Post on 14-Dec-2015
Units for Measuring Water Quality
PARTS PER MILLION•Most dissolved
substances measured in parts per million (ppm) or
smaller.
Mg/L is the same as ppm!
1000 mL water
0.001 gram
.
Dissolved in
That’s 1/1000th gram or 1 milligram
•ppm = (mg/L)
•For example, a dissolved oxygen reading of 8 ppm means there are 8 milligrams of oxygen for every 1000 milliliters of water.
8/1000 gram 1000 milliliters =
8/1,000,000 (8 parts per million)
Water Quality IndicatorsWe will now take a look at
the water quality indicators.
TURBIDITY
Turbidity refers to water clarity.
Sediments suspended in
the water increase turbidity.
A secchi disk is one type of instrument used to measure
turbidity.
TOTAL SOLIDS (TS)Measure of the sediment
suspended in water. Related to turbidity.
TEMPERATURE
Most Cedar River aquatic organisms live within a temperature
range of 10-25 degrees
Measured with field thermometers –but digital probes are more accurate.
Measured in Celsius degrees.
14 Dissolved Oxygen (ppm)
12
10
8
6
4____________________________________ Winter Summer
Temperature affects the oxygen-carrying capacity
of water.
Rapid temperature change and temperature extremes = stress on
aquatic organisms.
As the water warms, the amount
of dissolved oxygen decreases.
pH
Measure of the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration.
The pH scale is zero to 14. 7= neutral, <7=acidic,
>7 = basic (or alkaline).
The optimal pH for most 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
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
Dissolved oxygen is a product of
photosynthesis, aeration and
diffusion.
The warmer the water, the less oxygen it can hold.
DISSOLVED OXYGEN
Most organisms need at least 5 or 6 ppm of oxygen in order to survive.
Even cold water rarely contains more than 15 ppm. Summer is often a time of oxygen stress for aquatic
organisms.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
O 2
CO 2
PO 43 - NO -
3
aerob ic bac teria(decom posers )
org anic w astes
•estimates the amount of biodegradable organic matter
•Measured the same way as Dissolved Oxygen, except it has to set for 5 days before you run the test.
•Goal is to see the CHANGE in starting and ending DO over the 5 day period.
•Change should be low if water is not polluted.
Phosphate (PO4) •Phosphate’s concentrations in clean
water is generally low;
•phosphorus is used extensively in fertilizer and other chemicals.
Phosphate •primary sources to surface water are detergents, fertilizers, and natural mineral deposits
Phosphate
•High levels can over stimulate growth of aquatic plants and algae.
•This will cause high DO consumption by bacteria and death to BMIs & fish
NITRATE (NO3)Nitrate is a primary plant
nutrient.
Nitrate is water soluble and moves easily from surface to groundwater.
Excess nitrate causes algal blooms that reduce water quality.
• Excessive use of fertilizers and nutrient rich sewage release
have created a surplus of nitrate.
• Result is eutrophication from excess algae and bacteria with
reduced dissolved oxygen.
This is a eutrophic lake!
Fecal Coliform
Most bacteria are important in nutrient and other organic cycles.
As organisms such as salmon or algae die and decay, the high bacterial load rapidly consumes dissolved oxygen.
Certain types of bacteria indicate animal and human
waste pollution.Escherichia coli are coliform
bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded organisms. Most strains are harmless but one E. coli strain can cause severe diarrhea and kidney
damage.