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Volume 8, Issue 10 (Suppl)
J Earth Sci Clim Change, an open access
ISSN: 2157-7617
Climate Change 2017
October 19-21, 2017
Page 48
Notes:
conference
series
.com
CLIMATE CHANGE
October 19-21, 2017 | Rome, Italy
4
th
World Conference on
Rosa Galvez, J Earth Sci Clim Change 2017, 8:10(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2157-7617-C1-035
Climate change and blue algal blooms: An example of extreme conditions
C
anada has thousands of lakes with the number of lakes larger than three-square kilometers being estimated to 31 752 by the
Atlas of Canada. Hundreds of these lakes are affected by algae blooms and implicate harmful cyanobacteria, posing toxic
effects to human health, the environment and the Canadian economy. Toxic blue-green algae thrive in warm, slow-moving
water and that is why lakes are particularly vulnerable. Harmful algae bloom during summer seasons. Warmer water due to
climate change might favor harmful algae by encouraging blue-green algae survival and preventing water mixing. Moreover,
Canada uses de-icing salts for winter road maintenance, which during spring are carried by surface runoff from highways
ditches to streams and to lakes; this is provoking the presence of saline cyanobacteria to appear in freshwater environments.
Algae need carbon dioxide to survive and higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air and water can lead to rapid growth of algae,
especially toxic blue-green algae that can float or think according to their needs. While extreme rainfall events associated
to climate change can dilute lake water volumes, these events are also followed by periods of drought that can lead to more
algal blooms, or soil erosion carrying the associate undesired nutrients. This presentation will include statistics concerning
Canadian lakes water quality; blue algae presence in Quebec province lakes. A case study will be presented: St-Augustin Lake,
considered as an example where extreme conditions occur. Actions that can be applied to adapt and attenuate impacts.
Biography
Rosa Galvez background is in Civil engineering. In 1989 and 1994, she obtained her Masters and Doctorate in Environmental Engineering from McGill University, Can-
ada respectively. She is a Full Professor at the Department of Civil and Water Engineering at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, were she served the last 6 years as
Chair. Her fields of expertise include Water and Wastewater Treatment Process, Integrated Watershed Management, Municipal and Hazardous waste management, Soil
Rehabilitation studies, Environmental Impacts Assessment, Risk Analysis and Aid Decision Methods. She is an internationally recognized researcher, author of hundreds
of scientific articles and technical documents. More than 80 students have graduated under her supervision with many of them holding important posts in consulting and
academic sectors around the world. She has received substantial funds that have allowed the construction and installation of state-of-the-art environmental laboratories.
galvez@sen.parl.gc.caRosa Galvez
Laval University, Canada