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The Water’s Edge A Quarterly Publication of the Michigan Water Research Center |
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The Water’s Edge A Quarterly Publication of the Michigan Water Research Center |
| From the Editor Scott McNaught |
| On behalf of the faculty and students at the new Michigan Water Research Center at Central Michigan University, I would like to welcome you to our inaugural issue of The Water’s Edge. Our goal is to provide MWRC clients with information on recent water quality issues that affect us all - whether we are concerned about the water we work on, play in, relax beside, or drink. We have chosen two topics that are often in the news for our first issue, but welcome your ideas for future publications. I sincerely hope you enjoy this newsletter! |
| Algae: friend or foe? by Janice Burke |
| Most of us encounter algae as a slimy scum along the surface and shore of a lake that makes us reluctant to go for a swim. In fact, algae in lakes may consist of hundreds of species that form the base of the food chain. Animals at the TOP of the food chain, like largemouth bass and northern pike, ultimately rely on these algae for survival. ‘Beneficial’ algae include green algae and diatoms, which provide excellent food for other organisms and are rarely abundant enough to cause aesthetic problems. However, some algae are actually bacteria - cyanobacteria or blue-green algae - that are a poor food source for other organisms. Cyanobacteria can reach very high densities and form ‘blooms’ in the summer. When these blooms die, they sink to the lake bottom and decompose. Decomposition uses up oxygen and can cause fish kills. Unfortunately, treatments to control cyanobacteria tend to kill other algae as well. It is important to use caution when considering your options to control nuisance algae. Keep in mind also that aquatic weed growth may be kept in check by that shading layer of algae. Once you remove the algae, your weed problem may surface! |
| E. coli: Does it cause disease? by Dr. Elizabeth Alm |
| Many bacteria live in the intestinal tract of humans and other animals, where they don’t usually cause disease. One very common representative of this group is Escherichia coli (E. coli). Because E. coli is so common, all intestinal bacteria are called ‘coli -like’ or ‘coliform’. Since coliforms are in the intestines, they are present in animal waste (fecal coliforms). Concern about the presence of fecal coliforms, including E. coli, on beaches and in drinking water doesn’t usually stem from their threat as disease-causing agents (pathogens). Instead, it indicates that there is sewage contaminating the water supply. If human waste is in the water, it is possible that pathogens, like the agents that cause cholera and typhoid fever, are also present. So why not look for pathogens instead of coliforms in water? There are two main reasons: 1) By the time pathogens are detected, people may have already been exposed to the disease, whereas a positive coliform test can give officials time to declare the water unsafe BEFORE anyone gets sick. 2) It would be very time-consuming and expensive to routinely check water for pathogens, whereas coliform tests are quick and relatively inexpensive. |
| MWRC |
| Brooks 135, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859 |
| 517-774-1184 |
| CMU is an AA/EO Institution |