Water Quality Knowledge
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2019 issue 2 Aquatic Sciences Chronicle ASCaqua.wisc.edu/chronicle UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SEA GRANT INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE INSIDE: WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE pg.5 Water Seeking Balance in Community Conservation Quality Knowledge pg.6 Hidden Danger pg.8 Aquaculture Conference Page 3 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN Aquatic Sciences Chronicle FEATURED WEB University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center 1975 Willow Drive Madison, WI 53706-1177 David Nevala 608-263-3259 Email: [email protected] Web: seagrant.wisc.edu, wri.wisc.edu The Aquatic Sciences Center is the administrative home of the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICATIONS Moira Harrington EDITOR Elizabeth A. White WRITERS Moira Harrington, Jennifer A. Smith, Elizabeth A. White, Morgan Witte and Marie Zhuikov Fishing for ART DIRECTOR Yael Gen Information? DESIGNER eatwisconsinfish.org Yael Gen CIRCULATION MANAGER In recent years, the “eat local” food movement has really taken root, with many Linda Campbell consumers striving to purchase produce, meat and other foods grown and raised near where they live. Eating local reduces the distance food must travel, bol- The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute is part of a national network of 33 university- sters local economies and often builds a personal connection between the home based programs funded through the National cook whipping up dinner and the farmers who make that meal possible through Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic & their efforts. Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of But what about fish? It, too, can be a part of eating local. To share that important Commerce, and through matching contributions message with consumers, Wisconsin Sea Grant launched the Eat Wisconsin Fish from participating states and the private sector. campaign in 2014, and it’s getting some renewed attention this year. The University of Wisconsin Water Resources Eat Wisconsin Fish educates consumers about local, healthy and delicious Institute is one of 54 Water Resources Research Wisconsin fish — both wild-caught and farm-raised. Tasty recipes feature promi- Institutes nationwide authorized by the federal nently on the website, from “spring salad with miso-maple Arctic char” to “smoked Water Resources Research Act and administered rainbow trout frittata.” through the U.S. Geological Survey. Website visitors can also find information about producers, where to buy SUBSCRIBE Wisconsin fish and why selecting fish farmed or caught locally is a smart choice Email [email protected] to request that supports sustainability and Wisconsin jobs. a free subscription to the “Aquatic Sciences Follow us on Facebook. Take a look, and you just might be inspired to cook some- Chronicle,” a quarterly publication. Please specify thing new for tonight’s dinner! — JAS whether you prefer a mailed print edition or electronic delivery. GET ASC NEWS ALERTS BY EMAIL Sign up to receive email notices about ASC news at the sign up for enews link from the News tab on seagrant.wisc.edu or wri.wisc.edu. MAKE A GIFT Support the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant and Water Resources institutes by making a financial gift at supportuw.org/giveto/seagrant. 2 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE Water Quality Knowledge While University of Wisconsin-Madison Associate (DBPs). Some of these byproducts, such as chlo- Professor Christina Remucal may be thousands of roform, can be cancer causing or otherwise detri- miles from home right now — she’s on sabbatical mental to human health. It is a complex problem, in Switzerland — she’s busy investigating an issue and scientists have not identified all possible DBPs. that has implications for the water Wisconsinites “It’s a trade-off when we disinfect our water,” drink every day. said Remucal. “It means inactivating pathogens Through funding from the Water Resources that will make us sick, and also forming these Institute, Remucal is studying the impact that the harmful compounds, which are of course regulated composition of dissolved organic matter has on the and generally present in low concentrations.” formation of disinfection byproducts in ground- Remucal’s research will expand understanding water when that water is treated for use. of the chemical composition of dissolved organic REMUCAL’S RESEARCH FURTHERS KNOWLEDGE Source photos: Reid Milstead ABOUT DRINKING WATER SAFETY, PARTICULARLY FROM GROUNDWATER “This project is related to drinking water matter (DOM) and how that composition can quality,” explained Remucal. “When we have affect the types of disinfection byproducts that treated drinking water, one of the most important are formed during water treatment. While DOM steps is doing disinfection to inactivate pathogens is present in both groundwater and surface waters like viruses and bacteria. Most utilities in the U.S. like lakes and rivers, its composition varies widely. and in Wisconsin use chlorine for disinfection.” She’ll place a special focus on groundwater, While chlorine is highly effective, it also reacts which is the source of most drinking water in with naturally present compounds that are found Wisconsin and not well studied with regard to this in all waters, and this can result in the formation of issue. “We’re looking at dissolved organic matter harmful chemicals called disinfection byproducts in groundwater, and how that compares to surface continued next page >> SEA GRANT INSTITUTE WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE 3 & wisconsinwaterlibrary WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE continued from page 3 Climate Change Water Quality Knowledge and Humanity Conversations about climate change are often filled with scien- tific data, facts and figures. Of course this scientific information is water, and then we’re looking at how that organic matter important, but it can be difficult to relate to on an individual level. The books below discuss how climate change affects humanity on global, — again in groundwater versus surface water — reacts with local and individual scales for a more personal look at the impacts chlorine to form disinfection byproducts.” of climate. The project was selected for WRI funding in 2018 and runs through 2020. It is made up of three main stages. The first is STORMING THE WALL: CLIMATE CHANGE, collecting water samples from various Wisconsin water utili- MIGRATION, AND HOMELAND SECURITY ties and running analyses. Reid Milstead, a graduate student By Todd Miller. San Francisco: City Lights Publishers, 2017. of Remucal’s in the Environmental Chemistry and Technology An intriguing piece of investigative journalism, this book explores Program within the Department of Civil and Environmental connections between corporate crashes, environmental injustices Engineering, is assisting with this process, and the Wisconsin and the militarization of borders by juxtaposing stories of hope Rural Water Association has helped connect Remucal and and desperation. Milstead with local water utilities. “We’re using traditional chemical FIELD NOTES FROM A CATASTROPHE: approaches, but we’re also using MAN, NATURE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE some really state-of-the-art By Elizabeth Kolbert. London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2007. high-resolution mass spec- From scientific evidence to personal stories, Kolbert investigates the impacts of climate change with a focus on the already-altered north trometry approaches to look pole communities. at dissolved organic matter,” said Remucal. CLIMATE REFUGEES Phase two entails sorting By Collectif Argos. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 2010. through vast amounts of The journalists at Collectif Argos met with climate refugees, people data and identifying trends “forced into exile by global warming’s detrimental effects.” Nine geo- that are related to water in graphical locations, each facing disaster due to climate change, are Wisconsin but are also more explored through personal interviews with and photography of those broadly applicable. who have been displaced. The third and final phase is an ambitious one that takes a SCIENCE OF THE EARTH, CLIMATE AND ENERGY predictive approach. “The direction we’re moving in is to be By Milton W. Cole, Angela D. Lueking and David L. Goldstein. able to predict — if this is my water sample, and this is its Hackensack, N.J.: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2018. basic chemistry — how big of a problem disinfection byprod- The authors begin with a discussion of the basics of what science is ucts are going to be,” said Remucal. and how it works as a field of study. They then build upon this to dis- She will share research results with organizations like the cuss the Earth in a way that focuses on steps individuals and societies Wisconsin Rural Water Association and the Wisconsin section can take to mitigate the impacts of climate change. of the American Water Resources Association. While Remucal is enjoying her sabbatical year in Switzerland Please visit the Wisconsin Water Library online at (she completed a postdoc there and is now splitting her time waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu for more information between two research institutes), she likes knowing that her about the library’s resources on climate. Water Resources Institute study will benefit Wisconsinites by Anyone in Wisconsin can borrow these books. furthering what we know about drinking water safety. Just email [email protected]. “The work we’re doing is pretty fundamental, and so it has broader implications for drinking water everywhere,