Julia Paton, MSc Candidate, Smol Lab Long-term changes in lake ecosystems linked to smelter emissions on the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nations Reserve Mining operations in Sudbury, Ontario, may have caused acidification, metal contamination, and other disturbances on lakes on the Atikameksheng Anishinabek First Nation (AAFN) Reserve. Despite the societal importance of the Reserve’s many lakes, little direct long-term limnological data are available. Here we use paleolimnology and a multi-proxy approach to reconstruct the potential long-term effects of mining operations on water quality and aquatic biota.
Whitefish Lake is a relatively shallow lake that is situated adjacent to the Sacred Lands of the AAFN community and located approximately 15 km southwest of the Vale Copper Cliff Complex. A sediment core was retrieved in September 2022, radioactively dated, and analyzed for geochemistry. Sedimentary geochemical data reconstructions show increased metal inputs linked to mining operations, with arsenic and copper reaching probable effects levels during peak mining emissions, circa 1960s. Further, the sediment chlorophyll a concentration profile records changes similar to mining-impacted lakes of the Sudbury region. Meanwhile, diatom assemblages show only subtle changes in response to mining, indicating that there was no biological evidence of acidification. Round Lake is a relatively deep lake, located approximately 20 km southwest of the Vale Copper Cliff Complex and less than 5 km west of the abandoned Long Lake Gold Mine, which contains over 163,000 m3 of mining tailings. A sediment core was retrieved in September 2022, radioactively dated, and analyzed for geochemistry. Geochemical reconstructions show increased metal inputs linked to mining operations, with arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc reaching probable effects levels during peak mining emissions, circa 1960s. Interestingly, and in contrast to Whitefish Lake, Round Lake’s sedimentary chlorophyll a concentration profile showed no change with the onset of mining. The largest shift in biological data shows a striking change in diatom assemblages post-mining; however, these changes were not linked to acidification. This research offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with Indigenous communities and apply western scientific approaches to provide data critical to proper lake management and ultimately protect the societal value of aquatic ecosystems within the Atikameksheng Anishinabek First Nation community. Comments are closed.
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