Water Quality & Soil Quality IA Class Lab: Practice testing soil (Activity 2) – Acidity – Nitrogen – Potassium – Phosphate Class Lab: Investigate how water pollutants are measured (Activity 6) You will also be provided with detailed instructions on how to test water samples for major pollutants (Activity 7). However due to time and only a limited supply of materials, we will not do the water testing as class lab. With the materials Ms. Simmons has as well as outside resources, you must plan, design and execute your lab. No group data collection! You will be working independently

Water Quality & Soil Quality IA Option 1: Water Quality Effects on Plant Life Plan an investigation looking at how water quality or pollution levels may affect plant life or growth. The reverse can also be applied as plants can be used as indicators of water quality or pollution levels (indirect method). Some suitable plant life that can be easily obtained include elodea and duckweed (lemnoideae). Some examples of pollutants/testing variables: oil, metals (copper), pesticides, fertilizers (nitrates/phosphates/acidity), chlorine, dissolved oxygen.

Water Quality & Soil Quality IA Option 2: Soil Quality/Biochemistry Effects on Species Diversity Investigate various soil samples from different locations and analyze the chemical characteristics to determine how soil composition affects species diversity. You can look at biodiversity as a whole or focus on the abundance of a particular organism such as plants, bacteria, fungi, or other small microorganisms. Examples of chemical components to test: acidity, nitrates, potassium, phosphate.

5.2 Detection and monitoring of pollution

Detection and Monitoring Environmental monitoring describes the processes and activities that need to take place to characterize and monitor the quality of the environment. Used in the preparation of environmental impact assessments, as well as in many circumstances in which human activities carry a risk of harmful effects on the natural environment.

Direct Measurement Direct measurement is performed by monitoring the level of the pollutant itself, e.g. nitrates in a lake or temperature levels in a lake or stream.

Direct methods of monitoring pollution Air pollution Measure the acidity of rain water to determine pH Measure CO 2, CO, or NO x levels in the atmosphere using a gas sensor Measure particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere

Direct methods of monitoring pollution – Soil pollution Test for nitrates and phosphates (Using LaMotte test kits)

Direct methods of monitoring pollution – Water pollution nitrate and phosphate tests fecal coliform tests tests for heavy metals (Hg, Pb, As)

Indirect Measurement Monitor the effects of the pollutants on other factors, e.g. dissolved oxygen, B.O.D., presence or absence of indicator species Involves the monitoring and measurement of organisms in the ecosystem and more specifically indicator species or index species. These are species that by virtue of their abundance or absence will indicate the level of pollution in that ecosystem. – For example: leafy lichens on trees if the air is unpolluted

BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand)  BOD is an indirect method that measures the amount of oxygen required to support respiration by organisms living in a water sample. high BOD indicates there are many organisms using oxygen for respiration low BOD indicates relatively few organisms needing oxygen for respiration high BOD = low DO levels = high pollutant levels, especially nitrate & phosphate low BOD = high DO levels = low pollutant levels

The Biotic Index Biotic Index – An indirect method that uses a 1-10 scale by observing the presence or absence of key organisms to indicate the relative level of pollution in an ecosystem (example: stream). The Trent Biotic Index is based on the fact that certain species tend to disappear and the species diversity decreases as the organic pollution in a water course increases. The scale corresponds to the four basic water quality (Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor).

How does it work? The biotic index works by assigning different levels of tolerance to pollution to the different types of organisms. The types of macroinvertebrates found during sampling are grouped as: 1: Pollution intolerant: These organisms are highly sensitive to pollution. (e.g. stonefly or alderfly larva) 2: Semi-Pollution intolerant: These organisms are sensitive to pollution. (e.g. dragonfly larva or crawfish) 3: Semi-Pollution tolerant: These organisms will be found in clean and slightly polluted waterways. (e.g. snails or black fly larva) 4: Pollution tolerant: These organisms will be found in polluted, as well as clean aquatic ecosystems (e.g. leeches,bloodworms)

Semi-Pollution Tolerant Pollution Tolerant Pollution Intolerant

Indicator Species Species that are present either only in polluted areas or only in unpolluted areas. – Lichens – Not present in air pollution – Rat-tailed maggot and sludge worms – Found only in polluted water – Gammarus - small crustaceans that are not found in high levels of salinity.

The Biotic Index (cont) Advantages: – Easy to use, especially for moderately or heavily polluted sites – The pollutants are not measured directly but their effect on biodiversity is measured. – Aquatic macroinvertebrates are often used as an indicator because they have some general characteristics that make them very useful to assess stream health: abundant and found in water bodies throughout the world not extremely mobile carry out part or all of their life cycle within the stream or river Disadvantages: – not specific enough – doesn’t fully account for habitat quality

How Water Pollutants are Measured Activity 6 (page 20) Get in groups of 4 (3 groups will have 5 people) One group per lab bench Make sure you have 2 plastic pipets, one red cup, one clear cup, one white cup with red dye, and one spot plate Fill the red cup and clear cup with water – The clear cup will be used for the water you initially drop in each well #1-5 (Steps 2 & 3) – The red cup will be used to flush the pipet before transferring drops between wells (Steps 4 & 5) Read instructions carefully and complete Data Table 6 When finished with lab, please RINSE and RETURN the clear cup, red cup, spot plate and pipets. You may throw the small white cup away.