Santomartino 1

Deanna Santomartino
AP Environmental Science
Mrs. Norris
18 April, 2016
Water Quality Lab
Introduction
While studying the health of an aquatic ecosystem, there are two major indicators,
such as DO and BOD. DO (dissolved oxygen) refers to the level of free, non-compound
oxygen present in water/other liquids. It is an important indicator of the health of an
aquatic ecosystem because a DO level that is too high or too low can harm aquatic life
and affect water quality. BOD is the measure of the amount of oxygen needed by, for
example, microbes, in order to break down organic matter in the water. The factors that
influence BOD levels include rain, decomposition by bacteria and other microorganisms,
as well as properties such as shallow, slow-moving waters, including ponds and wetlands,
will often have high amounts of organic material in water and high BOD levels. BOD and
DO are related because when BOD is high, it means that there are a lot of organic
contaminants in the water, and microbes are working to break it down. They use up
oxygen while doing this, so when BOD is high, DO is low. Finally, when microbes finish
breaking down organic contaminants, their numbers drop from the lack of food (decrease
in BOD), and then DO usually increases again as a result. Also, The relationship
between dissolved oxygen and water temperature is critical for aquatic life in a stream,
river or lake. More dissolved oxygen is present in water with a lower temperature
compared to water with a higher temperature. The reason for this inverse relationship

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between dissolved oxygen and temperature is that the solubility of a gas in a liquid is an
equilibrium phenomenon. According to La Chatelier's Principle, any reaction reaching
equilibrium will seek a new equilibrium when a variable (temperature) influencing that
equilibrium is altered, (Project Watershed). There are also several bacteria that
contribute to water pollution.
Coliform bacteria are rod-shaped bacteria, such as E. coli. They are found within
the intestinal tracts of both humans and animals. Its presence in water indicates fecal
contamination and can cause diarrhea. Genetically modified bacteria and indicator
species can be used to test the health of an aquatic ecosystem, since they can be used to
consume the bacteria that are consuming all of the dissolved oxygen. Streams and rivers
recover well (speed-wise) from water pollution because the water is constantly moving
and it only takes about sixteen days for them to recover. A body of water undergoes
several stages (zones) after being affected by water pollutants. The clean zone (dissolved
oxygen) consists of trout, perch, bass, mayfly, stone fly, caddis fly, has a high DO level,
and has a low BOD level. The decomposition zone consists of rough fish, leeches,
beginning of the oxygen sag curve, decomposition increases to break down pollutants and
oxygen decreases as it is used through the process of decomposition, has a high BOD
level, and has a low DO level. The oxygen sag refers to the fall and recovery in the curve
of dissolved oxygen levels within streams, rivers, etc., downstream from a major source
of pollution. The septic zone lacks a fish population, contains sludge worms, midge and
mosquito larvae, has a high BOD level, and has a low DO level. The recovery zone
consists of the replenishment of the oxygen sag curve (it rises back to the top with more
oxygen), waste concentration decreases, has high DO levels, has low BOD levels, and

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contains rough fish, leeches, and isopods. Lastly, the final clean zone is the same as the
original clean zone with clean water, high levels of DO, and low levels of BOD. With
concern to pollutants, population is in fact a major contributor to the different types of
contaminants that may impact organisms, as well as humans.
As populations increase, as more invasive species are introduced, and as more
resources are used, many different types of pollution and contaminants can impact
organisms and humans to such a great extent. For example, the different
pollutants/contaminants are listed as followed: air pollution, mercury, oil products/spills,
microbiological, mining, noise, plant nutrients, oxygen-demanding wastes, organic
chemicals, inorganic chemicals, plastic, suspended matter, and thermal pollution. There
are many sources from which these contaminants can be introduced to the environment.
The possible sources of these contaminants are as followed: air pollution (nitric
oxide, carbon dioxide, & Pm10) can be introduced by the fumes emitted from volcanoes,
vehicles, and factories, mercury (present within the muscles of fish) can be introduced by
volcanoes, natural mercury deposits, the burning of coal, and waste incineration, and oil
products/spills (from transferring oil & leaking of pipes) can be introduced from oil
cargos. Other contaminants such as microbiological pollutants (leaking septic tanks) can
be introduced by bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, pollutants from mining (gold mining)
can be introduced from strip or surface mining, and noise pollution can be introduced by
humans through transportation, such as aircraft or trains. Plant nutrients, such as
phosphorus and nitrogen, can be introduced into a body of water through runoff from
fertilizers. Oxygen-demanding wastes, excessive biodegradable wastes, can be introduced
into the environment through sewage, animal feedlots, paper mills, and food processing

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facilities. As for organic (oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, & cleaning solvents) and
inorganic chemicals (acid, lead, arsenic, selenium, & sodium chloride), both chemicals
can be introduced from industrial effluents, surface runoff from farms/yards, and
household cleaners. As for the last few contaminants, suspended matter (plastics, & nylon
from fishing nets/lines) can be introduced from humans, as well as deforestation (clear
cutting), thermal pollution (burning of natural fuels, burning of wood, coal water used for
cooling in the power plant, which runs into a nearby river & harms the river's ecosystem,
& soil erosion) can be introduced through industry & power plants, factories, and global
warming, and finally, plastic (bisphenol A & PCBs) can be introduced through the Great
Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as, Pacific Trash Vortex. As for their sources, these
contaminants also pose negative human health and ecological effects.
The negative ecological effects of air pollution consist of smog and global
warming, whereas the human health effects consist of lung and eye irritation, and
coughing. The negative ecological effect of mercury consists of bioaccumulation,
whereas the negative human health effects consist of negative impacts on the nervous,
digestive, immune systems, lungs, kidneys, and may be fatal. The negative ecological
effects of oil products/spills consist of hurting birds by penetrating their feathers with oil,
causing less buoyancy, and a decrease in insulation ability, whereas the negative human
health effects consist of skin/eye irritations and respiratory problems. Microbiological
contaminants cause ground and stream water contamination, as well as leading to cholera,
typhoid, shigella, polio, and hepatitis. Mining causes exposure of heavy metals and
sulfur, as well as acid mine drainage, and leads to hearing issues, respiratory problems,
and lung cancer. Noise pollution simply disturbs the environment, as well as leading to

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hearing loss, cardiovascular issues, increased blood pressure, and pupil dilation. Plant
nutrients can cause growth of aquatic weeds that block waterways/algal blooms and it
leads to throat, lung, eye, and nose irritation, nausea, vomiting, lung cancer, and the
increase of nitrates results in less oxygen, which will lead to Blue Baby Syndrome.
Oxygen-demanding wastes cause oxygen depletion in the water, anaerobic bacteria that
produce ammonia, sulfides, and methane (swamp gas), leading to diarrhea, skin/tissue
infection, fever, pneumonia, cholera, liver, and eye infections. Organic chemicals harm
fish and wildlife, leading to nervous system damage, reproductive disorders, and some
cancers. Inorganic chemicals harm fish and other aquatic life, lower crop yields,
accelerate corrosion of metals exposed to such water, which leads to
unusable/undrinkable freshwater, skin cancer, crippling of the spinal cord/neck damage,
liver, nervous system, and kidney damage. Plastic contaminants are absorbed by
organisms, pollution of the sea which leads to bioaccumulation, spread of invasive
species, and the death of birds and turtles, leading to premature breast development,
asthma, miscarriage, and male reproductive abnormalities/infertilities. Suspended matter
causes root systems to die, allows sediments to run off into streams, lakes, etc., can
entangle/be ingested by organisms (plastic), which can result in death or even injury,
leading to the same effects as plastic, as well as sickness from water contamination and
food poisoning. Finally, thermal contamination causes the reduction in the ability of
water to hold oxygen and causes death to organisms that cannot tolerate heat and/or low
oxygen levels, which leads to a decrease in fish populations due to less biodiversity,
water contamination, and respiratory problems. These previous contaminants have a

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tremendous impact on the quality of water and in order to determine water quality,
various tests are performed.
The tests that were performed, during the water quality lab in order to identify the
quality of a body of water, consisted of the following tests: Temperature (), pH,
phosphate, nitrate, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. Temperature is measured in degrees
Celsius, pH is measured by a number from 0 to 14, phosphate, nitrate, and dissolved
oxygen are all measured in ppm, and turbidity is measured in JTU. Two other tests are
BOD and fecal coliform, which is measured in colonies/100mL. Also, DO measures the
dissolved oxygen, BOD measures the biological oxygen demand, nitrates measure the
ability of the water to make proteins, phosphates measure the growth of plants and
animals, fecal coliform measures the amount of fecal matter, turbidity measures the
clarity of the water, & pH determines whether the water is an acid (pH from 0 to 6),
neutral (pH of 7), or a base (pH of 8 to 14). As for solutions to resolve water pollution,
many happen to exist.
Some ways to maintain water quality and water purification are disinfection and
filtration. Disinfection consists of chlorine, chloramines, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and UV
radiation, whereas filtration removes clays, silts, natural organic matter, and precipitants
from the treatment process and clarifies water while enhancing the effectiveness of
disinfection. Some water remediation technologies are aeration and phytoremediation.
Aeration consists of bubbling air through water which increases rates of oxidation,
whereas phytoremediation consists of using plants to remove contaminants. Also sewage
treatment, incorporating physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove
contaminants from wastewater, and a septic system, consisting of a tank and a drain field,

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can be used to purify water. The three stages of wastewater treatment consist of primary
treatment, which is the separation of solids and a physical method of cleaning, secondary
treatment, which is the breakdown by bacteria and a biological method of cleaning, and
lastly, tertiary treatment, which is disinfection and the final stage to raise the effluent
quality to the standard required before it is discharged to the receiving environment (sea,
river, lake, or ground). Overall, it has been made clear throughout society, that there are
various contaminants that pose major effects on both the environment and humans, as
well as there being different tests to determine water quality & solutions to resolve water
pollution.
Problem/Purpose
How does the water quality of Smith Creek compare to historic record?
Hypothesis
If the amount of water decreases, then the quality of the water will decrease as
compared to the pond water.
Data & Analysis
Identify the following:
Date: April 11, 2016
Time: 11:58 am
Location: 1150 Forestville Rd, Wake Forest, NC 27587 (Smith Creek & Holding Pond)
Air Temperature: 17
Humidity: 44%
Test

Ideal Results

Poor Result

Smith Creek
(Stream)

Holding Pond

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Temperature

N/A

N/A

19

18

Below 6.5
7.0

pH

Above 8.2
Phosphate (ppm)

0.0 ppm

Above 0.1 ppm

1 ppm

1 ppm

Nitrate (ppm)

0 ppm

Above 10 ppm

0 ppm

0 ppm

Turbidity (JTU)

0.0 JTU

Above 1.0 JTU

10.0 JTU

80.0 JTU

91-110% saturation

<50% saturation

8 ppm

4 ppm

Dissolved Oxygen
(ppm)

Table 1: Water Quality Test Results

Potential DO
Temperature
(C)

DO (ppm)

13.7

12

10

10.7

15

9.5

20

8.6

25

7.8

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Table 2: Potential Dissolved Oxygen
(Amount of dissolved oxygen / Potential dissolved oxygen) X 100% = Percent
saturation
Smith Creek: (8 / 9.14) X 100% = 87.53%
Holding Pond: (4 / 9.14) X 100% = 43.76%
Graph your data and write an explanatory paragraph(s)

Graph 1: Water Quality Test Data

Explanation
After observing the chart above, it has been made clear that the
temperature in degrees Celsius is similar between Smith Creek and Holding Pond
in that Smith Creek is 19 and Holding Pond is 18 . Both the phosphate and
nitrate levels are exactly the same, with the phosphate levels being one ppm and
the nitrate levels being zero ppm. There is a tremendous difference between the

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levels of turbidity, due to the fact that the turbidity for Smith Creek is 10 JTU,
whereas the turbidity for Holding Pond is 80 JTU. The amount of dissolved
oxygen within Holding Pond is half the amount of Smith Creek, since Holding
Pond contains four ppm of DO, whereas Smith Creek contains eight ppm of DO.
Also, the pH levels between the two bodies of water were similar, in that the pH
level of Smith Creek is seven, whereas the pH level of Holding Pond is six.
As for the ideal results and the poor results, Smith Creek has exactly the
ideal pH level of seven, but Holding Pond is below 6.5, and has an acidic pH
level. The turbidity levels for both bodies of water are poor, due to the fact that
both levels are above one JTU. Both phosphate levels are poor because they are
above 0.1 ppm. Both nitrate levels are ideal because they are both calculated to be
zero ppm. The DO level for Smith Creek is more so mediocre, due to the fact that
it has 87.53% saturation, instead of the ideal results of 91-110% saturation. As for
Holding Pond, the DO level is poor because it has 43.76% saturation and the
results that are considered poor are <50% saturation, which means that Holding
Pond does not meet the requirements. Overall, both bodies of waters had their
differences and similarities, all of which determined how ideal or poor the water
quality was.

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Fig 1-3: Graphics Depicting Smith Creek (top right, bottom) & Holding Pond (top left)
Conclusion
After having compared the ideal data to the historical data, both stated that a
turbidity of zero JTU would appear to be clear. As for the ideal data concerning DO, it
stated that a body of water should have 91-110% saturation. The historic data was almost
exact, because if the air temperature was the same as during the lab with 17 ; the typical

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levels of saturation would be around 94% saturation or more (20+ppm). According to
historic data, nitrogen and phosphorus levels over 20 ppm could be dangerous or even
toxic to fish, as well as other aquatic organisms. The typical levels of nitrogen and
phosphorus in a stream would be anywhere from two ppm to six ppm. As for the ideal
data, levels of nitrogen and phosphorus would be ideal at zero ppm. Finally, the ideal data
regarding pH, would be a pH level of seven. According to the historic data, pH is
measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Acidic levels are those less than 7,
and basic (alkaline) levels are those that are greater than 7. The pH of a stream is
normally between 6 and 8. Both an increase and decrease in pH can harm fish and other
aquatic life. A high or low pH can be a result of change in the concentration of hydrogen
ions. The pH of water determines the solubility (amount of hydrogen ions can be
dissolved in the water) and biological availability (amount of hydrogen ions can be
utilized by aquatic life) of chemical constituents such as nutrients (e.g., phosphorus,
nitrogen, and carbon) and heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, copper), (Town of Wake
Forest).
From the results that were calculated, it can be inferred that Smith Creek has the
greatest water quality, other than the fact that its turbidity (JTU) were too high (not all
other levels were ideal, but all were more close than turbidity). Therefore, the hypothesis
was accepted, due to the fact that a decrease in water availability would lead to a decrease
in available water for healthy plant growth, and when the permeability of soil decreases,
less water will soak into the soil and more will run-off. So in the long run, a decrease in
the amount of water within a body of water, such as stream, would result in a worse water
quality than another body of water that had not acquired an increase in the amount of

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water, such as a pond, since a decrease in the amount of water would lead to more runoff
and, Soil erosion is a major contributor of phosphorus to streams, (Perlman). That
would also correlate to an increase in the amount of nitrogen, due to more nutrients
(nitrogen is another nutrient) being transported into the body of water through run-off of
sedimentation from fertilizers, which would speed up the process of eutrophication, and
in the end, decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen that was present. Overall, nothing
beneficial would result from a decrease in the amount of water because the resulting
effects would just end up decreasing the water quality. As for the procedure that took
place during the lab, many errors could have been made in determining the water quality
of Smith Creek and Holding Pond.
One major, possible error that could have occurred while performing the lab,
would consist of a miscalculation during any of the water quality tests, which would
result in incorrect data. One way that a miscalculation could have been prevented, would
consist of double checking each test, both by a student, as well as the teacher, so that
way, it could have been insured that each test was performed correctly. On another note,
there would be numerous, possible sources of contamination for Smith Creek.
As for the possible sources of contamination for Smith Creek, one major source
would be classified as erosion and sedimentation from livestock grazing practices, which
would result in a greater amount of fertilizer being transported into the stream, as well as
an increase in algal blooms, due to the runoff of those nutrients. If the water quality was
poor, possible solutions to improve the water quality of the stream would consist of
livestock exclusion fencing, conservation tillage, heavy-use area protection, & cropland
conversion. Finally, if the macroinvertebrate population of Smith Creek was able to be

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studied, it would be expected to discover, increases in the total macroinvertebrate
families (or genera) and the increased species richness of mayflies, stoneflies and caddis
flies, (Lehuray). As for how the historic data compares to the water quality of Smith
Creek, it was calculated that, although some results were similar, others were
tremendously different.
For instance, the historic data called for a turbidity of zero JTU, whereas the
actual results were 10 JTU. However, the DO levels were very similar in that Smith
Creek contained a DO level of 87.53% and the historic data called for a DO level of
around 94% saturation or more, which meant that Smith Creek was extremely close to the
historic data. As for the historic data regarding nitrogen and phosphorus, the typical
range (in ppm) would have been anywhere from two ppm to 6 ppm, but the resulting
phosphorus levels were one ppm and the nitrogen levels were zero ppm. The historic data
stated that a typical pH would be anywhere from six to eight, and the actual results were
right in between with a pH level of seven.
After having compared the actual results to the historic data, the original purpose
had therefore been achieved, due to the fact that the only major difference in calculations
was the turbidity level, because other than that, the rest of the calculations were similar,
which meant that the historic data was correct and that there may have only been a small
error while calculating the turbidity in either the lab, the historic data, or it could have
been that the turbidity levels had changed over time with an increase in surface water
runoff. In conclusion, performing the water quality lab was an excellent way to discover
the similarities between Smith Creek and Holding Pond, regarding the different water

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quality tests, as well as observing just how similar Smith Creek was to the historic data
and how the water quality had changed over time.

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Works Cited
"Examining the Relationship Between Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature."Teachers
Guide Using A Volunteer Acquired Database Constructed On The Internet,
Examine the Relationship between Dissolved Oxygen and Water Temperature
Lesson Description (n.d.): n. pag. Determining the Biotic Water Quality of a
Stream. Project Watershed. Web.
Perlman, Howard. "Phosphorus and Water." Phosphorus and Water: The USGS Water
Science School. USGS, 06 Nov. 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.
Lehuray, A. P. "U-Pb and Th-Pb Whole-rock Isochrons from Metavolcanic Rocks of the
Carolina Slate Belt." Geol Soc America Bull Geological Society of America
Bulletin 99.3 (1987): 354. Nonpoint Source Program Success Story North
Carolina. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Sept. 2009. Web. 16
Apr. 2016.
"Water Quality Data." Town of Wake Forest, NC. Town of Wake Forest, n.d. Web. 15
Apr. 2016.