Todd Singleton U.R. answers to blog with water sample results

 

 

 Arielnsb writes: Are oil, gases and chemicals allowed to be dumped in the Tomoka Landfill?

                On the Volusia County’s Tomoka landfill site they impose that “NO! Motor oil may not be dumped.  Please use the non-commercial oil recycling igloo on site.”

They do however indicate that they have a “Household Hazardous Waste facility on site.”  This facility stores gasoline, paints, thinners/ solvents, pool chemicals and related substances.   

 

 Amber C. of Section 50 writes:  What kinds of adverse effects would high levels of these chemicals cause in the Tomoka River?

                Amber in regards to nutrient levels, chemicals that contain nitrogen and or phosphorus can create eutrophication.  Eutrophication is when a waterway becomes so loaded with nutritive compounds that algae and microscopic plant life become so abundant that they will choke up a waterway. 

 

 

Anna S. Sec. of Section 01 writes:

Do any of these chemicals negatively affect any of the animals or plant life in the area that live in the water or drink the water (animals)?

Yes, when the nutrient levels are high thus causing eutrophication.  (see above post for definition)  Plants that live at the bottom of the intercostal river (Tomoka River drains into the intercostal) such as seagrass can suffer because the nutrient levels stimulate algae which can block out the sun to the seagrass.  And when the seagrass suffer it creates an imbalance in this ecosystem. 

                The aquatic life that breathes oxygen underwater can die because the eutrophication uses up all the oxygen in the water.  As far as land animals that drink the water in regards to just phosphate levels because I have identified high levels of this nutrient.   Water-research.net explains:  Phosphates are not toxic to people or animals unless they are present in very high levels. Digestive problems could occur from extremely high levels of phosphate. 

 

On a side note, as far as government standards go unfortunately there is currently no national water quality criterion on total phosphorus and orthophosphate to protect surface waters.    The EPA states that this is “because the effects of phosphorus vary by region and are dependent on physical factors such as the size, hydrology, and depth of rivers and lakes. Nuisance algae growths are not uncommon in rivers and streams below the low reference level (0.1 mg/L) for phosphorus in this indicator, however (Dodds and Welch, 2000), and statistical analyses of water quality data suggest that more appropriate reference levels for total P range from 0.01 to 0.075 mg/L, depending on the ecoregion (U.S. EPA, 2002). Some streams in the lowest category may exceed these recommended water quality criteria.”

My sample levels of Total P were in mg/L: 0.17, 0.03, 0.31, 0.22, 0.16, 0.18, 0.33, 0.30, 0.01.