Water Quality Indicators

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What are Water QualityStandards and Indicators

Water quality and indicators are measurements of the substances in water beside water molecules that determine the healthiness of the water or its level of pollution

How do we treat our drinking water? Water from both public and private

supplies often need some type of treatment to ensure it is safe.

First filtration and coagulation, Second chlorination, Third aeration and additional treatment, Fourth testing samples

Water pollution is the addition of any substance that has a negative effect on water or the living things that depend on the water.Pollutants are the substances that pollute the water.

What is water pollution?

What are the three main sources of water pollution?

Three main sources of water pollution are human waste, industrial waste, and chemical runoff.

Please fill out flow chart for this guided notes

section

Why is this important?

In addition to drinking water , we also eat fish on a regular basis.Some of these fish have toxic chemicals stored in their bodies. Over time the chemicals are stored in our body fat. This can lead to birth defects and or cancer to name a few.

• Turbidity

•Dissolved oxygen

•Temperature

• Nitrates (nutrients) , NH3, NO-2

• Bio-Indicators

•Hardness - amount of calcium and magnesium

Water Quality Indicators

Turbidityrefers to water

clarity.

• Ideal Level: low turbidity is clear water• High Level: unclear water /unhealthy water

Turbidity

Causes of increased Turbidity• Erosion causes loose soil to enter the waterways

Increased Algae blooms

Waste drainage

Agricultural and urban runoff

Result of High Turbidity

Suspended sediment blocks sunlight to plants (photosynthesis) and reduces

dissolved oxygen.Increased levels of sediments absorbs

more thermal energy (Heat) making water warmer which lowers

dissolved oxygenThis causes fish and larvae to die -Fish kill

pHthe acidity of water –presence of

hydrogen ion (H+).

The pH scale is zero to 14. 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is basic (or alkaline).

High or low pH are signs of unhealthy water

pHSurface Freshwater: 6.5 - 8.0

Swamp: 3.5 to 4.0Salt Water: 7.5 to 8.4Most aquatic organisms exist

within a pH range of 6.5 to 8.2.

Carbon dioxide reacts with water to form a weak acid called carbonic acid.

pH tolerance for most

aquatic life

Factors effecting pH levels

Natural phenomenal such as algae blooms

or man made events such as dumping in water or runoff

DISSOLVED OXYGENIs the measure of gaseous oxygen (O2) dissolved in

water. It’s a product of photosynthesis

and diffusion.

The warmer the water, the less oxygen it can hold.

• Average Level: • 9.0 ppm

• Must be 4-5 ppm to support diverse population of fish

DISSOLVED OXYGEN levels

Causes of Changes in Dissolved Oxygen

•turbulent action – rapid waves

• Solubility decreases with increasing temperature and water depth

• Increase algae growth decreases DO

•Increase plant growth increases DO

Results of changes in dissolved oxygen

When DO drops too low fish die. When DO is high, the water actually tastes better but can corrode water pipes.

TEMPERATURE

Most aquatic organisms live within a temperature range of +32º F (+0º C) to 90º F (32º C).

The higher the temperature the lower the amount of dissolved

oxygen.

Measure of the average kinetic energy (movement of particles in matter).

Levels of Temperature• Low: cannot be tolerated below

• High: only rough fish can tolerate temperatures above 970F

Cause of change in TEMPERATURE

source of water time of yearsuspended sediment depth of watershade from shoreline vegetation

Result of change in TEMPERATURE

changes in temperature can make aquatic life susceptible to disease and at extreme levels can result in death

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)

4____________________________________ Winter Summer

Although nutrients are essential elements for plants and animals, their presence in excessive amounts cause undesirable conditions and negatively impact fish and other aquatic life.

Nutrients –Nitrates and phosphates (Nitrogen and Phosphorous)

Nitrates

Nitrates: compound that contains the nitrogen based polyatomic ion NO3 (Ex: Sodium Nitrate)

Levels of Nitrates in drinking water

Drinking Water Max:10 mg/L

Fish: Below 90 mg/Lseems to have no effect on warm water fish

Causes of Nitrates in water

Fertilizer runoff (farm and home) Manure pitsSeptic system leaksAnimal wasteRain trapping car exhaust

Potential Consequences ofNutrient Overenrichment

• Low Dissolved Oxygen• Nuisance Algal Growth• Harmful Algal Blooms• Fish & Shellfish Kills • Human Health Effects

Results of presence of nitrates: nitrates can increase the plant production and fish population resulting in overcrowding. If algae increases due to nitrates, the DO levels can decrease, killing fish. Nitrates are converted to nitrites in humans (can kill children)

Bio-Indicators

Organisms (macro-invertibrates) found living in water (they tend to remain in one place ) that have specific living conditions and are very sensitive to pollution.

The presence or absence of particular organisms can tell us a lot about the quality of the body of water being studied.

Levels of Bio-indicators

High Level of Variety: healthy water source

Small Level of Variety: poor water source (indicator of high levels of pollution)

Causes of Changes in Bio-Indicator

pollution that results in changes in pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, or nitrate levels

Results of Few Varieties of bio-indicators

the lack of a large number of different varieties of bio-indicators is indicative of pollution

Turbidity: measure of the degree to which water looses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates

pH: the acidity of the water (presence of hydrogen ion)07 is acidic 7 is neutral714 is basic

Indicators of Water Quality

Ideal Level: 1 NTU

High Level: 5 NTU and above

Surface Freshwater: 6.0 9.0

Swamps: as low as 4.3

Salt Water: 8.1 but as low as 7.7

Causes of increased turbidity: increased levels of phytoplankton, sediment from erosion, re-suspended sediments from the bottom (stirred by bottom dwellers), waste discharge, algae growth, and urban runoff

Causes of changes in pH: natural conditions (especially in swamps), dumping of waste (batteries) and farm runoff (lime)

Causes of changes in dissolved oxygen: turbulent actions waves, rapids), water depth, and plant growth

Results of high turbidity: high turbidity increases the absorption of sunlight thus making the water warmer. Warmer water has lower levels of dissolved oxygen causing fish and larvae to die.

Results of changes in pH: a change in pH by 2 units results in a water system having 100 times a difference in acidity. Most aquatic life cannot withstand water outside of the optimum pH thus resulting in death.

Results of changes in dissolved oxygen: When DO drops too low fish die. When DO is high, the water actually tastes better but can corrode water pipes.

Average Level: 9.0 ppm

Must be 4-5 ppm to support diverse population of fish

Dissolved Oxygen: the oxygen dissolved in the water

Temperature:measure of average kinetic energy

Nitrates: compound that contains the nitrogen based polyatomic ion NO3 (Ex: Sodium Nitrate)

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

Low: cannot be tolerated below 320F

High: only rough fish can tolerate temperatures above 970F

Drinking Water Max:10 mg/L

Fish: Below 90 mg/Lseems to have no effect on warm water fish

High Level of Variety: healthy water source

Small Level of Variety: poor water source (indicator of high levels of pollution)

Causes of change in temperature: source of water, time of year, suspended sediment, depth of water, and shade from shoreline vegetation

Causes of nitrates: fertilizer runoff (both farm and home), manure pits, leaks in septic systems, animal waste, and rain trapping car exhaust

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

Results of changes in temperature: changes in temperature can make aquatic life susceptible to disease and at extreme levels can result in death

Results of presence of nitrates: nitrates can increase the plant production and fish population resulting in overcrowding. If algae increases due to nitrates, the DO levels can decrease, killing fish. Nitrates are converted to nitrites in humans (can kill children)

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

Turbidity: pH:

Ideal Level:

High Level:

Surface Freshwater:

Swamps:

Salt Water:

Causes of increased turbidity: Causes of changes in pH: Causes of changes in dissolved oxygen:

Results of high turbidity. Results of changes in pH: Results of changes in dissolved oxygen:

Average Level:

Dissolved Oxygen:

Temperature: Nitrates: Bio-indicators:

Drinking Water Max:

High Level of Variety

Small Level of Variety:

Causes of change in temperature: Causes of nitrates: Causes of changes in bio-indicators:

Results of changes in temperature: Results of presence of nitrates: Results of few varieties of bio-indicators present:

Water Quality Indicators

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