Nutrients and toxic contaminants in shallow groundwater along Lake Simcoe urban shorelines

Poor water quality associated with eutrophication, attributed largely to phosphorus loading, and toxic contaminants has impaired Lake Simcoe’s ecological health. We investigated the potential influence of urban groundwater contamination on lake water quality using a screening approach. In 2010, shallow groundwater (25–120 cm below the lake bed) was collected at 10–15 m spacing along 2 sections of shoreline (about 1 km each) in Barrie, Ontario. …