Lakes HotSpots - List of lakes where the ecological situation is problematic or close to catastrophic

What are lake hotspots?

     Lake HotSpots are lakes that are in ecological distress due to water pollution and damage to the soil biocoenosis around them by chemical, biological and physical agents. Water pollution in lakes can lead to disastrous consequences for mankind.

     In most cases, lake pollution remains invisible because the pollutants are dissolved in the water. But there are exceptions: foaming detergents, as well as oil products floating on the surface, and untreated sewage. The discharge of untreated sewage leads to microbiological contamination of the water.

     The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of diseases in the world are caused by improper water quality and unsanitary conditions. In rural areas the problem of water quality is particularly acute - about 90% of all rural residents in the world constantly use polluted water for drinking and bathing.

     The most acute issue is plastic pollution in lakes. There are places where you can't even see the surface of the water because of the trash, and instead of fish, you can only catch a plastic bottle. 

     There is a toxic lake in the southwestern Turkish province of Mugla near the town of Yatagan. Sewage from the nearby Yatagan power plant has spoiled the body of water. The lake contains heavy metals such as selenium, cadmium, boron, nickel, copper, and zinc, and they seep into the ground and groundwater of the Yatagan Plain, the agricultural plain that feeds the cities of Yatagan and Mugla.

Main types of hotspots of lakes

While most hotspots of lakes are caused by human activities and improper disposal of waste by industry, there are also several natural pollutants. For example, aluminum compounds in the ground enter the freshwater system through chemical reactions. Floods leach magnesium compounds out of the soil of meadows, which causes enormous damage to fish stocks.

Another example of the natural genesis of lake hotspots is volcanic lakes, which have high and uninhabitable temperatures and pollute the surrounding area with volcanic emissions. One such lake is Lake Kivu, which is located on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Beneath the water layer, the lake holds dangerous deposits of carbon dioxide and tens of billions of cubic meters of methane generated by bacteria at the bottom of the reservoir. Such a deadly combination makes Lake Kivu a real-time bomb.

However, the amount of naturally occurring pollutants is negligible compared to that produced by humans. Thousands of chemicals with unpredictable effects enter water basins each year, many of which are new chemical compounds. Several main types of aquatic pollution cause the formation of lake hotspots:

● mechanical - occurs due to an increase in the content of mechanical impurities;
● Chemical - caused by the presence in the water of organic and inorganic substances of toxic and non-toxic action;
● Bacterial and biological - caused by the presence of different pathogenic microorganisms, fungi, and algae in the water
● Radioactive - caused by the presence of radioactive substances in surface or underground waters;
● Thermal - occurs due to the release of heated water from thermal and nuclear power plants into water bodies.

Most often, lakes are polluted by rivers that flow into lakes. Almost all of the world's rivers contain chemical and radioactive compounds that poison fish and other microorganisms. Therefore, when such water from a river enters a lake, all contaminating agents begin to affect the biocoenosis of the lake, thereby harming the flora and fauna of the body of water.

How pollution in a lake affects the environment

The fact that the pollution of freshwater leads to disastrous consequences for humans and the environment is undeniable. The deficit will affect not only the population but also the animal world. No living organism can exist without fresh water, so in case of its deficit, not only individual organisms and populations, but entire species will die out en masse. Changes in the properties of the lake lead to a whole chain of negative consequences, so it is very important to monitor changes in the lake and look for solutions to prevent freshwater pollution. One of the ways to control the condition of the water is the temperature stratification of lakes.

The ineffective operation of wastewater treatment plants regularly leads to the introduction of pathogens of various infections into the water. The discharge of contaminated water in one community will inevitably lead to contamination of the population downstream.

Tons of solid waste entering rivers and being carried to the ocean collects in what are known as garbage islands. In lakes, solid trash mostly settles to the bottom, but lighter wastes can easily form entire islands. These formations disrupt aquatic and aerial communication, reducing oxygen access and evaporation levels, and leading to the death of aquatic organisms.

Unfortunately, if humanity does not think about the consequences of lake pollution, the impact on the environment could be irreversible. And the only way to stop this growing number of hotspots of lakes is to make changes in our approach right now.

List of Lakes HotSpots

20 Eco Hot Spots

Drying up of Lake Mead in Nevada, United States

Shallowing of lake Kinneret, Israel

The risk of extinction of little flamingos on Lake Natron in Tanzania

Pollution of Lake Titicaca, Peru

Pollution of Lake Tai, China

A water crisis in Monterrey

Drying up of Poyang Lake, China

Pollution in the Great Lakes

Pollution of Lake Baikal

Dry up of Sawa Lake, Iraq

Pollution in Lake Yalpuh, Ukraine

Dead fish on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda and Kenya

Lake Monoun disaster

Plastic pollution of Potpecko Lake, Serbia

Shallowing of Oskol Reservoir, Ukraine

Lake Vattern under threat, Sweden

Dry up of Lake Montbel, France

Plastic garbage covers Lake Suchitlan in El Salvador

Drying up of Peñuelas Lake, Chile

DryIng up of Lake Chad, Сentral Africa

What are lake hotspots?

Main types of hotspots of lakes

How pollution in a lake affects the environment