HOW TO RECLAIM A POISONED LAKE

THE DELIBERATE DUMPING OF A 0.5-GALLON MIXTURE OF ENDRIN AND STRYCHNINE INTO A THREE-ACRE RESERVOIR NEAR PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF 4000 FISH AND LED TO A STUDY OF HOW TO RECLAIM THE LAKE. THE STRYCHNINE CONCENTRATION WAS FOUND TO BE TOLERABLE. AN EXPERIMENT REPORTED AT THE SAME TIME INDICATED THAT A 10-PPB CONCENTRATION OF ENDRIN REMAINED UNCHANGED IN RIVER WATER OVER THE EIGHT-WEEK PERIOD OF THE STUDY. ACCORDINGLY, STEPS WERE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE LAKE WATER DID NOT CONTAMINATE DOWNSTREAM WATERWAYS. THEN 3.5 TONS OF GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON WERE SPREAD OVER THE SURFACE IN THE HOPE THAT THE ENDRIN WOULD ADSORB ONTO THE CARBON PARTICLES AS THEY SETTLED TO THE BOTTOM. HOWEVER, THIS METHOD HAD LITTLE EFFECT, AND THREE OTHERS WERE THEN CONSIDERED FOR APPLICATION: A SYSTEM OF CONTROLLED CARBON FILTRATION WHEREBY THE LAKE WATER WOULD BE PUMPED THROUGH A CARBON BED; CONVERSION OF THE LAKE INTO A AERATED BIOLOGICAL LAGOON OF THE TYPE USED FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT; AND SPREADING OF BENTINITE CLAY OR OTHER MATERIAL OVER THE LAKE SURFACE. PILOT PLANT STUDIES INDICATED THAT THE FILTRATION METHOD WOULD BE BEST. SUBSEQUENT FULL-SCALE FILTERING REMOVED 98-- 99% OF THE ENDRIN OVER A 20-DAY PERIOD. BOTH THE PILOT AND FULL-SCALE RIGS AND PROCEDURES ARE DESCRIBED. THE LAKE WILL NOT BE RESTOCKED WITH FISH FOR A YEAR, TO ALLOW THE ENDRIN LEVELS TO REACH THEIR PRACTICAL MINIMUM.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1606878
• Authors:
  • Stoltenberg, D H
• Publication Date: 1972-3

Media Info

• Features: Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 59-61
• Serial:
  • Public Works
  • Volume: 103
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Hanley Wood
  • ISSN: 0033-3840
  • Serial URL: http://www.pwmag.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carbon; Filters; Fishes; Lakes; Land reclamation; Poisons; Reservoirs; Water pollution
• Old TRIS Terms: Endrin; Reclamation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218993
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 23 1973 12:00AM