International Ozone Association

Research project aims to safeguard Great Lakes and your drinking water from harmful toxins

Research project aims to safeguard Great Lakes and your drinking water from harmful toxins

Rising global temperatures are causing harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes which can lead to the emergence of three toxins in the water, according to the past president of the International Ozone Association. Saad Jasim, an adjunct professor at the University of Windsor, is preparing for a new research project to prevent these toxins from entering the drinking water supply.

Windsor engineer worried about climate change's impact on water quality in the Great Lakes

Windsor engineer worried about climate change's impact on water quality in the Great Lakes

A Windsor-based engineer said climate change is taking a toll on the health of the Great Lakes and this could in turn have an impact on the quality of drinking water for millions of people. Saad Jasim, who is also president of the International Ozone Association, said the impact of climate change on the Great Lakes is quite visible in the form of harmful algal blooms. "But it's not just the way it looks, these algal blooms produce some fatal toxins … there are different species of those toxins [and] unfortunately only one of the species is regulated by Health Canada," Jasim told CBC Windsor.