To develop solutions to environmental problems, we need to understand how human activities affect the environment, especially freshwater. This is where research at IISD Experimental Lakes Area comes in. We conduct whole ecosystem experiments (in a real lake) to determine what pollutants, and at what concentrations, have harmful impacts on freshwater systems.

This helps direct policy and technological innovation to mitigate the extent of the impact.

The classic example is phosphorus – IISD-ELA helped determine phosphorus was the limiting factor for causing harmful algal blooms. Before that, it was not clearly known which nutrient was the main driver. Once that was determined, governmental regulations were put in place around the world to limit phosphorus going into freshwaters (e.g., requiring soap ingredients to be changed).

This can take many forms in practice.

Wastewater treatment facilities capture and treat wastewater and stormwater from our cities and from our industrial water uses. Some treatment methods are chemical, but others are physical, leaving no trace in the water. Physical water treatment methods can include UV disinfection and dissolved air flotation.

Natural systems can also be used to improve water quality. Natural infrastructures such as wetlands and riparian buffers (conserved vegetation along riverbanks) can capture pollutants from urban and agricultural runoff and improve water quality. This is also important for many small ‘cottage’ lakes, where protection of shoreline riparian areas limits the quantity of pollutants that can enter the lake.