Loadings of Selected Chemicals into the St. Lawrence River System from Lake Ontario, 1986/87

Abstract

Abstract Determination of the mass output through the St. Lawrence River outflow system is an important component in computing mass balance of chemical loadings to Lake Ontario. The total flow rate in the St. Lawrence River System at the Wolfe Island area was calculated from detailed time series current meter measurements from a network of current meters and Lagrangian drifter experiments. This flow is roughly distributed in the ratio of 55% to 45% in the South and North channel, respectively. Loading estimates of selected chemicals have been made by combining the above transport calculations with the ongoing chemical monitoring data at the St. Lawrence outflow. A vertical gradient in the concentration of some organic and inorganic chemicals was observed. The measured concentration for some of the chemicals was higher during the summer months and also is higher in the South Channel than in the North Channel of the St. Lawrence River. These loading estimates are useful not only for modelling the mass balance of chemicals in Lake Ontario but also for serving as input loadings to the St. Lawrence River system from Lake Ontario.