The Pollution In Lake Erie's Water

Another reason Lake Erie's water is polluted is due to toxins. First, there is a lot of bacteria entering Lake Erie. A few years ago much of Lake Erie was very contaminated with dangerous toxins from algae: “In 2011, bright green slime spread across one-third of Lake Erie. The slime was a harmful algal bloom, caused by cyanobacteria” (Kowalski 34). As a result of Lake Erie being polluted people must find the issue and resolve it. One theory of the pollution in Lake Erie is that the species are not being managed well enough. Lake Erie must be conserved and the animals must be harvested sustainably because, if animals grow too big, they can pollute the water (Brooks 225-226). The limits on species must be increased, so they do not grow to be
They drew their nitrogen from the air and their phosphorus from a range of human sources-from factories to untreated or poorly treated sewage- which included phosphorus from laundry detergents as well as human waste” (Spotts). As a result of Lake Erie's algae recently producing toxins, the people must take many more precautions. Lake Erie's water is more polluted than ever: “Lake Erie drinking water now often fails to meet World Health Organization standards for safety because of cyanobacteria contamination” (Reeves 43). Lake Erie has been failing safe water tests, meaning it is being contaminated. The theory behind the algae blooms is unknown and there are several ideas: “By the early '90s, algae blooms were rare. Yet cyanobacteria came storming back in the
The water treatment plants in Lake Erie must be upgraded to handle severe pollution. Another reason Lake Erie becomes polluted is due to various toxins released: “Some blooms are harmless, but others can produce toxins that can sicken humans and kill birds and marine animals unlucky enough to ingest them” (Mone 20). Although many of the algae blooms are harmless, people must take precaution because, some are very dangerous. A couple of years ago Toledo, Ohio was taken by shock when the water became undrinkable: “In 2014, the water supply for more than 400,000 people in Toledo, Ohio, was declared unsafe because of the presence of microcystins, a toxin released by algae blooms in Lake Erie” (Fultz 34). The water must never get to a undrinkable level again. The water contamination issue must be solved and never happen again: “Because more than 500,000 customers of Toledo's water system were without drinkable water when toxic microcystin from blue-green algal blooms on Lake Erie contaminated the system, the mayor has called for a broad approach to solving the water-quality problem” (Troy, "Mayor