TEMPERATURE DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) OXYGEN (DO) pH NITROGEN PHOSPHATES TURBIDITY BIO- INDICATORS Water Quality Factors

Water Quality – Guided Notes -pH level -temperature (thermal pollution) -turbidity -bio-indicators -dissolved oxygen -salinity -phosphates and nitrates (Phosphorous and Nitrogen)

Water Quality – Dissolved oxygen -The amount of oxygen (yes the gas) dissolved into water. It gets there by rapid movement of water, diffusion, and as a byproduct of photosynthesis!

Water Quality – Salinity How much salt is in water, should know this. PPT means parts per thousand. For example, if in 1000 grams of water, there are 30 grams of salt, it’s ocean water!

Water Quality – Thermal pollution -Changing the water quality by adding heated water to a non-heated water source.

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS: changes rate of photosynthesis changes rate of respiration changes DO in water cold water holds more DO hot water holds less DO changes sensitivity of organisms to toxic waste, parasites, disease.

TEMPERATURE Thermal pollution = adding warm water to cold water. CAUSES OF THERMAL POLLUTION: Industry (nuclear power plants, paper mills) Urban Development (storm water runoff, construction, soil erosion)

Temperature affects the oxygen- carrying capacity of water. Rapid temperature change and temperature extremes can stress aquatic organisms. As the water warms, the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases. 14 Dissolved Oxygen (ppm) ____________________________________ WinterSummer

DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) ORANGE = Oxygen MICKEY MOUSE = Water Fish need Oxygen Less Oxygen = Less fish

DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO) TO INCREASE DO: Much of DO comes from atmosphere Some of DO comes from photosynthesis TO DECREASE DO: Add pollution Add organic waste

ORGANIC WASTE = LOW DO Organic waste = parts of once living things EXAMPLES OF ORGANIC WASTE: Sewage Farm runoff Discharge from food processing plants

HOW RAW SEWAGE LOWERS DO RAW SEWAGE GOES INTO WATER: 1.Decomposers chow down 2.Decomposers take up oxygen 3.Decomposers reproduce, taking up more oxygen 4.No more oxygen for other animals 5.Nothing left but decomposer & sewage- filled water.

HEALTHY POND

RAW SEWAGE IS DUMPED

UNHEALTHY POND

Water Quality – pH level -pH stands for the potential of Hydrogen in water. -Here’s the pH scale:

pH pH = measure of concentration of hydrogen ions in a substance Tells whether substance is: ACID BASE NEUTRAL

pH Measured on scale from 0 to 14 0 = highly acidic (HCl) 7 = neutral (pure water) 14 = highly basic (bleach) Seawater pH ranges from 7.5 – 8.5 Average pH of ocean water = 7.8 pH of natural water = 6.5 – 8.5 Optimal range for life = 6.5 – 8.2

pH US Northeastern rain pH = 4.3 Rain elsewhere in US pH = 5.0 – 5.6

pH

ALKALINITY Alkalinity refers to the water’s ability to neutralize acids. Alkalinity is produced by minerals such as limestone. Limestone is a type of ocean sediment composed of calcium carbonate.

Limestone bedrock areas often have caves and sinkholes, known as Karst. Water with low alkalinity is usually acidic.

Ammonia Ammonia is produced by the decay of organic matter and animal waste. Ammonia is toxic to most aquatic life, especially at high pH. Bacteria readily convert ammonia to nitrate. (a plant nutrient)

Ammonia Ammonia is a form of nitrogen and part of the Nitrogen Cycle.

pH SOURCES OF LOW pH IN WATER: Acid rain is cause of acid in thousands of lakes Burning fossil fuels has increased acid rain EFFECTS OF LOW pH IN WATER: Low pH directly kills fish pH < 5, most fish eggs die

Water Quality – Phosphates and Nitrates -Runoff, fertilizer, eutrophication...

NITROGEN Living organisms need nitrogen to make proteins Nitrates (NO 3 ) & Nitrites (NO 2 ) are compounds made of nitrogen & oxygen Some nitrogen in water is good The wrong amount is bad

NITROGEN SOURCES OF NITROGEN IN WATER: Human & animal waste fertilizer EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH NITROGEN: Lowers dissolved oxygen (DO).

NITROGEN – EUTROPHICATION Q: How does Nitrogen reduce the amount of DO? A: Eutrophication Nitrogen feeds algae (green stuff) Algae grows & grows Algae blocks sunlight Underwater plants die Algae die and decompose The decomposition takes up oxygen No DO for organisms, so they die

NITROGEN OUR HAPPY POND IS NOW “DEAD”

NITRATES

PHOSPHATES Phosphorus is an element like hydrogen or oxygen Phosphorus combines with other things to make phosphates Essential for living things Usually present in very small amounts Too much is bad

PHOSPHATES SOURCES OF PHOSPHATES IN WATER: Storm sewer runoff Soil erosion Fertilizer Forest fires Volcanic eruptions

PHOSPHATES

EFFECTS OF PHOSPHATES: Eutrophication (same as with nitrates)

PHOSPHATES OUR HAPPY POND IS NOW “DEAD”

PHOSPHATES

Water Quality – Turbidity -Turbidity is how cloudy a substance is, basically. Which picture is more turbid? -Which would you rather swim in…?

TURBIDITY Turbidity refers to water clarity. Sediments suspended in the water increase turbidity.

TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS) TSS is the measure of the sediment suspended in the water. TSS is related to turbidity. Water with high TSS usually has high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as well.

A secchi disk is one type of instrument used to measure turbidity.

TURBIDITY

Measures clearness of water Murky water = greater turbidity Caused by solids blocking sunlight Measured using a Secchi disk or turbidity meter

TURBIDITY HUMAN DUMPING: Clay Silt Industrial waste Raw sewage SOURCES: Human dumping Construction Soil erosion Nitrate pollution Phosphate pollution

TURBIDITY EFFECTS: Clogs fish gills Smothers eggs Makes water unlivable

BIO-INDICATORS Bio-indicators = organisms that help determine health of water. Presence or absence tells something about the water. Not always an accurate way to measure water quality. Accurate in telling environmental stress

Definition: Bio-indicators Bio-indicators: macroinvertibrates found living in water (they tend to remain in one place) that are sensitive to pollution

BIO-INDICATORS

Levels: Bio-indicators High level of variety: healthy water source Small level of variety: poor water source (indicator of high levels of pollution)

Causes: Bio-indicators Causes of changes in bio- indicators: Pollution that results in changes in pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, or nitrate levels

Results: Bio-indicators Results of few varieties of bio-indicators present: the lack of a large number of different varieties of bio- indicators is indicative of pollution

BIO-INDICATORS HOW HUMANS AFFECT BIO-INDICATORS: Over-fishing Industrial pollution Poor farming practices Adding foreign species

BIO-INDICATORS

TOXIC CHEMICALS Toxic chemicals usually come from industry and energy production. The effects are often not known until years after they have entered the environment.

Toxic chemicals include heavy metals (lead, mercury), organic compounds (DDT, PCB), inorganic substances (arsenic) and others.