the ecological system of the Bay gets affected. Nitrogen levels can increase due to a number of factors like atmospheric deposition, organic decomposition and human activity to name a few. The Bay’s watershed covers a vast expanse of 1,650 sq miles and is one of the most densely populated in the country (Narragansett Bay Water Quality 19). Excessive human activities have resulted in the formation of cesspools and wastewater which is the main source of nutrients to the bay. Thus there is an excess of nitrogen which causes a rampant increase in the phytoplankton, referred to as a bloom. Once this bloom subsides, it dies and sinks to the bottom where it begins to decompose. This decomposition process requires a great deal of oxygen and ends up using almost the entire quantity of oxygen in the bottom layers of the bay. With change in wind conditions, oxygen from the top layers shifts to the bottom where that also gets exhausted. And once the oxygen is depleted it causes the entire fish and marine population to die off in mass quantities. The dead fish then wash ashore and decompose causing further depletion of oxygen in the environment. The same phenomenon holds true for algae as well. This tends to happen more during summer months as the oxygen levels in the water are already low during warmer periods. Loss of oxygen also results in Hypoxia, a situation where the oxygen concentration is so low (below 2.9 mg/l) that it is fatal to the organisms. In moderate proportions, phytoplankton is actually helpful in the subsistence of the biological system. But the nitrogen intake of the bay reaches extreme levels most of the time causing a cancerous growth of phytoplankton some of which are said to cause diseases in fish and humans as well as harmful algae that are detrimental to the well being of the ecosystem. Moreover, in excess amounts, these can prevent sunlight from entering the lower layers of the bay thereby affecting the water. The human contribution to the excess nitrogen is in multiple ways. The use of fossil fuels releases a large quantity of nitrogen in to the atmosphere which later dissolves in the water making it acidic. Much of the nitrogen in Narragansett Bay comes from dissolved nitrogen in ground water. The ground water nitrogen in the Bay is contributed mainly by the surface terrain of the region as well as the presence of densely populated un-sewered development in the coastal zone (Nowicki, Gold 67). Areas which have septic or individual sewage disposal systems are seen to have poorer water quality. The discharge of human wastes in to the bay has multiple effects on the health of the bay and increased levels of water pollution are seen in more populated areas of the Bay. Bacterial and viral illnesses like gastroenteritis, Salmonella and infectious hepatitis as well as disease causing pathogens are also caused by human waste disposal in to the Bay (Narragansett Bay Water Quality 11). Fish kill can also occur due to decay and decomposition of plants that grow wildly owing to the nutrients that emerge form waste water treatment plants. This problem is more prominent in the suburban areas like coves and embayments lining the Lower Bay as wastewater increases with human settlement and development (Narragansett Bay Water Quality 6). An excessive amount of nitrogen in the soil as well as fertilization of land has also caused an alteration in the ecosystem. This has been reported in upper parts of the Bay causing naturally occurring algae to be replaced by nuisance algae that are proven to be toxic to both biological as well as human life (Narragansett Bay Water Quality 17). The water is also reported to have tested positive for the presence of silver, lead and other traces of waste metals owing to the textile, dying and jewelry industries that were set up in this region. Thus nutrient pollution has resulted in the quality of water and ecosystem being heavily compromised in the Narragansett Bay with industrial wastes, human wastes and lack of proper and effective measures to control the quantity of nitrogen that is let out in to the water. However, sincere efforts are being made in this respect with the government and NGOs coming forward to control the discharge of pollutants in to the water. Considerable improvements have been witnessed of late with regards to the same. The Clean Water Act which came in to effect requires that the most aggressive action be taken to comply with the state water quality standards established by law (clf scoop). With the involvement of the residents of the area and the nation it is possible to rejuvenate and detoxify this unique watershed and ecosystem. Works Cited: 1. Desbonnet, Alan and Costa- Pierce, Barry A., eds. Science for Ecosystem-based Management Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century. Springer Series on Environmental Management. New York: Springer, 2008. Print. 2. “Nutrient Pollution”. Narragansett Bay. Save the Bay. Savebay.org n.d. Web. 13 December 2010. 3. Howarth, Robert W. “Estimating Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in the Northeastern United States: Relevance to Narragansett Bay” Science for Ecosystem-based Management Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century. Ed. Desbonnet, Alan and Costa- Pierce, Barry A. New York: Springer, 2008. 47 – 65. Print. 4. “Narragansett Bay Water Quality: Status and Trends”. Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. 1998. Web. 13 December 2010. 5. Nowicki, Barbara L. and Gold, Arthur J. “Groundwater nitrogen Transport and Input along the Narragansett Bay Coastal Margin” Science for Ecosystem-based Management Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century. Ed. Desbonnet, Alan and Costa- Pierce, Barry A. New York: Springer, 2008. 67- 100. Print. 6. Morgenstern, Claire. “CLF Seeks Stricter Controls on Nitrogen Pollution to Restore Water Quality in MA and RI”. CLF Scoop. CLF.org. 28 September 2010. Web. 13 December 2010. Read More