The Pond Is Healthy Or Unclean Essay

The health of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay was found based on Biological (macroinvertebrates and wildlife) and Chemicals characteristics (pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, etc.) as well as physical observations (amount of forested buffers, wetlands, etc.) Overall it was concluded that the health of the water was good to excellent. What was found was that many of the macroinvertebrates found in the water were sensitive or facultative, meaning the water quality was good enough for them to live in. Also, the level of ph, temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, and turbidity showed that the water quality was good. Finally, while we were canoeing down the Susquehanna River, observations were made on the land

“The pH of a solution is a measure of the molar concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution and as such is a measure of the acidity or basicity (sic) of the solution. The letters pH stand for power of hydrogen and the numerical value defined as the negative base 10 logarithm of the molar concentration of hydrogen ions.” (PH, 2002). The pH scale is from 0 to 14. When the pH is higher, the hydrogen ions are fewer and the substance considered alkaline. This means when a pH unit increases by one, there is a tenfold change in the hydrogen ion. For example, if a substance has a 7 pH, it has 10 times as many as hydrogen ions available as 8 pH. A lake having a water pH between 6.5 and 8.5 is considered to be neutral. Researchers tested Peckham Park lake water monthly from August 2015 to April 2016 for water pH levels. A water quality PH test strip taken from a jar and dipped into the lake. After a few minutes, the strip will turn a color and this color determines the pH. The jar the strips came in has a chart of the colors on the back which compared to the color on the strip. The lake tested monthly using the PH test strips, which show the pH level, hardness, toxic, etc. using color-change

Government agencies carefully monitor water quality and its effect on wetlands (Reference: Environment Protection Agency Wetland Report EPA 832-R-93-005). Of particular concern is the concentration of nitrogen in water draining from fertilized lands. Too much nitrogen can kill fish and wildlife. Twenty-eight samples of water were taken at random from a lake. The nitrogen concentration (milligrams of nitrogen per liter of water) was determined for each sample. The variable in this information is nitrogen concentration (mg nitrogen/l water).

We did 3 different test to help conclude the water quality. The first testing/station i did was to see what kind of critters were living in the water. Then, my next group was to take a test to see if eutrophication was in the water. We also took

Overall, the more macroinvertebrates in the water, the healthier the stream. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic water is. It is measured on a scale from 0-14. 0 is the most acidic, 14 is the most basic, and 7 is neutral. It is the measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen and hydroxide ions in the water. Acidic water has more hydrogen ions, and basic water has more hydroxide ions. When water’s pH is around neutral (7), that is a suitable and healthy living environment for fish, and indicates a healthy stream. If the water is too acidic or too basic, it can be harmful to the aquatic life. Dissolved oxygen is a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water. As the amount of dissolved oxygen drops below normal levels in water bodies, the water quality is harmed and creatures begin to die off as a result of eutrophication. The higher the level of dissolved oxygen, the healthier the stream. When there is a lot of dissolved oxygen present it makes for a safe environment for fish to live and reproduce. Having all this healthy fish can provide us with food, so overall the more dissolved oxygen, the better. Nitrates are a compound found in fertilizers that is used to help plants grow. It is what is given off as a result of the use of nitrogen in water. The organisms in the soil eat the nitrates and it helps the metabolism and the health of organisms. Plants, such as Algae use nitrates as a source

The first station we had was counting crustaceans and macroinvertebrates in the water. We found 113 critters that belonged in group 1 which means it is quality water. There were 2 organisms in group 2 which was somewhat quality water. Also, 16 critters in group 3 which means the water is very polluted. Overall, based on the critter

Acidity is the level of acid in a substance such as water, soil, and even wine. Dissolved Oxygen, or D. O., was another test. Dissolved oxygen is the amount of oxygen that is present in the water. Group P’s data showed 8, 8, 12 for D. O. Groups A’s data was 10, 8, 7. Group W’s data was 12, 11, 12. The average was 9.8. This is a high but excellent number. We want this to be high so more organisms like fish can live there. The pH scale said for groups P, A, and W that the pH was 7 which is neutral.

For both ponds, the procedures are identical to each other. Submerged the YSI 55 DO Meter about 6 inches into the clear water to take an initial DO measurement at the surface, and did the same thing when it was lowered 2 feet into the water to take initial DO measurement at the bottom. The meter took the DO, % DO Saturation, and temperature at both the surface and the bottom of the pond. Four water samples were taken from the pond and collected in viewing tubes. Used the tube on the left side as a control and in the second tube, the group added Phosver 3 Phosphate Reagent

Dissolved Oxygen, pH levels, Temperature Change, Fecal Coliform, BOD, Nitrate, Phosphates, Turbidity, and Total Solids were each tested in the stream at least one time. If more time and enough supplies were given, then certain tests should be done more than once. Temperature Changes should be tested every other month because it is quick and a change in temperature can affect the health of the organisms living in the stream and therefore the quality of the stream. Temperatures can also drastically change in a short amount of time and there is a large difference in water temperatures in summer and winter. Another test that should be done every other month is dissolved oxygen because it is related to the temperature of the water. Cooler waters have a greater capacity for dissolved oxygen than warmer waters. This test is important because due to human activity and industrial processes, can increase water temperature and therefore decrease the dissolved oxygen levels. Certain organisms living in the stream need a sufficient amount of dissolved oxygen to survive. Another test that should be done more often is the

6 groups each collected a sample of surface water from the wetland and the lake in various areas. Back at the lab, measurements were made and analyzed the data. We had 23 samples of water slides from the samples of water collected from each location. We examined the drops of water from each location under a microscope and counted all the microorganisms we could find and recorded them in Microsoft Office Excel. After looking at the water samples under a microscope, we tested the pH level of 6 samples from each location of water with a Vernier pH probe and recorded this data in Excel. The number of microorganisms found in the recorded was analyzed using a statistical chi-squared test and the pH levels recorded was analyzed using a t-test.

Overall the objective of this lab exercise was to introduce students to watershed ecology and the ecological factors that affect water quality. Students used biotic (macroinvertebrates ) and abiotic indicators to asses the quality of water in a freshwater body. Specifically students collected water chemistry data (hardness, nitrate/phosphate concentrations, dissolved O2 and pH) to asses the quality of water. Additionally macroinvertebrates from the benthic environment of a respective field site were collected, analyzed as well as catalogued. Collectively the results indicated that a greater species diversity was indicative of greater water quality(Lenat). Likewise within a freshwater ecosystems a negative correlation was found to exist between fluctuating abiotic factors,species diversity and water quality. It can be concluded that amongst the three field sites the ranking of water quality from highest to lowest is as follows; Great Brook Farm, Russell Mill pond, Lawrence Street Stream.

The pH levels is “a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14 (Heritage, 2011). Dissolved Oxygen “refers to the level of free, non-compound oxygen present in water or other liquids” (Kemkar, 2013).Conductivity of the water “is a measure of water’s capability to pass electrical flow. This ability is directly related to the concentration of ions in the water” (Kemkar, 2013).The moisture and pH levels of the soil is simply “a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil” (QLD, 2013). While soil moisture just tests for how much liquid is contained in the soil. “Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by suspended solids that are usually invisible to the naked eye” (LaMotte, 2016). “The Secchi depth is a measurement of water clarity. Water transparency directly affects the amount of light penetration into a lake” (RMB,

In this experiment the students used different test kits to determine the ppm (parts per million) of phosphates, nitrates, and dissolved oxygen. Phosphates and nitrates are salts or ester of phosphoric or nitric acid, containing anions and are examples of polyatomic ions. They can be found in fertilizers, sewage treatment and some detergents. When rain dissolves these materials, they can make their way into the creeks and rivers. When the surface waters are rich with these materials, they can cause algae to grow. Algae then competes with other organisms for light and other nutrients. This has been a major contributor to the massive loss of life in the Chesapeake Bay waters. Dissolved oxygen refers to the level of free non-compound oxygen present in liquids. The higher level of dissolved oxygen the healthier the water. To do this experiment the students needed to get a 25 mL sample of creek water and add a certain chemical to it to make the water change color. The shade of the color determines the number of ppm. The students found around 10 dissolved oxygen ppm and little to none phosphates and nitrates. These results show that the water is healthy because the lower the number of phosphates and nitrates, and the higher the dissolved oxygen, the healthier the

abiotic and biotic factors and how they influenced each other in a small freshwater ecosystem.

Pond Ecology is the interaction of life in pond with environment. Pond have low oxygen levels, little animal life, and lack of food supply. A pond contains mostly water, few nutrients, and less aquatic life. Organisms live, grow, and die in the pond. The remains decay in pond and are released back to keep the cycle going. The aquatic organism take four organism carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus to be made. In winter, the organism in pond are amphibians meaning their body temperature falls as the water temperature drops decreasing the organism respiration rate and energy needed. Pond organism such as turtles and frog bury themselves in mud at bottom of sea and hibernate. To conclude, pond have a life cycle they go through (intext cite)