Chapter 74
Using Multi-media Modeling
to Investigate Conditions Leading
to Harmful Algal Blooms
Valerie Garcia, Catherine Nowakowski, Christina Feng Chang,
Penny Vlahos, Ellen Cooter, Chunling Tang and Marina Astitha
Abstract We used linked and coupled physical models to identify relationships
among environmental variables across multiple sources and pathways to examine
the impact of nitrogen loadings on chlorophyll α concentrations.
74.1 Introduction
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) degrade water quality (WQ) for drinking and recreational use, causing illness, and even death, in humans and other animals. Lake
Erie supplies drinking water to over 11 million people, and HABs have threatened
water quality in Lake Erie since the 1960’s. David Schindler [3] conducted a series
of precedent-setting field studies that pointed to phosphorous concentrations in the
lake from point sources (such as sewage treatment plants), and non-point sources
(such as agriculture), as the leading cause of nutrient enrichment. This phosphorous
enrichment fueled the excessive growth of HABs. Removal of phosphorous in detergents and the implementation of no-till crop management practices has significantly
reduced the amount of phosphorous entering the lake and led to recovery of the
lake by 1990. However, since the mid-1990’s, there has been a resurgence of HAB
events, with the largest three events on record occurring in 2011, 2015 and 2017. In
this study, we used a combination of multi-media modeling systems and chlorophyll
α measurements to examine the drivers for this resurgence of HAB events in Lake
Erie.
V. Garcia (B) · E. Cooter · C. Tang
Computational Exposure Division, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, RTP, Washington, DC, NC, USA
e-mail: garcia.val@epa.gov
C. Nowakowski · C. F. Chang · M. Astitha
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
P. Vlahos
Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA
This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign
copyright protection may apply 2020
C. Mensink et al. (eds.), Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXVI,
Springer Proceedings in Complexity, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22055-6_74
469
Using Multi-media Modeling
to Investigate Conditions Leading
to Harmful Algal Blooms
Valerie Garcia, Catherine Nowakowski, Christina Feng Chang,
Penny Vlahos, Ellen Cooter, Chunling Tang and Marina Astitha
Abstract We used linked and coupled physical models to identify relationships
among environmental variables across multiple sources and pathways to examine
the impact of nitrogen loadings on chlorophyll α concentrations.
74.1 Introduction
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) degrade water quality (WQ) for drinking and recreational use, causing illness, and even death, in humans and other animals. Lake
Erie supplies drinking water to over 11 million people, and HABs have threatened
water quality in Lake Erie since the 1960’s. David Schindler [3] conducted a series
of precedent-setting field studies that pointed to phosphorous concentrations in the
lake from point sources (such as sewage treatment plants), and non-point sources
(such as agriculture), as the leading cause of nutrient enrichment. This phosphorous
enrichment fueled the excessive growth of HABs. Removal of phosphorous in detergents and the implementation of no-till crop management practices has significantly
reduced the amount of phosphorous entering the lake and led to recovery of the
lake by 1990. However, since the mid-1990’s, there has been a resurgence of HAB
events, with the largest three events on record occurring in 2011, 2015 and 2017. In
this study, we used a combination of multi-media modeling systems and chlorophyll
α measurements to examine the drivers for this resurgence of HAB events in Lake
Erie.
V. Garcia (B) · E. Cooter · C. Tang
Computational Exposure Division, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, RTP, Washington, DC, NC, USA
e-mail: garcia.val@epa.gov
C. Nowakowski · C. F. Chang · M. Astitha
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
P. Vlahos
Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA
This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign
copyright protection may apply 2020
C. Mensink et al. (eds.), Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXVI,
Springer Proceedings in Complexity, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22055-6_74
469