OCR Text |
Show iodide, cadmium, dissolved and colloidal aluminum, strontium, rubidium and hydrogen sulfide. The state does not know how much bioconcentration has been or is currently taking place. The state is not aware of any studies that compare present levels of heavy metals in GSL brine shrimp eggs as compared to archive samples, or compare the levels of heavy metals in GSL brine shrimp eggs to those from other harvesting locations throughout the world. GSL brine shrimp eggs must meet the market's approval or they would not be in such demand. It has been the goal of UGS to establish a baseline chemical database for the lake for the major ions ( Na, K, Mg, Ca, CI and S04) and the minor elements ( Li, Br and B). To meet this goal, sampling has been done since 1966. The Utah Department of Health has created a record of lake metals and nutrients since the late 1970s. Beyond these sources of analytical information there is very little other publicly- available information. A more intense effort to obtain additional chemical data is limited by funding. The disappearance of brine shrimp may not be caused by the changing salinity, but could be due to a change of the composition of chemicals that make up salinity, mainly caused by the discharge of nutrients, causing eutrophication. Although in the past phosphorus was considered the limiting factor, ecologists worldwide now acknowledge that nitrogen is limiting in salt water. Very little change in the overall chemistry has been noted since 1966, though there has been a decrease in the non- sodium and chloride ions in the north arm. It is very doubtful that this is the cause for the disappearance of the shrimp in the north arm. No problems with nutrients in the lake have been identified and therefore this has not been a high priority for DWQ. Also guidelines for nitrogen and phosphorous are site specific ( various salinities, different areas of the lake, seasonal, etc.) and the state would need to show thorough scientific evidence that there is a problem. If a problem was identified it would be cost prohibitive to remove nitrogen and phosphorous from all the tributaries entering the lake. The best science available would be essential to ensure an accurate determination of need for such measures. Manganese is the proper ion name associated with magnesium. Manganese is a separate element, atomic no. 25, with an atomic weight of 54.93, compared with magnesium ( the proper ion name), atomic no. 12, with an atomic weight of 24.312. 293 |