Could a residential wood ash recycling programme be part of the solution to calcium decline in lakes and forests in Muskoka (Ontario, Canada)?

FACETS

Norman D. Yan¹  Shelley E. Arnott¹  Peter Sutey²  Martha P. Celis-Salgado³  Shakira S.E. Azan³  James A. Rusak⁴ 

[1] Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, P.O. Box 416, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1T7, Canada;Department of Biology, Queen’s University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3J9, Canada;Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada;FLAMES Laboratory, Dorset Environmental Science Centre, Queen’s University, 1026 Bellwood Acres Road, P.O. Box 39, Dorset, ON P0A 1E0, Canada;

关键词: calcium decline;    Muskoka;    wood ash;    forests;    Daphnia;    recycling;   

DOI  :  10.1139/facets-2018-0026

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

One possible solution to the recent decline of calcium (Ca) concentrations in Canadian Shield forests and lakes in eastern North America is the addition of Ca-rich wood ash to watersheds. We investigated the feasibility of using small, mainly residential sources of non-industrial wood ash (NIWA) for this purpose by quantifying concentrations of its major nutrients and metals, its toxicity to Daphnia in aqueous extracts, and estimating the amount of NIWA available in the District of Muskoka in central Ontario. Locally collected NIWA averaged 30% Ca, and also contained smaller but significant amounts of K, Mg, Na, and P. Of these, K was so soluble that it was toxic to Daphnia over 48 h in the concentrate and 10-fold dilution; however, sedimented ash was not toxic over 15 d. Most metal levels in NIWA were below targets permitting unrestricted land application. However, Cu and Zn were just above these targets, but well below those for conditional use. Muskoka residents generate about 235 000 kg of NIWA annually, not enough to treat all central Ontario areas affected; however, a NIWA recycling programme implemented across southern Ontario could generate enough ash to solve the Ca decline problem in Muskoka’s forests and lakes.

【 授权许可】

Unknown