It’s a struggle for survival for fish in the Great Lakes who must regularly swim through a toxic mix of contaminants including pharmaceuticals, chemicals and personal care products. The chemical-laden gauntlet of waste is due to the inability of modern sewage treatment plants to remove all the toxins, according to an article from TVO.
The findings are based on research from McMaster University, which reports that fish populations much exert energy that would typically be spent on vital activities like breeding instead processing the leftover chemicals. The authors of the study say that new technologies must be considered that deal with the wide range of contaminants that people dump down their drains and into the sewer system. The article notes that some untreated waste also flows into the Great Lakes through sewer bypasses.
Read the entire article here.