Chemical Testing Collecting Water Chemistry Data to determine levels of pollution How healthy is the water?

Citarum River in West Java, Indonesia

Pollution: anything entering or occurring to contaminate a water source that is not the result of a natural process. Unpolluted Water: water that is comprised of a natural balance of chemicals and nutrients which aid in life and growth of aquatic organisms.

Ammonia  Can be either toxic as un-ionized NH 3 or nontoxic as ionized NH 4  Amount of each present is regulated by pH and Temperature  Sources: Animal Excretions, Fertilizers, cleaning products o Bacteria process proteins and urea creating ammonia

Ammonia  Highly toxic in even small concentrations  Unpolluted Stream: Less than 1 ppm  Associated with low DO and increase decaying organic matter

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) The amount of oxygen water is receiving and able to retain The higher the DO, the better the water quality Unpolluted Streams: 5-6ppm Polluted Stream: 1-2 ppm Trout require DO levels >6ppm

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Higher DO if Lower Water Temp More Turbulence (rifles) More Photosynthesis Oxygen Demanding Wastes Certain wastes can trigger increases in bacteria which depletes DO

BOD – Biochemical Oxygen Demand  A measure of the quantity of DO used by bacteria as they break down organic wastes  Unpolluted Streams: 5 mg/L or less o Wastewater Treatment Plants have BOD levels of mg/L and must reduce them to mg/L depending on the discharge permit

Chromium  Chromium is a heavy metal and toxic chemical  Unpolluted Stream: less than 0.5 ppm  Sources: o Metal Plating o Overflow from Air Conditioning Units o Household Chemicals o Runoff

Chromium  Can be found in the mud at the bottom of a lake or stream  Can be accumulated by certain fish  Damages the liver, kidneys, and nervous systems, is carcinogenic  “Biomagnification”  Hexavalent Chromium (Chrome-6) was the pollutant in the famous “Erin Brockovich Case”

pH (Concentration of Hydrogen ions)  A measure of acid or alkaline on a scale of 0-14, 7 being neutral  Unpolluted Streams: 6.5 – 8.5  Acid Rain can lower the pH of a stream system  Farm runoff (specifically lime) can increase pH  Increased photosynthesis can increase pH

Alkalinity  Ability for water to neutralize acids – called buffering  Unpolluted Stream: ppm of CaCo 3 (Calcium Carbonate)  Sources: carbonate rocks (limestone/marble) and soils  Limestone streams of Penna are home of world-class trout fishing

Chloride  A form of chlorine dissolved in water – usually as a molecule (NaCl, HCl)  Sources: Dissolved Salt Formations, Salt Water Intrusion, Residential/Industrial Pollution  Can be used to determine Salinity  Unpolluted Streams: less than 250 ppm

Phosphates (PO4-3) Phosphates are necessary for plant growth and are common ingredients in fertilizers Unpolluted Stream: less then 0.1 ppm Waste Water: 5-30 ppm

Nitrates (NO3) Nitrates are necessary for organisms to repair cells and are common ingredients in fertilizers Unpolluted Stream: Less then 10 ppm Drinking Water Standard: less than 40 ppm

Phosphate and Nitrate Enters the water system from: Fertilizer –Content: N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium) Relative Percentage per bag: Ex Industrial Wastes Sewage Detergents Weathering of Bedrock Decomposition of Organic Matter

Eutrophication process by which young lakes age into swamps and eventually dry land Cultural Eutrophication –The acceleration of the normal aging of a lake due to human activities –Usually the introduction of nitrates and phosphates into a water source

The process: Nutrients enter the water system Triggers increased growth of algae (algal bloom) and aquatic plants Increased algae and plants causes an increase in bacteria Bacteria breakdown and feed off the decaying algae and plants depleting the oxygen levels Eventually, the reduced DO levels suffocate oxygen loving organisms

Chesapeake Bay Algal Blooms April 20, 2005