Metal contamination in TWWHA lakes
Posted: Fri 08 Feb, 2019 6:50 amFrom the Mercury
Australian National University research finds Tasmanian lakes among the world’s worst for metal contamination
ICONIC lakes within the Wilderness World Heritage Area have been so badly affected by West Coast mining that their metal contamination readings are among the worst in the world.
Australian National University researchers have studied airborne contamination for the first time in Tasmania and found metal contaminants had travelled up to 130km from historical mining sites in Queenstown and Rosebery.
The study found six lakes, including Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain, had dangerous levels of lead, copper, arsenic and cadmium, with some readings exceeding the highest allowable levels in Australian and New Zealand sediment guidelines. Academics urged more research into the effect on fish, algae and bacteria in those areas, with lead researcher Larissa Schneider saying there could be cause for health concerns.
“As we know, concentrations of contaminants increase as they travel up the food chain so this has implications for anyone who consumes fish from these areas,” the ANU academic said. “We tested a number of metals and metalloids including selenium, where a study in the US proved that lower concentrations than the ones found in Tasmania had affected the ability of fish to reproduce.”
The worst affected lakes were, in order, Owen Tarn, Basin Lake, Perched Lake, Dove Lake, Lake Dobson and Lake Cygnus, with four of those within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Lakes closer to mine sites had the highest levels of contamination. It was comparable to highly polluted rivers in Pakistan, Iran and China, Dr Schneider said.
Wilderness Society state campaign manager Vica Bayley labelled the study, published in Science of the Total Environment, a “devastating scientific revelation”.
“That Tasmanian icons like Dove Lake and Lake Dobson are global record holders in mining-related toxicity is an indictment on our laws and highlights the challenge of truly protecting conservation reserves from external factors like pollution,” Mr Bayley said. “If World Heritage-listed lakes are polluted at alarming levels, what’s the impact on farmland, drinking water catchments and human health?”
Dr Schneider said the study raised serious questions about who was responsible for the environmental impacts. Testing found the largest contamination occurred when open-cut mining kicked off in 1930.
Tasmania was among the first to legislate an Environmental Protection Act in 1973 but the Labor government, led by Eric Reece, then exempted mining companies from those rules. But the sites were likely able to be remediated, Dr Schneider said.
“If [the Federal Government were to] develop a program that current industry should fund studies to assess what happened in former mines … I think that would be very, very important,” she said.
Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council chief executive Wayne Bould said his body would look closely at the new research.
“We have a keen interest in remediating any problems that may be the result of any legacy issues over time,” he said.
The State Government and Environment Protection Authority were asked for comment.
Will post the journal article when it is available.
Australian National University research finds Tasmanian lakes among the world’s worst for metal contamination
ICONIC lakes within the Wilderness World Heritage Area have been so badly affected by West Coast mining that their metal contamination readings are among the worst in the world.
Australian National University researchers have studied airborne contamination for the first time in Tasmania and found metal contaminants had travelled up to 130km from historical mining sites in Queenstown and Rosebery.
The study found six lakes, including Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain, had dangerous levels of lead, copper, arsenic and cadmium, with some readings exceeding the highest allowable levels in Australian and New Zealand sediment guidelines. Academics urged more research into the effect on fish, algae and bacteria in those areas, with lead researcher Larissa Schneider saying there could be cause for health concerns.
“As we know, concentrations of contaminants increase as they travel up the food chain so this has implications for anyone who consumes fish from these areas,” the ANU academic said. “We tested a number of metals and metalloids including selenium, where a study in the US proved that lower concentrations than the ones found in Tasmania had affected the ability of fish to reproduce.”
The worst affected lakes were, in order, Owen Tarn, Basin Lake, Perched Lake, Dove Lake, Lake Dobson and Lake Cygnus, with four of those within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Lakes closer to mine sites had the highest levels of contamination. It was comparable to highly polluted rivers in Pakistan, Iran and China, Dr Schneider said.
Wilderness Society state campaign manager Vica Bayley labelled the study, published in Science of the Total Environment, a “devastating scientific revelation”.
“That Tasmanian icons like Dove Lake and Lake Dobson are global record holders in mining-related toxicity is an indictment on our laws and highlights the challenge of truly protecting conservation reserves from external factors like pollution,” Mr Bayley said. “If World Heritage-listed lakes are polluted at alarming levels, what’s the impact on farmland, drinking water catchments and human health?”
Dr Schneider said the study raised serious questions about who was responsible for the environmental impacts. Testing found the largest contamination occurred when open-cut mining kicked off in 1930.
Tasmania was among the first to legislate an Environmental Protection Act in 1973 but the Labor government, led by Eric Reece, then exempted mining companies from those rules. But the sites were likely able to be remediated, Dr Schneider said.
“If [the Federal Government were to] develop a program that current industry should fund studies to assess what happened in former mines … I think that would be very, very important,” she said.
Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council chief executive Wayne Bould said his body would look closely at the new research.
“We have a keen interest in remediating any problems that may be the result of any legacy issues over time,” he said.
The State Government and Environment Protection Authority were asked for comment.
Will post the journal article when it is available.
