1. Using Water Wisely Beth Roland Eighth Grade Science Team 5 Mountaineers

2. Water,Water,Everywhere and not a drop to drink! Of the Earths Hydrosphere, only 3% of the Earths water is fresh water –Of the 3% of fresh water nearly 75% of that water is frozen in icebergs –It is of utmost importance that we protect our fresh water to help preserve and protect the water for future generations

3. Sources of Pollution Point-source Pollution –Pollution that is released from a single, verifiable source –Is the easiest to identify as the pollution can be traced to a single source Example: discharge pipe from a furniture plant

4. Nonpoint-source Pollution Nonpoint-source pollution comes from many sources This type of pollution is harder to control as it doesnt come from one source Examples: agricultural run-off of pesticides, land clearing, urban run-off

5. Measuring Waters Health Dissolved Oxygen (DO)- oxygen is necessary for organisms to survive (both land AND aquatic) –Critical level is 4.0 milligrams/Liter of water Sewage, fertilizer, and animal waste decrease DO

6. Temperature Changes Temperature greatly affects the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels –Cold water can hold more Oxygen (O 2 ) –Warm water can hold less Oxygen (O 2 ) Environmental Impact of Industry- Nuclear power plants use surface water as a cooling agent and this increases temperature of the surrounding water= West Indian Manatee

7. Nitrates Levels Nitrates are compounds that contain the element Nitrogen and Oxygen are harmful to living organisms and lower the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels –Animal wastes and fertilizers are high in Nitrates

8. Sources of Nitrates

9. pH Levels The measure of pH compares the acid/base balance of substances. The range of pH is 1 (a strong acid) to 14 (a strong base) In order to sustain life, the necessary pH range is from 6.5 – 8.5 A pH of 7 is considered neutral

10. Turbidity…What? Turbidity is a measure of the amount of particles suspended in the water. If there is a high turbidity (lots of suspended particles) sun light cannot penetrate through and aquatic plants cannot photosynthesize Silt, clay, wastewater discharge, and high concentrations of phytoplankton increase turbidity

11. Measuring Turbidity