NP Rank:
New water treatment for fish disease in Great Lakes
David Hand, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech, has devised a simple way to treat ballast water in vessels ranging from pleasure craft to ore boats. His method is designed to kill the virus that causes viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), an often-fatal disease that has been attacking fish populations in the lower Great Lakes.
Since 2003, VHS it has caused massive dieoffs of fish species ranging from walleyes to salmon in all of the Great Lakes except Superior. Infected fish die from bleeding of their internal organs and often have open sores and bruised-looking, reddish tints on their skin.
As bad as it is, VHS is only part of the problem Hand wants to address. Exotic species have been hitchhiking throughout the Great Lakes via ballast tanks since 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened. And, as global trade increases, the problem will only get worse.
Hand's treatment is simple. The ballast water is disinfected with sodium hypochlorite—ordinary household bleach. Then it is treated with ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, which neutralizes the bleach before the water is released into the lake.
With good initial results, Hand has tested his method on the Ranger III, a National Park Service vessel that shuttles visitors and staff between the mainland and Isle Royale National Park.
In the next few weeks, the Great Ships Initiative will conduct independent lab tests on his system at the University of Wisconsin–Superior to help determine if it is safe, effective and inexpensive. If tests show that his system is as safe and effective as he believes, Hand hopes to map a strategy to implement its use throughout the Great Lakes.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (9)
at 17:57 on June 4th, 2008
rpshen, I like this story. It's good stuff. Interesting report on the efforts to clean the Great Lakes, reverse environmental contamination and introduction of harmful virus and bacteria.
thanks rpshen
at 04:56 on June 6th, 2008
rpshen, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:31 on June 6th, 2008
These are fish caught at Laurel Hill lake ,Lawrenceburg Tn. This is a spring fed lake surrounded by the 15,000 acre Laurel Hill wildlife management area,a joint state and federal wildlife mgmt.program.This are has been protected and managed since the 1950's. I'm semi retired and fish here most days of the spring,summer and fall.This lake is populated with bass,crappie,red ear sunfish,blue gill,blue catfish,channel catfish. The cleanest most abundant lake I have ever fished and alot of credit should go to the T.W.R.A. management. A great team .
hot pepper55 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 19:54 on June 6th, 2008
rpshen, I like this story. It's good stuff. I am very interested because of the damage to the lake aused by ballast water mud etc. Lake Erie is the source of our drinking water and I live close to the lake.
at 21:53 on June 6th, 2008
The Benjamin Islands in the Great Lakes
Noakes has contributed a photo to this story.
at 10:53 on June 7th, 2008
Sunset at Gullfeather Lake, approximately 6km Southeast of Baysville, Ontario, Canada.
DTyndall has contributed a photo to this story.
at 22:19 on June 8th, 2008
Taken early morning near Thessalon Ontario. What many Northern Ontario Cottager's call "camps" are homes to many of us who are living abroad. This area was apart of the Lands For life program, the area to the right which includes Birch Island and other island are now protected by the Ontario government.
Erich J. Harvey has contributed a photo to this story.
at 06:09 on June 10th, 2008
A view of Lake Simcoe, Ontario Canada. The picture was taken in March 2007
Donald L. has contributed a photo to this story.
at 20:44 on June 11th, 2008
This was the beginning of my move across the country (Ontario to Alberta) as my wife and I took the Chi-Cheemaun-Tobermory ferry to Manitoulin Island. Date: August 15, 2006.
chickenpuff75 has contributed a photo to this story.