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Experimental Lakes Unveil the Connection: Acidification, Eutrophication, and Lead Accumulation in Sediments

Pierre Francus

The ELA, located in northwestern Ontario, Canada, is a unique scientific facility where researchers have been conducting long-term, large-scale experiments since the late 1960s. These experiments involve manipulating whole lakes to simulate and study various environmental stressors and their impacts on aquatic ecosystems. In recent years, investigations at the ELA have focused on the interactions between acidification, eutrophication, and heavy metal contamination, particularly lead. Acidification and eutrophication are common limnological stressors impacting many water bodies across the globe. While the negative impacts of these stressors on limnetic communities are generally known, their influence on the accumulation of specific sediment constituents, such as metals, remains unclear. Benefitting from past research and long-term monitoring, lakes at the International Institute for Sustainable Development - Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada are invaluable to understand the extent to which these two common lake stressors can influence the accumulation of metals in lacustrine sediment. Acidic pH is also expected to mediate these responses by decreasing epilimnetic DOC concentrations leading to reduced Pb accumulation in the sediment.