Water Quality Pamphlet
By: Carson Whittle
Dissolved Oxygen
pH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. If the water is to acidic it can cause Animals and Plants to die.
Nitrates
Temperature
The most common physical assessment of water quality is the measurement of temperature. Temperature impacts both the Chemical and Biological characteristics of surface water. It affects the dissolved oxygen level in the water,photosynthesis of aquatic plants, metabolic rates of aquatic organisms, and the sensitivity of these organisms to pollution, parasites and disease. Thermal pollution is the introduction of water that is warmer than the body of water into which it flows. It generally occurs near power plants. These industries discharge hot water that has been used to cool equipment directly into streams. Another source of thermal pollution is urban runoff. This is water that has been heated as it flowed over parking lots, streets and sidewalks.
Turbidity
Bio-indicators
Bio-indicators are species that can be used to monitor the health of an environment or ecosystem. They are any biological species group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal what degree of ecosystem or environmental integrity is present. One example of a group of bio indicators are the copepods and other small water crustaceans that are present in many water bodies. Such organisms can be monitored for changes (biochemical, physical, or Behavioral) that may indicate a problem within their ecosystem. Bio indicators can tell us about the cumulative effects of different pollutants in the ecosystem and about how long a problem may have been present, which Physical and chemical testing cannot. A biological monitor, or biomonitor, can be defined as an organism that provides Quantitive information on the quality of the environment around it. Therefore, a good biomonitor will indicate the presence of the pollutant and also attempt to provide additional information about the amount and intensity of the exposure.