Ecology

An Account of Ecological Pollution in the Onondaga Lake
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Abstract
This paper’s scope revolves around a once high profile ecological crisis in Onondaga Lake. Onondaga Lake is situated in New York in the northwestern side of Syracuse. The lake has an area of four and a half square miles. On the southwest shore and southeast end of the lake are expressways and active industrial areas. On northeast shore and the northwest end are a series of museums and parks.
Indeed, Onondaga Lake turned into a dumping site for waste from industries and sewage in Syracuse from the year 1880. The account of Onondaga lake pollution is a disturbing one, a case of ecosystem destruction and a culture that placed economic gain far ahead of environmental protection (Rowell et al., 2015). Additionally, an account of pollution around Onondaga Lake throughout the past three centuries has triggered impacting ecological problems that left lasting scars. The high chloride concentrations in the water contravened the State standards for fishing and drinking (Matthews., et al., 2013). Consequently, this paper will take a look at Onondaga’s Lake ecological problem and evaluate the current policy and pollution status of the lake.
Keywords: ecology, pollution, environment, eco-system, lake, economy, and water
An Account of Ecological Pollution in the Onondaga Lake
Introduction
The United States environmental protection agency had classified Onondaga lake ecosystem as a superfund. Furthermore, this was back in the year 1994 when the lake was among the most polluted in the country.

As a result, the lake was set up to undergo a thorough clean-up by reversing the pollution culture that has been affecting the lake over a century (Rowell et al., 2016). The account of Onondaga lake pollution is a disturbing one, a case of ecosystem destruction and a culture that placed economic gain far ahead of environmental protection (Rowell et al., 2015). Additionally, to maximize future outcomes in sustainability, public awareness on the significance of environmental conservation carried out and therefore, public participation in the process will be crucial. For instance, the Allied Chemical Company has played a key role in Onondaga’s Lake chemical pollution
Ecological Situation
One key source of contamination in Onondaga Lake is wastewater in the form of sewage. For decades, human waste from Syracuse was dumped into Onondaga Lake with minimal or no treatment. Before the arrival of Europeans and the growth of large populations in the Onondaga area, the lake contained small blooms of aquatic plants. However, the high levels of phosphorus and ammonia from the dumping of human waste led to the uncontrollable growth of algae in the lake. After these large amount algae die, the bacterial decomposition that breaks down the dead algae starts to occur. The process uses large amounts of oxygen-depleting aquatic oxygen levels. The low oxygen level is a danger to aquatic life because most of the aquatic life dies out due to lack of oxygen (Rowell et al., 2016).
Moreover, sewers in some parts of Syracuse carry both floodwater and sanitary sewage leading to a phenomenon called combined sewer overflow (CSO). During dry seasons, these sewers transport all human waste sewage to Metro for disinfection; nevertheless, during the rainy seasons or when the snow is melting, the sewers carry a lot of wastewater to a level that overwhelms the Metro treatment. In short, this means that some water will find its way into Onondaga Lake that is untreated (Rowell et al., 2016).
The Allied Chemical Company has played a key role in Onondaga’s Lake chemical pollution. In the past, Onondaga lake water surface has been identified to have hazardous mercury contamination. The lake sediments have also been found to be contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), creosotes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), BTEX compounds and chlorinated benzenes. In short, these substances were deliberately deposited into the lake or accidentally leaked in from waste depositories or the Solvay waste beds situated on the southwestern shore of Onondaga Lake. The waste beds still seep chemicals in the lake even today.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Department of Health of New York decided to lift the advisory of not to eat catfish, eat bass, and white perch from Onondaga Lake amid a reduction in pollution. Be that as it may, the advisory of not to consume walleye was upheld; and young women age, children, and infants were advised not to consume any of the fish from Onondaga Lake. In 2007, the Department of Health of New York reviewed its advisory by banning the consumption of smallmouth bass and largemouth over fifteen-inches-long. Currently, the department advises a maximum one meal of any species not mentioned per month and a maximum of four meals of pumpkinseed and brown bullhead per month. Therefore, these advisories by the New York State Department of Health only serve to demonstrate that the ecological problem in Onondaga Lake was getting out of hand (Matthews et al., 2013). Some fish species in Onondaga Lake have long been wiped out because of the pollution. Besides, this is what happens if the natural habitat of a given species is altered or polluted (Smith, 2015).
Interventions to Onondaga Lake Ecological Problem (Resolutions)
The ecological situation in Onondaga Lake has improved gradually throughout the past two and a half decades. Conducted by Onondaga County with support from New York State and the federal government, the ambient monitoring program (AMP) has successfully been conducting Onondaga lake cleanup endeavors. The AMP has also successfully been monitoring the lake’s health status over the years. Nevertheless, the program is yet to develop a technology that can easily and accurately monitor factors like mercury levels in the lake water. Moreover, among the factors that the program has successfully been monitoring include bacteria levels, water clarity, the concentration of phosphorus, the concentration of dissolved oxygen, the concentration of ammonia, and nitrate concentrations (Onondaga Community College, 2018).
Conclusion
Lastly, although the intervention by the AMP has been fruitful, their actions alone may not achieve ecological sustainability in Onondaga Lake. For instance, one key source of contamination in Onondaga Lake is wastewater is in the form of sewage. For decades, human waste from Syracuse was dumped into Onondaga Lake with minimal or no treatment. Therefore, to maximize future outcomes in sustainability public awareness on the significance of environmental conservation and public participation in the process will be crucial. It is extremely significant to conserve our ecosystem because well all depend on it directly and indirectly (Smith, 2015).
References
Matthews, D. A., Babcock, D. B., Nolan, J. G., Prestigiacomo, A. R., Effler, S. W., Driscoll, C. T., … & Kuhr, K. M. (2013). Whole-lake Nitrate Addition for Control of Methylmercury in Mercury-contaminated Onondaga Lake, NY. Environmental Research, 125, 52-60.
Onondaga Community College. (2018). “Current Status of Onondaga Lake.” Retrieved February 05, 2018, from http://students.sunyocc.edu/index.aspx?id=13390
Rowell, H. C., Bopp, R. F., Peng, F., Velinsky, D. J., & Bloomfield, J. A. (2015). Annually Laminated Sediments from Onondaga Lake, New York (USA) Provide a Basis for High- Resolution Studies of Lake Degradation and Recovery. Journal of Paleolimnology, 53(1), 107-121.
Rowell, H. C., Enache, M. D., Quinlan, R., Smith, A. J., Bloomfield, J. A., Charles, D. F., & Effler, S. W. (2016). Quantitative Paleolimnological Inference Models Applied to a High- Resolution bio-stratigraphic Study of Lake Degradation and Recovery, Onondaga Lake, New York (USA). Journal of Paleolimnology, 55(3), 241-258.
Smith, T. M., & Smith, R. L. (2015). Elements of Ecology. Boston: Pearson.