Water Quality and Testing

Water Quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and
biological characteristics of water
The vast majority of surface water on the
planet is neither potable (fit for drinking)
nor toxic
Approximately 25% of the worlds
population has no access to potable water
Water Quality
No simple property can tell whether water is
polluted or not
Industrial pollution is a major cause of
water pollution
Also runoff from agricultural areas, urban
storm water runoff and discharge of untreated
sewage (especially in developing countries).
Water Contamination
Contaminants that may be in untreated water
include:
microorganisms (viruses and bacteria)
inorganic contaminants (salts and metals)
pesticides and herbicides
sediments
organic chemical contaminants from industrial
processes and petroleum use
radioactive contaminants.
Water quality depends on the local geology and
ecosystem, as well as human uses (sewage
dispersion, industrial pollution, use of water
bodies as a heat sink)
Water Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulates limits on the amount of certain
contaminants in the water
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits
contaminants in bottled water
Drinking water, including bottled water, may
reasonably be expected to contain at least small
amounts of some contaminants. The presence of
these contaminants does not necessarily indicate
that the water poses a health risk.
Water Tests
Electrical conductivity|Conductivity (also see salinity)
Dissolved Oxygen(DO)
pH
Color of water
Taste and odor (geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), etc)
Turbidity
Total suspended solids (TSS)
Dissolved metals and salts (sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium)
Chemical oxygen demand (COD)
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
Microorganisms such as fecal coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli), Cryptosporidium, and Giardia
lamblia
Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus
Dissolved metals and metalloids (lead, Mercury (element),arsenic, etc.)
Dissolved organics: Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
Temperature
Pesticides
Heavy Metals
Pharmaceuticals
Hormone analogs
Temperature
Determine types of organisms that can live in
water
Affects how much oxygen water can hold
Warm water holds less oxygen
Thermal Pollution (increased water temperature)
decreasing oxygen supply
killing fish juveniles which are vulnerable to small
increases in temperature
affecting ecosystem composition.

Dissolved Oxygen
Measure of the amount of oxygen dissolved in
water
Measurement for outdoor bodies of water
More DO generally relates to healthier water
(oxygen necessary for most aquatic species to
breath)
Related to Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
how fast biological organisms use up oxygen in a
body of water

pH
Potential of Hydrogen
measures hydrogen
concentration in water
7.0 is neutral on scale
of 0 14
Can affect how
chemicals dissolve in
water

Representative pH values
Substance pH
Hydrochloric Acid, 10M -1.0
Lead-acid battery 0.5
Gastric acid 1.5 2.0
Lemon juice 2.4
Cola 2.5
Vinegar 2.9
Orange or apple juice 3.5
Tomato Juice 4.0
Beer 4.5
Acid Rain <5.0
Coffee 5.0
Tea or healthy skin 5.5
Urine 6.0
Milk 6.5
Pure Water 7.0
Healthy human saliva 6.5 7.4
Blood 7.34 7.45
Seawater 7.7 8.3
Hand soap 9.0 10.0
Household ammonia 11.5
Bleach 12.5
Household lye 13.5
Nutrients
Eutrophication, strictly speaking, means
an increase in chemical nutrients (typically
nitrogen and phosphorus)
Resultant increase in primary productivity
excessive plant growth and decay
Further impacts, including lack of oxygen
and severe reductions in water quality and
in fish and other animal populations.

Turbidity / Total Suspended Solids
Amount of particulate matter in water
Related to sediment, phytoplankton and
nutrients in water
Turbidity reflects matter visible to naked
eye (measured with secchi disk)
TSS collects dissolved material (filtered)
measured as weight

Salinity
Dissolved salt content in water
Influences organisms that can live in that area
Oceans are about 35 ppt or so
Water salinity
Fresh water Brackish water Saline water Brine
< 0.05 % 0.05 - 3 % 3 - 5 % > 5 %
< 500 ppm 500 - 30 000 ppm 30 000 - 50 000 ppm > 50 000 ppm
Heavy Metals
Living organisms require trace amounts of some
heavy metals, including iron, cobalt, copper,
manganese, molybdenum, vanadium,
strontium, and zinc
excessive levels can be detrimental to the organism.
Other heavy metals such as mercury, lead and
cadmium are toxic metals
they have no known vital or beneficial effect on
organisms
their accumulation over time in the bodies of
mammals can cause serious illness
Microorganisms
E. coli (fecal coliform bacteria) can generally
cause several intestinal and extra-intestinal
infections
Cryptosporidium is a protozoan pathogen and
causes a diarrheal illness called cryptosporidiosis
Giardia lamblia is a flagellated protozoan parasite
that colonises and reproduces in the small
intestine, causing giardiasis. Symptoms of include
diarrhea, malaise, excessive gas, etc



Other Stuff
Pesticides - bactericides, fungicides
herbicides, insecticides (DDT)
Radioactive Materials


A lot of this information pertains to soil
testing as well.

Sources of Water Pollution
Industrial discharge of chemical wastes and byproducts
Discharge of poorly-treated or untreated sewage
Surface runoff containing pesticides or fertilizers
Slash and burn farming practice, which is often an element within
shifting cultivation agricultural systems
Surface runoff containing spilled petroleum products
Surface runoff from construction sites, farms, or paved and other
impervious surfaces
Discharge of contaminated and/or heated water used for industrial
processes
Acid rain caused by industrial discharge of sulfur dioxide (by burning
high-sulfur fossil fuels)
Eutrophication by runoff containing detergents or fertilizers
Underground storage tank leakage, leading to soil contamination, and
hence aquifer contamination
Inappropriate disposal of various solid wastes and, on a localized scale,
littering
Oil spills
Biotic vs. Abiotic
Abiotic components are non-living
chemical and physical factors in the
environment.
The six major aboiotic factors are water,
sunlight, oxygen, temperature, soil and climate.
Biotic means relating to, produced by, or
caused by living organisms.
Biotic vs. Abiotic
Salinity
Dissolved Oxygen(DO)
pH
Color of water
Turbidity
Total suspended solids (TSS)
Dissolved metals and salts
Chemical oxygen demand (COD)
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
Nutrients
Dissolved metals
Temperature
Pesticides
Heavy Metals
Pharmaceuticals
Hormone analogs
Microorganisms such as fecal coliform
bacteria (Escherichia coli),
Cryptosporidium, and Giardia lamblia
Dissolved organics: Colored Dissolved
Organic Matter (CDOM), Dissolved
Organic Carbon (DOC)
Number of species