1. Water Quality
8th Grade

2. Factors of Water Health
Physical Variables
Chemical Variables
Non-living components that indicate the health of a water source.
Example:
Temperature
Turbidity
Water Movement
Chemical components that indicate the health of a water source.
Example:
Dissolved Oxygen and other gases pH
Nitrates
Salinity

3. Things in Common between Physical and Chemical Variables
Constantly changing due to natural and man-made forces
Can influence water quality

4. Factors that create an Ecosystem
Abiotic
Biotic
Nonliving things/factors that affect living organisms.
Example:
Habitat (pond, lake, ocean, desert, mountain)
Weather (temperature, cloud cover, rain, snow, etc.)
Living things/factors that affect living organisms.
Example:
Plants
Animals
Fungi
Protist
Bacteria

5. Things in Common between BIOTIC and ABIOTIC Factors
Both create an ecosystem
Both affect organisms living in an ecosystem

6. Water Quality
The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. The measure of the conditions of water compared to the requirements for human usages.

7. Temperature A measure of the amount of heat using a numerical scale.
Marine species have preferred water temperatures in which they can live

8. Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
The amount of oxygen in water available for use by marine organisms.
Can be “breathed” in by fish and other marine life.

9. Nitrates Made of one nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms
Enter water by contaminated fertilizers, septic tank leakage, sewage, and land erosion.

10. Phosphates Made of one phosphorous atom and four oxygen atoms
Enters water from human and animal waste, laundry, cleaning products, and industrial waste. .
Can stimulate the growth of producers.

11. pH A measure of how acidic or basic water is. pH 1 – 6 = acidic
pH 7 = neutral
pH 8 – 14 = Basic

12. Turbidity The measure of how clear or how cloudy the water is.
Dirt, sand, algae, etc. can make it harder for sunlight to travel through the water.

13. Bioindicators
Living organisms such as fish, insects, algae and plants that are studied to identify the quality of water.

14. Water Quality Standards
Benchmarks established and regulated by local, regional and federal agencies to outline pollution control programs and determine the quality of water.

15. Water Treatment
The process used to remove contaminants from water to make it usable by humans.

16. Stewardship
The act of being responsible for overseeing and protecting, caring for, and preserving something.