Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

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Table 1. Chemical Contaminants in Groundwater Chemical Arsenic Health Effects – increased risk of several cancers; possible increased incidence of circulatory, cerebrovascular, and kidney diseases and diabetes Fluoride Health Effects – fluorosis with pain and tenderness of the bones; children may get mottled teeth Nitrate/Nitrite Health Effects – risk of methaemoglobulinemia in infants below the age of six months Radionuclides Health Effects – various cancers Radon Health Effects – ingestion increases the possibility of internal organ cancer, specifically stomach cancer. Inhalation of radon gas released from use of household water increases the chances of lung cancer over the course of a lifetime Uranium Health Effects – kidney toxicity; increased risk of cancer Atrazine Health Effects – cardiovascular damage, reproductive problems Aldicarb Health Effects – inhibition of red blood cell cholinesterase; possible immunotoxicity Aldrin/Dieldrin Health Effects – central nervous system and liver toxicity; bioaccumulates Trichloroethylene Health Effects – liver toxicity; increased cancer risk Tetrachloroethylene Health Effects – liver and kidney toxicity; probable human carcinogen Benzene Health Effects – aplastic anemia; decrease in blood platelets; increased risk of haematopoetic cancers Ethylbenzene Health Effects – liver and kidney toxicity Toluene Health Effects – nervous system, liver and kidney toxicity Xylenes Health Effects – nervous system toxicity Sodium Health Effects – intake greater than 1.0 gram/day increases risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in susceptible individuals Hardness Health Effects – probable cardiovascular health benefit Manganese Health Effects – possible neurobehavioural effects in children Methyl tert-butyl ether Health Effects – uncertain; serious effects unlikely at concentrations in drinking water that do not have an offensive odour or taste GCDWQ MAC – mg/L AO – aesthetic objective U.S. EPA MCL – mg/L 0.010 0.010 MCLG = zero 1.5 4.0 primary standard 2.0 secondary standard 45.0 total nitrate/nitrite = 10 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen; if nitrite is measured separately, nitrite should not exceed 3.2 mg/L See Annex B A MAC for radon in drinking water has not been established 0.020 0.030 0.005 0.003 10.0 mg nitrate measured as nitrogen 1.0 mg nitrite measured as nitrogen See Annex D 0.009 No MCL 0.007 total aldrin + dieldrin No MCL 0.005 0.005 MCLG = zero 0.030 0.005 MCLG = zero 0.005 0.005 MCLG = zero AO ≤ 0.0024 0.7 AO ≤ 0.024 1.0 AO ≤ 0.3 10.0 ≤ 200.0 Total dissolved solids ≤500 mg/L Proposed MCL 300 pCi/L. AMCL 4,000 pCi/L where a multimedia management program is in place 20 mg/L guidance level under review; on Contaminant Candidate List Total dissolved solids ≤ 500 mg/L ≤50.0 AO 50.0 secondary standard No guideline 0.02 - 0.04 special drinking water advisory Agriceuticals, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products Antibiotics and a variety of other pharmaceuticals for animals (agriceuticals) are widely used in agriculture. They are present in the manures used for land spreading and enter the environment in that way. Human use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products has put many chemicals into the human waste stream, in part to municipal landfills but primarily to sewage treatment plants. Many of these chemicals are not broken down by wastewater treatment processes and are 47
discharged with the wastewater into rivers, streams or the nearshore environment of lakes. Some can be broken down by newer technologies (Christen, 2007). They are present in biosolids that are spread on land. They sometimes have direct access to groundwater in situations like abandoned wells that provide direct access into groundwater for chemicals leaching out of the manures and biosolids. The USGS has done extensive surveys of their presence in surface and groundwater. They have been detected primarily in surface waters. The most common chemicals found in surface water have been coprostanol (a fecal steroid), caffeine, cholesterol, DEET, tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (a fire retardant), 4-nonylphenol and triclosan (USGS, 2002). Triclosan, an antimicrobial disinfectant, is used in many consumer products under a variety of trade names. Concern has been raised that it may be a threat to human health because of trace amounts of dioxin it contains as an impurity and because it can be converted to dioxins when exposed to sunlight. The most serious concern, however, is its potential to promote the development of antibioticresistant bacteria (Glaser, 2004). Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including pathogenic ones, are frequently found downstream of wastewater treatment plants (Ash, 2004). Schwab et al. (2005) carried out health risk assessments for 26 active pharmaceuticals and/or their metabolites that have been found in U.S. surface and groundwater. Fourteen different drug classes were covered. ADIs that took into consideration sensitive subpopulations were calculated from the toxicological information available on the active pharmaceutical ingredients. Predicted no-effect concentrations were then calculated for drinking water and fish consumption. No appreciable risk to human health associated with the trace amounts in water and fish was found for any of the 26 compounds. Summary Table 1 summarizes the MACs and MCLs for the contaminants discussed above. The health effects listed are those upon which the MACs and MCLs were established and/or other effects likely to occur at concentrations in the range of the MACs and MCLs. These chemicals have a number of other serious health effects at higher concentrations. GREAT LAKES-ST. LAWRENCE RIVER BASIN HUMAN HEALTH EFFECT STUDIES A literature search on MEDLINE for groundwater/ ground water limited by the keyword “water pollutants/chemical” and a separate search limited by the keyword “adverse effects” and searches for well water with the same limiters found 11 epidemiological studies in which all or part of 9 study populations residing in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin were exposed to specific contaminants in groundwater. Of these, four looked at arsenic, one at atrazine, two at aldicarb and two at nitrate exposure. One study each looked at exposure to fungicides/herbicides and manganese. Seven of the studies were done in Wisconsin. Only one was done in Canada. Arsenic Knobeloch, Zierold and Anderson. (2006) conducted a survey of residents in 19 rural townships in the Fox River valley in Wisconsin. Study participants provided well water samples and completed a questionnaire regarding their residential history, well water consumption and family health. The study collected information from 6,669 residents. The study examined samples from 2,233 household wells. Well water arsenic ranged from less than 1.0 to 3,100 µg/L. The median level was 2.0 µg/L. 11% of the wells had arsenic levels above 20 µg/L; 80% were below the U.S. EPA drinking water standard of 10 µg/L. In residents over 35 years of age who had consumed water with elevated arsenic levels for at least 10 years, there was a significant increase in a history of skin cancer. For those with arsenic levels between 1.0 and 9.9 µg/L compared to those less than 1.0 µg/L there was a significant 80% increase in skin cancer risk. For those with arsenic concentrations equal to or greater than 10 µg/L compared to those less than 1.0 µg/L, the risk for skin cancer was 90% higher. Haupert, Wiersma and Golring. (1996) reported in a 1992-1993 study that Wisconsin residents with an estimated intake of arsenic equal to or greater than 50 µg/day were significantly more likely to report a diagnosis of skin cancer. Zierold, Knobeloch and Anderson (2004) reported on the rates of 9 chronic diseases in a survey of 1,185 Wisconsin residents who provided private well water samples and were part of the larger study population in the Fox River Valley by Knobeloch et al. (2006). They had been drinking their well water for at least 20 years. Respondents whose well water arsenic level was equal to or greater than 2 µg/L had statistically significant elevated rates of depression, high blood pressure, circulatory problems and bypass surgery. 48 Meliker, Wahl, Cameron and Nriagu (2007) studied residents in southeastern Michigan looking for elevated
Page 1 and 2:
AReportoftheGreatLakesScienceAdviso
Page 3 and 4: Citation: Great Lakes Science Advis
Page 6: Commissioners’ Preface The Great
Page 9 and 10: 2 required to monitor basin groundw
Page 11 and 12: 4 Systems have a 30-year lifespan d
Page 13 and 14: 6 Groundwater quality is routinely
Page 15 and 16: 8 Transmittal Letter Groundwater/An
Page 17 and 18: 10 Acknowledgements, Activities and
Page 19 and 20: APPENDICES Appendices A through L p
Page 21 and 22: INTRODUCTION Groundwater, a major n
Page 23 and 24: 16 DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL SYSTEMS M
Page 25 and 26: that are not substantially affected
Page 27 and 28: Estimates of the Level and Extent o
Page 29 and 30: APPENDIX B Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 31 and 32: 24 PATHOGENS Bacteria, viruses and
Page 33 and 34: Viruses Viral pathogens continue to
Page 35 and 36: SPECIFIC EPISODES Walkerton In 2000
Page 37 and 38: 30 season. The sampling sites inclu
Page 39 and 40: 32 Curriero, F.C., Patz, J.A., Rose
Page 41 and 42: Infection of a suitable host specie
Page 44 and 45: APPENDIX C Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 46 and 47: Road salt has significant toxic eff
Page 48 and 49: converted to nitrite in the human s
Page 50 and 51: Atrazine Atrazine is an extensively
Page 52 and 53: Wisconsin DNR keeps track of about
Page 56 and 57: isks for 23 diseases in six contigu
Page 58 and 59: Figure 1. Number* of waterborne-dis
Page 60 and 61: Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Wa
Page 62 and 63: APPENDIX D Threats to Groundwater Q
Page 64 and 65: Figure 1. Source: General Descripti
Page 66 and 67: (Gorman and Halvorsen, 2006). Any s
Page 68 and 69: Table 3. Washtenaw County, Michigan
Page 70 and 71: that the OWTS would last until it w
Page 72 and 73: REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Aglie,
Page 74: Septic Tanks - Septic Tank Articles
Page 77 and 78: INTRODUCTION Leaking underground st
Page 79 and 80: sites that were previously closed,
Page 81 and 82: Table 1. USTs in Great Lakes States
Page 83 and 84: Estimation of Costs for Remediation
Page 85 and 86: Table 6. Operational Compliance of
Page 87 and 88: 80 Indiana Government. (2007, Febru
Page 89 and 90: 82 GLOSSARY AST - above ground stor
Page 91 and 92: INTRODUCTION 84 Hazardous wastes ar
Page 93 and 94: The town of Kincardine, Ontario, ha
Page 95 and 96: 88 • The monitoring and surveilla
Page 97 and 98: However, the U.S. EPA has been relu
Page 99 and 100: 92 Johnson, B.L. & DeRosa, C.T. (19
Page 101 and 102: PAHs - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocar
Page 103 and 104: INTRODUCTION An abandoned well is d
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Figure 6: Leaking oil well Source:
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CONTAMINANT SOURCES 100 During any
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Nearly 16 million operational water
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• Development of a targeted progr
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106 Michigan Department of Environm
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APPENDIX H Threats to Groundwater Q
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far reaching. Road salt can inhibit
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112 Desalinization Potential water
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Gray, J. (2004, January). Brine Spr
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INTRODUCTION 116 In 2003 there were
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118 feed has increased to upwards o
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References and Bibliography 120 Arn
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APPENDIX J Threats to Groundwater Q
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for recreational purposes and destr
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126 errors (human or mechanical), p
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Apparent Losses Old meters are like
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Figure 6. Examples of Windsor, Onta
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REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 132 Ada
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134 Levy, S. (2004, November 16). T
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APPENDIX K The Châteauguay Transbo
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138 the clay sediments of the St. L
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REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Bureau
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INTRODUCTION 142 Groundwater law ac
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144 • Water withdrawn be returned
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146 found to be failing. Now, with
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Part 373: Third Stage Treatment Lag
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150 Chapter 1501:15 Soil and Water
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152 Title 29 - Water Resources Mana
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APPENDIX M List of Acronyms ADHD -
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Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin

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