Winter 2024 • Issue 20

Human Health

Published February 2024

This issue on Human Health & Large Lakes delves into the complex ties between community well-being and aquatic system integrity. Drawing global parallels to local challenges, it examines how cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Victoria offer cautionary lessons for Western Lake Erie, while highlighting advancements in molecular technologies for monitoring water quality and antimicrobial resistance across the Great Lakes basin. The content also addresses the complexities of managing contaminants of emerging concern like PFAS and advocates for a reframed approach to fish consumption advisories that better balances risk communication with public trust and scientific uncertainty.

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Features

Advancing molecular technologies and microbial water quality assessment in the Great Lakes Basin

The International Joint Commission is advancing a basinwide assessment of microbial water quality using molecular and genomics technologies to track pathogens, HABs, and antimicrobial resistance.

Cyanobacterial blooms in the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria

A comparative study of cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Victoria and Western Lake Erie reveals potential future threats to Lake Erie, including the detection of cylindrospermopsin-producing Raphidiopsis blooms in a warming climate.

Risk, Uncertainty, Action

A guide to understanding the risks of PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern in the Great Lakes, with a focus on community-specific engagement and effective risk communication strategies.

One Water, One Health

An examination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the Great Lakes as a One Health issue, exploring how environmental factors and human activities contribute to the spread of resistant bacteria and genes.

Reframing the process for fish consumption advisories

A community-based approach to fish consumption advisories that prioritizes Indigenous knowledge, youth engagement, and relational connections to the land, moving beyond restrictive "don't eat" guidelines.

Departments

In Memoriam

Ronald A. Hites

A tribute to Ronald A. Hites (1938–2024), a pioneering environmental chemist and former IAGLR president who revolutionized the measurement of trace pollutants in the Great Lakes and was known as the "father of environmental mass spectrometry."

Member Spotlight

Katie Rousseau

Katie Rousseau coordinates the Smart Great Lakes Initiative, advancing technology applications to improve the understanding, conservation, and management of the Great Lakes.

Member Spotlight

Christine Atuhaire

Christine Atuhaire uses remote sensing and satellite imagery to map and quantify plastic litter in aquatic environments, contributing to environmental policy and mitigation strategies.