Poor air quality like that experienced by smoke from Canadian bushfires in June can negatively affect water quality, but experts have yet to see the impacts of the fire on the Ohio River or the return of harmful algal blooms.
With air pollution from Canadian bushfires, the Air Quality Index has reached the “unhealthy” range in Greater Cincinnati. Despite these damaging effects on the air, experts said they did not anticipate the fires hitting the Ohio River and nearby bodies of water.
Although the fires are releasing negative outputs, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, or ORSANCO, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency have seen no effect on water quality in Ohio.
“This is particulate matter from the fire… Particulate matter is toxic,” Ohio EPA director Anne Vogel said at an event near the Ohio River in late June. “I’m not aware that we’re worried about this.”
Particulate matter refers to the droplets that travel through the air from Canada’s wildfires. They can be liquid and solid and can cause irritation.
The largest particles are 10 microns large, better understood as 10 millionths of a meter. The smallest particles, less than 2.5 microns, can also reach the lungs and blood. These particles, at this size, are smaller than blood cells and cannot be seen by the human eye.
Bruce Whitteberry, the assistant superintendent for Greater Cincinnati Water Works, said the organization normally looks for volatile organic compounds in drinking water. Whitteberry said she saw nothing related to the fires.
“It’s not something we’ve really been able to measure an impact on,” Whitteberry said. “Besides the soot, there might be some chemicals… but that’s not something we’ve seen.”
Whitteberry added that if the fire had an impact on water quality, it could be negligible based on the sheer amount of water versus the amount of particles.
Does air quality affect water quality?
Although emissions from the fire have not been detected in water in the area, air quality can still have an effect on overall water quality.
“A lot of pollution like mercury comes from atmospheric deposition… Airflow and precipitation have a big impact,” said Richard Harrison, executive director of ORSANCO. “It’s all connected.”
The atmospheric definition affects the climate as a whole. When harmful substances are released into the air, they return to the ground through natural causes such as rainfall. This affects not only water but land as well.
Harrison added that one of the biggest factors in water conditions is soil quality. For example, runoffs carrying pollutants can reach bodies of water, introducing these chemicals into the water.
Another major influence on water quality is climate change, according to Chris Lorentz, director of the Thomas More University Biology Field Station.
“Air quality has a minor direct impact on water quality,” Lorentz said. “Emissions are the problem.”
Will the algal blooms return to the Ohio River?
In 2019, the Ohio River was infected with harmful algal blooms. The Ohio Department of Health has warned that seaweed could cause cramping, irritation, vomiting and more. While drinking water has not been affected, residents have been warned not to participate in activities in the river.
Harmful algae results from an overpopulation of algae. Diatom algae are normally good and produce the oxygen needed for the river, but when there is too much of it, the algae become a problem.
Lorentz said high temperatures and nutrients or low oxygen and water flow are the factors that typically lead to harmful algal blooms. Lorentz said heat would be the main cause of the blooms.
Lorentz Field Station regularly tests plankton in the river, including algae. The team has found no harmful algal blooms since the fires began. The station also monitors the safety of the river by testing for fish and other river creatures.
How can it improve the quality of the river?
To proactively prevent any possibility that the Ohio River could become harmful, there are ways to keep the water healthy.
Lorentz suggests finding ways to reduce emissions. Jerry Schulte, a member of the nonprofit Ohio River Way, says keeping the river healthy is as simple as cleaning the trash from the river.
“The most obvious and one of the best ways people can help protect the Ohio River environment and the beauty of the Ohio River is by implementing waste campaigns,” Schulte said. “Or just as an individual, if you see something on the street…pick it up.”
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