More Water Woes Imminent for New Orleans Says Safe Water Expert
Newswise — The toxic flood waters from the streets of New Orleans being pumped into the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain could spell further environmental troubles for the wetlands near New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico, according to a safe water expert at Atlanta's Spelman College.
In the race to pump New Orleans dry, there is no time to treat the foul-smelling, stagnant water contaminated with human and animal waste and almost every imaginable chemical before the water is pumped into the river and the lake.
"That body of water has been enriched with nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates and several organic compounds," said Dr. Victor Ibeanusi, chair of the College's Environmental Science and Studies and professor of biology. "The problem with nutrient-rich water is it spurs an algae bloom, a process called eutrophication. Although some algae bloom is essential to support the food chain, excess growth under eutrophic conditions depletes the dissolved oxygen needed to support aquatic life and throws off the natural lifecycle present in healthy bodies of water."
Further exasperating the problem is the unleashed organic pollutants, including sewage, which if not efficiently treated would oxidatively further deplete oxygen levels in Lake Pontchatrain and the Gulf Coast region.
An additional environmental impact, according to Dr. Ibeanusi, is the loss of species diversity. Inevitably, several individuals have lost their lives. The same applies to aquatic species and the microbial community. Many will die; others will be displaced to new habitats. "Once the species are displaced to new habitats some will be able to adapt and survive, but many will not be able to adapt," Dr. Ibeanusi said.
The ultimate price of all this could mean a depletion of specie diversity in the gulf region.
"Every species has a significant role to play in the environment. Specie diversity is important to enduring sustainable development of the environment," Dr. Ibeanusi explained. "Once a particular species or organism is displaced or lost, the natural processes, such nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the overall quality of the environment will be impacted."
From Oct. 20-21, Dr. Ibeanusi is chairing an international conference on safe water, called Safe Water 2005 in San Diego. The will look at how to address the impact increasing population, global conflicts and natural disasters have on access to safe water in rural and urban communities around the world. Dr. Ibeanusi has chaired the conference since its inception in Atlanta in 2003. Details of the conference are at http://www.safewater2005.com
Noting the hundreds of thousands of African-Americans impacted by Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Ibeanusi said he wishes there were more African-American scientists who could speak to the vast environmental issues spurred by the devastating hurricane.
"As I speak to you today, there are very few African-Americans trained in the core areas of marine sciences and geosciences—trained individuals who understand flood control and can help make public policy," he said. "The National Science Foundation has been promoting efforts toward diversity training, but we are not getting the response that is needed. I see it as a national crisis, especially for the African-American community.
"If you ask me, the long-term solution is to accurately use this wave of compassion to help victims of Hurricane Katrina to strategically initiate a national drive through scholarships and endowed chair positions to promote environmental science studies, particularly in the areas of geosciences and marine sciences, especially within the historically black institutions of higher learning."
Had there been leading African-American scientists in public positions, Dr. Ibeanusi suggests Katrina's human toll could have been different.
"I suspect if we had someone in a leadership position who has the formidable voice about the impact this hurricane would have, the response time would have been quicker," he said, adding that a leading African-American marine scientist might have also impelled more African-Americans to be in tune to Hurricane Katrina's immediate and lasting impact.
"For a long-term solution, we need trained African-American in the core areas of environmental sciences so that we can proactively be better prepared to respond to the kinds of environmental impacts created by hurricane Katrina," Dr. Ibeanusi charged.
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