Water Quality. By Michael Apple Environmental Health and Protec:on Officer City of Washington

Transcription

1 Water Quality By Michael Apple Environmental Health and Protec:on Officer City of Washington 1

2 The following sec:ons slides come from: wisegeek clear answers for common ques<ons AQUATIC ECOLOGY 2

3 Aqua:c Ecology Aqua:c Ecology is a branch of the science of ecology which is concerned with the study of aqua:c ecosystems. This field can be broken into two divisions: Freshwater ecology and Marine Ecology. Given that most of the Earth is covered in water, understanding aqua:c ecosystems is very important 3

4 Aqua:c Ecology Rivers, Lakes, Streams, Freshwater Seasonal Bodies of water, Underground water deposits, And The surrounding areas Marine Marine ecology is concerned with the ocean. 4

5 Estuaries Estuaries, where freshwater meets saltwater, may be studied by ecologists from either field, and some:mes both, working coopera:vely on projects which require the exper:se of freshwater and marine ecologists. 5

6 Aqua:c Ecology Aqua:c ecologists study natural popula:ons of organisms in the water, learning about natural varia:ons and the impact of influences like temperature, salinity, water depth, loca:on, and season. Aqua:c ecologists are also interested in human interac:ons with the environment, and the impact of human ac:vity on aqua:c ecosystems, 6

7 THE WATER CYCLE 7

8 The Water Cycle 8

9 Hydrologic (Water) Cycle 9

10 NUTRIENT CYCLING 10

11 Nutrient Cycles Carbon Nutrient Cycle Nitrogen Nutrient Cycle 11

12 Carbon Cycle 12

13 Nitrogen Cycle 13

14 Nutrient Cycles Phosphorous Cycle The phosphorus cycle is much simpler than the nitrogen cycle because phosphorus lacks an atmospheric connec:on and is less subject to biological transforma:on. Phosphorus is of concern in surface waters because it can lead to eutrophica:on. Phosphorus is also a concern because phosphate levels greater than 1.0 mg/l may interfere with coagula:on in drinking water treatment plants (Bartenhagen et al., 1994). 14

15 Phosphorus Cycle 15

16 AQUATIC CHEMISTRY 16

17 Aqua:c Chemistry CO 2 (air) <=> CO 2 (water) CO 2 + H 2 0 <=> H 2 CO 3 (carbonic acid) H 2 CO 3 <=> H + + HCO 3 - HCO 3 - <=> H + + CO 3 2- CO 2 H 2 0 H + OH - H 2 CO 3 HCO 3 - CO

18 WATER TREATMENT 18

19 Potable Water Treatment 19

20 Waste treatment 20

21 AQUATIC FOOD CHAINS AND WEBS 21

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24 Community Interac:ons Popula:on Dynamics Watershed Resource Management Issues 24

25 INTERACTIONS AMONG SPECIES Interac<ons Interspecific compe<<on Preda<on Exploita<on Symbiosis 25

26 Types of Species Interac<ons Neutral two species do not interact Mutualism both benefit Commensalism one benefits, other neutral Parasi<sm one benefits, one harmed but not killed Preda<on one benefits, other killed 26

27 Ecologic Pyramids Ecological pyramid - a graph represen<ng trophic level numbers within an ecosystem. The primary producer level is at the base of the pyramid with the consumer levels above. Numbers pyramid - compares the number of individuals in each trophic level. May be inverted due to size of individuals Biomass pyramid - compares the total dry weight of the organisms in each trophic level. Energy pyramid - compares the total amount of energy available in each trophic level. This energy is usually measured in kilocalories. 27

28 Energy vs Nutrient Nutrients cyclic (Biogeochemical Cycles) Energy flow one way 28

29 Ecological Pyramids 29

30 Sedimenta:on, Pollu:on Number 1 polluter of Waterways in North Carolina 30

31 MACRO- FLORA AND FAUNA & HARMFUL SPECIES 31

32 Indicator Species FOR Division C ONLY students will also be expected to know the general ecology, life cycles, and feeding habitats of all listed organisms Class 1-pollution sensitive Class 2-moderately sen. Class 3-moderately tolerant Class 4-pollution tol. Class 5 Air Br. Mayfly Aquatic Sowbug Water Mite Air Breathing Snail Whirligig Beetle Caddisfly Damselfly Midge Deer/Horse Fly Water Strider Stonefly Dragonfly Blackfly Tubifex Mosquito Dobsonfly Scuds Flatworm Blood Midge Giant Water Bug Gilled Snails Crane Fly Leeches Back Swimmer Water Penny Water Boatman Riffle Beetle Predacious Diving Beetle Water Scorpion Aquatic Nuisance Plants: Purple Loosestrife, Eurasian Water Milfoil and Water Hyacinth. Aquatic Nuisance Animals: Zebra Mussel; Spiny Water Flea,Asian Tiger Mosquito, and Carp 32

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40 WATER MONITORING 40

41 Part 3: Water Monitoring Understand and interpret data related to tes<ng procedures and purposes for water tes<ng (No actual tes<ng) Build and demonstrate a salinometer capable of tes<ng saltwater (1-10%) 41

42 Chemical Analysis Salinity - only actual tes<ng with salinometer ph Phosphates Dissolved oxygen Temperature Nitrates Fecal Coliform Total solids Biochemical oxygen demand Their rela<onship to one another 42

43 Water Monitoring hdp:// A great website for a simple how to for water quality 43

44 Water Quality Parameters ph Parameter ph, or the "poten:al of hydrogen", is a measure of the concentra:on of hydrogen ions in the water. This measurement indicates the acidity or alkalinity of the water. On the ph scale of 0-14, a reading of 7 is considered to be "neutral". Readings below 7 indicate acidic condi:ons, while readings above 7 indicate the water is alkaline, or basic. Naturally occurring fresh waters have a ph range between 6 and 8. The ph of the water is important because it affects the solubility and availability of nutrients, and how they can be u:lized by aqua:c organisms. - Dissolved Oxygen Parameter Dissolved oxygen is the amount of oxygen dissolved in water, measured in milligrams per liter (mg/l). This component in water is cri:cal to the survival of various aqua:c life in streams, such as fish. The ability of water to hold oxygen in solu:on is inversely propor:onal to the temperature of the water. For example, the cooler the water temperature, the more dissolved oxygen it can hold. - Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) Parameter Biological Oxygen Demand is a measure of how much oxygen is used by microorganisms in the aerobic oxida:on, or breakdown of organic mader in the streams. Usually, the higher the amount of organic material found in the stream, the more oxygen is used for aerobic oxida:on. This depletes the amount of dissolved oxygen available to other aqua:c life. This measurement is obtained over a period of five days, and is expressed in mg/l. 44

45 Water quality parameters Temperature Parameter Temperature is a measure of how cool or how warm the water is, expressed in degrees Celsius (C). Temperature is a cri:cal water quality parameter, since it directly influences the amount of dissolved oxygen that is available to aqua:c organisms. Water temperature that exceeds 18 degrees Celsius (for Class A Waters) has a deleterious effect on several fish species in streams. Salmonids, for example, prefer waters of approximately 12 to 14 degrees Celsius - Conduc<vity Parameter Conduc:vity is the ability of the water to conduct an electrical current, and is an indirect measure of the ion concentra:on. The more ions present, the more electricity can be conducted by the water. This measurement is expressed in microsiemens per cen:meter (us/cm) at 25 degrees Celsius. - Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Parameter Total dissolved solids is a measure of the amount of par:culate solids that are in solu:on. This is an indicator of nonpoint source pollu:on problems associated with various land use prac:ces. The TDS measurement should be obtained with the conduc:vity meter and is expressed in (mg/l). - Turbidity Parameter Turbidity is a measure of the clarity of the water. It is the amount of solids suspended in the water. It can be in the form of minerals or organic mader. It is a measure of the light scadering proper:es of water, thus an increase in the amount of suspended solid par:cles in the water may be visually described as cloudiness or muddiness. Turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). - 45

46 Water quality parameters Streamflow/Discharge Parameter The streamflow, or discharge, is the volume of water passing a single point in the stream over :me. It is measured by determining the cross- sec:onal area and velocity (speed and direc:on) of the flowing water. The measurement is usually expressed in cubic feet per second (cfs). - Fecal Coliform Bacteria Parameter Fecal Coliform bacteria are microscopic organisms that live in the intes:nes of all warm blooded animals, and in animal wastes or feces eliminated from the intes:nal tract. Fecal Coliform bacteria may indicate the presence of disease carrying organisms which live in the same environment as the fecal Coliform bacteria. The measurement is expressed as the number of organisms per 100 ml sample of water (#/100mL). - Analy<cal Procedures All trained volunteers who will be involved in monitoring water quality and quan:ty parameters on the subject waterbody and its tributaries should follow specific procedures and protocols for the collec:ng and processing the data. The volunteers should monitor all water quality and quan:ty parameters at all sta:ons once every two weeks, or twice a month. All parameters should be sampled on the same day. The water quality parameters that should be monitored, field tested, and recorded on the data sheets include ph, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conduc:vity, and total dissolved solids (Data Sheet I, Appendix). All parameters should be tested on the same day with the poten:al excep:on of turbidity and fecal Coliform samples. While the fecal Coliform samples must be delivered to the lab, on the same day, the turbidity samples may be refrigerated at the office overnight, and may be tested the next day at the office. The biological oxygen demand results should be recorded ajer five days of tes:ng. 46

47 Water quality parameters Turbidity Turbidity samples should be tested in the office, and results recorded on data sheets. The turbidity samples should be tested at the office at the end of the day, or within 30 hours from the :me they were collected. If they are lej overnight, they should be stored in a refrigerator at the office. If the turbidity samples are taken to a laboratory, they must be tested within 30 hours from the :me they were collected in the field. - Fecal Coliform Fecal Coliform bacteria samples should be collected by the volunteers and brought to a cer:fied laboratory. The fecal Coliform samples need to arrive at the laboratory by the end of the sampling day unless other arrangements have been made. However, the fecal Coliform samples will need to be tested within 30 hours from the :me the first sample in the field was taken. All adempts should be made to get the samples to the lab on :me. The lab should be called a day ahead of the actual sampling day, and also on the day of sampling, to remind the laboratory when samples will be brought to them to be tested. - Streamflow Stream flow should be measured in the field and discharge results compiled in the office (Data Sheet II, Appendix). Data gathered should be compiled into a spreadsheet and analyzed by the project leader, the Washington Department of Ecology. Stream flow measurements should be taken at specific loca:ons at the same :me the other water quality parameters are sampled. Stream flows should be measured at the following loca:ons: Your monitoring sta:ons should be iden:fied here Stream gages may be needed installed. The stream gages should provide the stream height of the water and can be used in concert with the stream discharge data. Volunteers should work as a two- person crew while conduc:ng all the necessary water quality monitoring in the field. The crew may decide to determine who is responsible for taking various measurements. For example, while one volunteer is obtaining the ph and temperature readings, the other volunteer may wish to conduct the conduc:vity and TDS sampling and tes:ng. This may be beneficial due to :me constraints in the field. However, streamflow measurements will require that both volunteers work together. The day of the week that the sampling will occur may be decided by the project leader and the volunteer crew. Once a day is chosen, the sampling must be conducted on the same day of the week each :me 47

48 Sample Analysis Using the picture below, explain all of the possible human caused problems that can occur. In addi<on, what types of chemical tes<ng would you perform to confirm your suspicions? 48

49 Salinity A Simple Defini<on Originally salinity was defined to be the "Total amount of dissolved material in grams in one kilogram of sea water." This is not useful because the dissolved material is almost impossible to measure in prac:ce. For example, how do we measure vola:le material like gasses? Nor can we evaporate sea- water to dryness because chlorides are lost in the last stages of drying (Sverdrup, Johnson, and Fleming, 1942: 50). 49

50 Hydrometer A hydrometer is an instrument used to measure the specific gravity (or rela<ve density) of liquids; that is, the ra:o of the density of the liquid to the density of water. 50

51 Make a Soda Straw Hydrometer Materials: Plas:c soda straw Modeling clay (plas:cine variety) 1- liter soda bodle Tap water Strong (5%) salt solu:on Permanent waterproof markers 51

52 Direc:ons to Make This is a simple hydrometer designed to illustrate the differences in density between water samples. While it can be scaled to provide measurements, its purpose is demonstra:ve rather than quan:ta:ve. 1. Fill the soda bodle with dis:lled or tap water. (You may wish to cut the top off the bodle, since retrieving the straw may be difficult otherwise). 2. Mold a ball of clay onto one end of the soda straw to make the hydrometer. The amount of clay is determined by trial and error. You want enough clay to cause the straw to float low in the fresh water, but not completely submerged. 3. Float the hydrometer in the fresh water and try to mark the straw at the interface between the air and water. When the hydrometer is placed in a water sample and floats to this mark, the water sample should be 0% salt. 52

53 Direc:ons to Make 4. Empty the 1- liter bodle (or use a second bodle) and fill it with 5% salt water. 5. Float the hydrometer in the salt water. It should float no:ceably higher than in the fresh water. If you want to try to quan:fy your measurements, mark the straw as in step 3. When the hydrometer floats to the level of this mark, the water it is in should be about 5% (5o/ 1oo) salt. 53

54 Direc:ons for use 1. You should have 2 marks on the straw one that represents 0% and one that represents 10% - - from building your hydrometer. Simply mark the straw in even increments between these 2 marks to represent the different salinity measurements. For example, if the hydrometer floats to a mark halfway between the 0 and 10% marks, the water should have a salt concentra:on of 5.0%. 2. Note that while the salinity in an estuary may be fairly low in places, the range of ocean salini:es is typically narrow (30-35 percent), and this hydrometer may not be able to detect such small differences. 3. Now, try the hydrometer in various water samples of different salini:es to take addi:onal readings. 54

55 DOCUMENTATION Salinity % A B C Observer 1 Observer 2 Observer 3 Group Average 55

56 Acknowledgements Slides 3 6 are from wisegeek clear answers for common ques<ons Slides 9,12,13,15,25-30,34-39,42,43,47,48, and 54 are from the Na:onal Science Olympiad Water Quality PowerPoint 56

57 The End! Ques:ons? 57