Volunteer Lake Assessment Training – Larry Gil, MLPA Board Member

The disturbing were three lectures:  One of the talks was given by Tiffany Grade, Squam Lake Project Biologist, entitled “Emerging Contaminants in Squam Lake Loons: The Squam Lake Loon Initiative”. Turns out they have been studying loon populations on Squam Lake for 25 years and documented a precipitous decline during the years 2005 -2007.  Thru some excellent detective work and knowledge of the life history of these birds, the decline was quite convincingly traced to the practice of oiling gravel roads to control dust.  .A specific dirt road was found to have high concentrations of  oil contaminated with PCBs and Dioxin which then bioaccumulated in the loons prey and hence the birds.  Applying oil to gravel roads was standard practice for many years and discontinued during the late 70’s to 80’s.

This same scenario or  explanation might be applicable for other declines in lakes across the state.

 2nd  New classes of pollutants: the first being perflorinated compounds (PFCs) which are everywhere and in everything,    it’s uses are in flame retardents, as coatings on pizza boxes, the bags used to serve popcorn, clothing  the list goes on and on   linked to changes in puberty, developmental effects cancers etc

And finally why NHDES has amped up their surveillance of cyanobacteria, (Microcystins are toxins produced by cyanobacteria ),  which are linked to some outbreaks of ALS.

 Click on the following links For more information on these subjects:

 Drinking .Water Source Protection Conference https://agwt.org/civicrm/event/info?id=213&reset=1

NHDES web site https://www.des.nh.gov/media/pr/2016/20160531-pfoa-standard.htm