Economy
The latest findings on the cause and the extent of the toxicity in the waters of the George River.
The latest findings on the cause and the extent of the toxicity in the waters of the George River.
In May 2010 at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conference in Seville (Spain), Chris Hickey and Michael Stewart from National Institute of National Water and Atmospheric Research (New
Zealand) delivered a presentation on further research into the issues relating to the toxicity in the George River water.
The presentation entitled, Catchment studies in Georges Bay, Tasmania: base-flow water and foam toxicity to cladocerans and blue-mussels – A case of unintended consequences? revealed that a mixture of toxic compounds, strongly bound to particulate matter, are common to the river foam and Tasmanian E. nitens leaf.
The Tasmanian E. nitens leaves are chemically different from the purportedly parent Victorian E. nitens leaves and have markedly stronger foam-forming ability.[25]
The issues related to the toxicity require further urgent investigations, especially suspended solids, both concentrations and loads, and toxic exceedances in river water during storm-flow events.
The adverse impacts due to the toxins require monitoring and may require mitigation; the extent depending on further research.