Western Lake Ontario Research Articles

Concentrations of radionuclides in Lake Ontario water from measurements on water treatment plant sludges

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the results of indirect measurements of radionuclide concentrations in water with those measured directly. The levels of 137Cs and 226Ra in western Lake Ontario nearshore waters were derived from high-resolution γ-spectrometric measurements on aluminum hydroxide sludge samples obtained from four water treatment plants. The concentrations of 137Cs evaluated by this indirect technique averaged 0.036 compared with 0.023 pCi l −1 measured directly, while those of 226Ra averaged 0.047 compared with the direct measurement of 0.03 pCi l −1. The concentrations of a number of other radionuclides at these locations were also calculated from the sludge γ-ray measurements.

Food and indicators of food availability for common terns on the lower Great Lakes

The food of common terns (Sterna hirundo) nesting on the lower Great Lakes was studied in 1979. In western Lake Ontario 90% of the diet comprised alewife and smelt. In the Niagara River the principal food items were smelt, emerald shiner, common shiner, and bluntnose minnow and in eastern Lake Erie the principal items were smelt, emerald shiner, and trout-perch. Nonfish material was rarely observed. Methods for studying the diets of common terns on the Great Lakes are examined.Three indicators of food availability were examined in 1979 at the Eastern Headland in western Lake Ontario: (1) percentage fish accepted by chicks, (2) foraging time, and (3) chick growth. More food was presented to the chicks than they could eat. Food acceptance levels increased with chick age and brood size and ranged from 43.5 to 91.5%. Foraging trip times were 17.2 min on average and, depending on brood size, tern pairs spent an estimated 45–64% of daylight hours foraging for food for their chicks. Weights of 15-day-old chicks in three-chick broods were higher than those reported for other parts of the breeding range.

Radionuclide concentrations in two sewage treatment plants on Western Lake Ontario, Canada

Radionuclide concentrations in digester sludge and effluent samples from Hamilton and Dundas sewage treatment plants, located at the western tip of Lake Ontario, have been determined by high-resolution γ-ray spectrometry. The radionuclides51Cr,75Se and131I, which are used in nuclear medicine procedures, were found in sludge samples. Very low concentrations of51Cr, entering Lake Ontario through the Hamilton plant effluent discharge, have little effect on lake water quality.

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) as Indicators of Organochlorine Contamination in Lake Ontario

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and herring gulls (Larus argentatus) in the Great Lakes depend to a large extent on alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and smelt (Osmerus mordax) for their food. All of these species range widely in the lakes, and therefore provide an integrated measure of levels of organochlorine contaminants in the lakes. Organochlorine residues were determined in herring gull eggs from four eastern Lake Ontario colonies, coho salmon from western Lake Ontario, and pooled alewife and smelt from the stomach contents of the salmon. The mean apparent bioconcentration factor was 2.9 ± 0.7 for accumulation of PCBs, DDE, mirex, photomirex, HCB, dieldrin, and DDD in coho salmon muscle from alewives and smelt. The salmon had a mean weight of 2.4 kg and a mean lipid content of 8.2%. The bioconcentration factor was 50 ± 10 for accumulation of PCBs with more than five chlorines, DDE, mirex, and photomirex in herring gull eggs. PCBs with fewer than six chlorines, HCB, dieldrin, and DDD were concentrated to a lesser extent in herring gull eggs. Assuming an apparent bioconcentration factor from water of 5 × 105 for accumulation of PCBs, DDE, mirex, and photomirex in smelt and alewives, the corresponding values in coho salmon and herring gull eggs were 1.5 × 106 and 2.5 × 107. Key words: bioconcentration, residue, alewives, smelt, PCBs, DDE, mirex, photomirex, HCB, dieldrin

Seismicity and lithospheric stress in New York and adjacent areas

The earthquake distribution obtained by a relatively dense network of short-period high-gain stations in New York and adjacent areas from 1971 to mid-1976 shows nearly all of the features of seismicity maps from standard listings from 1928 to 1975. In addition, the network data show a region of significant activity in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York and several sizeable earthquakes in western Lake Ontario. In both areas, few or no earthquakes were previously reported. Both epicentral maps show a region of low seismicity in the Vermont section of the control-versial Boston-Ottawa seismic zone. Well-located earthquakes in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada range in depth from near surface to about 25 km. Deeper earthquakes (>10 km) have not been found throughout the region, but may be localized in those areas where large earthquakes have occurred. They may also be indicative of deep fault zones which have a greater potential for the occurrence of future large earthquakes. Single events, main shock-aftershock sequences, and swarms are found in this region. We do not yet understand why particular types of earthquake sequences occur in specific areas. In many cases, aftershock sequences or earthquake swarms can be related to mapped faults or inferred extensions of faults. Recent stress indicators in New York and adjacent areas support the presence of an ENE-trending maximum compressive stress in the lithosphere west of the Appalachian Mountains in New York, Ohio, and southern Ontario. The eastern boundary of this stress domain is suggested by limited data in northern New England, southeastern New York, and New Jersey. We postulate that variations in the stress field, which may exist near the eastern boundary of this stress domain, and the general lack of suitably oriented faults in Vermont may explain the region of low seismicity in Vermont along the proposed Boston-Ottawa seismic zone.

Sulphate deposition by precipitation into lake Ontario

Measurements of sulphate concentration in precipitation from individual snow storms of several hours duration in the Western Lake Ontario region indicate that approximately 9–66 mg M−2 of SO is being deposited into the Lake per storm. This amount is up to several times more than daily average values over long periods found by other workers. Using a mean sulphate concentration of 4 mg l−1 and an annual accumulation of precipitation of 760 mm, the yearly sulphate deposition by precipitation is about 0.1 % of the total mass of sulphate in the Lake; however, more significantly, it is of the same order of magnitude as that discharged directly into the Lake by industry.

Water Resources of a Western New York Region: A Case Study of Water Resources and Use in the Genesee Valley and Western Lake Ontario Basin

Water Resources of a Western New York Region: A Case Study of Water Resources and Use in the Genesee Valley and Western Lake Ontario Basin