T The Department of Health has issued a fish advisory. Heavy metal pollution The most dangerous are: cadmium, lead, mercury that can be harmful to human health even in very low concentrations, as well as being highly toxic and non-degradable.

Thus, the main strategies of pollution control are to reduce the bioavailability, mobility, and toxicity of metals. These metals are a cause of environmental pollution from sources such as leaded petrol, industrial effluents, and leaching of metal ions from the soil into lakes and rivers by acid rain. Heavy metals can contaminate private wells through groundwater movement and surface water seepage adn run-off. Unlike organic pollutants, heavy metals once introduced into the environment cannot be biodegraded. One source defines heavy metal as one of the common transition metals, such as copper, lead, and zinc. The main cause of heavy metal contamination is human industrial activity and the resulting pollution of the environment. People that consume high levels of heavy metals risk acute and chronic toxicity, liver, kidney, and intestinal damage, anemia, and cancer. High concentrations of heavy metals can kill fish and aquatic plant life and create human health concerns. Heavy metals include: arsenic, antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, selenium and many more.

In Lake Whatcom, smallmouth bass and yellow perch have been found with high mercury concentrations. They persist indefinitely and cause pollution of air, water, and soils. Sources of heavy metals include: 1) Human activities such as welding, mining, metal work, cosmetic industry, pharmaceutics, certain construction work, gasoline production, coal burning etc.