Saskatchewan wetlands contain virus concentrations far above those found in other parts of North America, a study has found, but researchers are still trying to find out what that means.
Richard Robarts, chief of environmental sciences at the National Hydrology Research Institute in Saskatoon, conducted the study along with David Bird, of the University of Quebec.
They looked at about 300 samples of fresh and saline water collected in the summer of 1995 from North American dugouts, ponds and lakes. About 100 samples came from Saskatchewan.
“We weren’t really sure what we were going to find,” Robarts said. “But in Saskatchewan wetlands the virus numbers were very high – 2.5 billion per millilitre of water. Occasionally, other samples around the world have been that high. It was very surprising.”
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The number compares to about 10 million found in ocean water, where research into viruses in water began.
Samples containing the highest numbers came from the province’s pothole region in the southwest, and the highest concentration was found in a dugout used for drinking water. Robarts said the ratio of viruses to bacteria in these waters was also high. He doesn’t know what the findings mean, but people shouldn’t panic.
“We don’t know the species. We assume they’re non-pathogenic,” Robarts said. “We would need to know what variations there are in virus numbers depending on the season. We need a greater number of samples. Maybe the numbers are typically high.”
What is clear is more research and analysis are needed, Robarts said.
Only within the last 10 to 15 years have scientists discovered the role viruses play in the carbon cycle, he said.
Viruses kill bacteria and release nutrients back into the food chain. Viruses need a host to reproduce, so they infect a bacterial cell and grow until the cell bursts. This releases the nutrients, along with new viruses.
Robarts said $30,000 each year, depending on the level of study, could find some answers.
“We would like to be able to do some more with it,” Robarts said. “So far, we haven’t found anybody willing to support it.”
Environment Canada has launched a larger program, the Wetland Ecosystem Vulnerability Study, to look at the effects of agricultural practices, land use, climate change and increased ultraviolet radiation on prairie wetlands and the food chain.
Robarts and Bird have not yet published their findings. When they do, they expect to find out what the rest of the scientific community thinks.
