Kootenai River Research Paper
The Kootenai River, the second largest tributary of the Columbia River by volume; it drains an 18,000 square mile watershed that spreads across Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia. Originating in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park in Canada; from there it flows 485 miles into northwest Montana and through Libby and Troy. It then flows into northern Idaho, then back into Canada and Kootenay Lake. Ultimately it joins with the Columbia River.
Endangered species like the bull trout and the Kootenai white sturgeon call its waters home, while it similarly provides critical flows for several endangered salmon and steelhead spawning.(Romans, 2015) Additionally, the Kootenai also serves as a favorite recreation mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, …show more content…
Selenium is taken in through food chain transfer rather than directly through the water. What that means is that plants like the tiny planktons and algae absorb it from the water as they grow; they get eaten by microscopic animals and insects which, in turn, get eaten by fish and those fish by other fish. Each time that process occurs the selenium bio accumulates.(Wikipedia, 2015) If animals accumulate selenium in their bodies faster than it can be used then it can become toxic. For fish, very high selenium levels become apparent when the newly hatched fry are deformed, sometimes enough so they don’t survive. In humans, common symptoms of chronic selenium toxicity or selenosis first appear as a garlicky odor in the breath, and a metallic taste in the mouth. This is followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea, tiredness and irritability, and joint pain, in more than 70-75% of patients. Other characteristic features include loss of mentation, paresthesia, hyperreflexia, nail changes resulting in brittleness, deformation and loss of nails, alopecia, discoloration and loss of teeth, and skin rashes. These are seen in more than 60-65% of patients. (Thomas, 2016) Additionally, selenium may exacerbate the effect of anticoagulants, sedatives, and herbs which impair coagulation such as angelica, cloves, ginger; Selenium may impair the effects of immunosuppressant, oral contraceptives, cholesterol-lowering agents, niacin, and copper
Endangered species like the bull trout and the Kootenai white sturgeon call its waters home, while it similarly provides critical flows for several endangered salmon and steelhead spawning.(Romans, 2015) Additionally, the Kootenai also serves as a favorite recreation mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, …show more content…
Selenium is taken in through food chain transfer rather than directly through the water. What that means is that plants like the tiny planktons and algae absorb it from the water as they grow; they get eaten by microscopic animals and insects which, in turn, get eaten by fish and those fish by other fish. Each time that process occurs the selenium bio accumulates.(Wikipedia, 2015) If animals accumulate selenium in their bodies faster than it can be used then it can become toxic. For fish, very high selenium levels become apparent when the newly hatched fry are deformed, sometimes enough so they don’t survive. In humans, common symptoms of chronic selenium toxicity or selenosis first appear as a garlicky odor in the breath, and a metallic taste in the mouth. This is followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea, tiredness and irritability, and joint pain, in more than 70-75% of patients. Other characteristic features include loss of mentation, paresthesia, hyperreflexia, nail changes resulting in brittleness, deformation and loss of nails, alopecia, discoloration and loss of teeth, and skin rashes. These are seen in more than 60-65% of patients. (Thomas, 2016) Additionally, selenium may exacerbate the effect of anticoagulants, sedatives, and herbs which impair coagulation such as angelica, cloves, ginger; Selenium may impair the effects of immunosuppressant, oral contraceptives, cholesterol-lowering agents, niacin, and copper