Understanding lake metabolism and algal blooms: New tools for the management of potable water sources

人类活动可深刻改变水生生态系统，并对提供安全饮用水构成重大挑战。例如，高营养负荷可以显著提高藻类生产力。这反过来又会改变湖泊的化学和生态，从而对水处理过程产生重大影响。生态变化可能包括有害藻华的发生。藻类大量繁殖的频率和严重程度的增加是加拿大和全球的一个主要问题。水华通常包括可形成各种化合物的有害物种，其中一些化合物是有毒的，可引起鱼类、野生动物、家畜和人类的神经损伤、肝损伤、胃肠道不适，甚至死亡。许多藻类物种也可以产生化合物，这些化合物会给饮用水带来令人不快的味道和气味。需要有成本效益高和适应性强的监测工具和技术，以便为水管理人员和监管人员提供有效管理饮用水供应所需的信息，特别是在缺水地区和易发生有害藻华和水质退化的地区，如加拿大大草原。该项目建立在由布法罗磅水处理厂领导的长期监测计划的基础上，该水处理厂为里贾纳和驼鹿下巴市提供饮用水。该工厂目前依赖昂贵的先进处理工艺，以确保高品质的成品水，并帮助消除味道和气味。该项目提供了一个机会，将新技术，科学见解和数学建模联系起来，为饮用水处理过程和湖泊管理提供信息，

Human activities can profoundly alter aquatic ecosystems and create major challenges for the provision of safe drinking water. For example, high nutrient loads can dramatically increase algal productivity. This in turn can alter lake chemistry and ecology, which can have significant effects on water treatment processes. Ecological changes can include the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. An increase in the frequency and severity of algal blooms is a major concern across Canada and globally. Blooms frequently include nuisance species which can form a variety of compounds, some of which are toxic and can induce neurological damage, liver damage, gastrointestinal distress, and even death in fish, wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Numerous algal species can also produce compounds which impart unpleasant taste and odour to drinking water. Cost-effective and adaptive monitoring tools and techniques are needed to provide water managers and regulators with the information necessary to effectively manage drinking water supplies, particularly in water-scarce areas and areas susceptible to harmful algal blooms and degraded water quality, such as the Canadian prairies. This project builds on a long-term monitoring program led by the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant that supplies drinking water to the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw. The Plant currently relies upon expensive advanced treatment processes to ensure high quality finished water, and help eliminate taste and odour. This project provides an opportunity to link new technology, scientific insights and mathematical modeling to inform drinking water treatment processes and lake management in a partnership between