In this lab, we participated in many tasks that described the water quality of the Chippewa River. Some of us collected data for three parameters that describe the water quality: macro invertebrates, habitat quality, and water chemistry. Under water chemistry, we collected the waters dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus, and pH levels. The group with habitat quality assessed the waters velocity, temperature, water depth, discharge, riparian vegetation, and substrates. My group studied the micro invertebrates that lived in the Chippewa River. All of these factors that we tested contributes to the waters quality and to the surrounding environments.
pH is a determined value based on a defined scale. pH of water is not a physical parameter that can be measured as a concentration or in a quantity. It is a number between 0 and 14 defining how acidic or basic a body of water is along a logarithmic scale. The lower the number, the more acidic, the higher the number, the more basic the water is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral (Merriam Webster). The pH values run on logarithmic scale. This means that each number below 7 is 10 times more acidic than the previous number when counting down and the opposite with pH levels are above 7. This is due to the effect of hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions on pH. The higher the hydrogen ion concentration, the lower the pH, and the higher the hydroxyl concentration, the higher the pH. Hydrogen and hydroxyl ions work in pairs, so as the concentration of one increases, the other will decrease. The pH levels of a body of water affect the aquatic life. The average pH levels in most ponds or streams range from 6-8. pH levels that fall below 6(acidic) can have many harmful ecological effects on aquatic life. As the pH levels approaches 5, populations of fish such as smallmouth bass disappear. Unwanted organisms like mosses and plankton start to appear at large. When the pH levels fall below 5, Plankton and mosses take over, and fish populations begin to perish completely. Aquatic life is completely vacant from bodies of water when the pH levels fall below 4. A change in the pH of water can modify the behavior of non-harmful chemicals (at correct pH levels) already present in the water. When a body of water becomes that Acidic, high counts of aluminum ions surface and construct redundant amounts …show more content…
Incidents of water pollution are arising and becoming more frequent from human actions everyday. One example of this is acid rain. Many scientists believe that the recent drop in aquatic life in our bodies of water around the world is owed acidic rain lowering the pH levels. Acid rain produced by coal burning industries flow into all bodies of water after falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads. The acid rain eventually raises pH levels of surrounding bodies of water leading to it 's many negative affects on aquatic life. Point source pollution is water pollution that comes from a single, discrete place that is able to be traced back to its original pollution point. (www.in.gov) An example of a point source polluting waters natural pH levels is when we dump industrial pollutants directly into bodies of water. Another source of pollution produced by humans is mining. Mining exposes rocks to rainwater that produces acidic runoff. Humans poor decision making and lack of knowledge of how we pollute the waters will soon be
pH is a determined value based on a defined scale. pH of water is not a physical parameter that can be measured as a concentration or in a quantity. It is a number between 0 and 14 defining how acidic or basic a body of water is along a logarithmic scale. The lower the number, the more acidic, the higher the number, the more basic the water is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral (Merriam Webster). The pH values run on logarithmic scale. This means that each number below 7 is 10 times more acidic than the previous number when counting down and the opposite with pH levels are above 7. This is due to the effect of hydrogen ions and hydroxyl ions on pH. The higher the hydrogen ion concentration, the lower the pH, and the higher the hydroxyl concentration, the higher the pH. Hydrogen and hydroxyl ions work in pairs, so as the concentration of one increases, the other will decrease. The pH levels of a body of water affect the aquatic life. The average pH levels in most ponds or streams range from 6-8. pH levels that fall below 6(acidic) can have many harmful ecological effects on aquatic life. As the pH levels approaches 5, populations of fish such as smallmouth bass disappear. Unwanted organisms like mosses and plankton start to appear at large. When the pH levels fall below 5, Plankton and mosses take over, and fish populations begin to perish completely. Aquatic life is completely vacant from bodies of water when the pH levels fall below 4. A change in the pH of water can modify the behavior of non-harmful chemicals (at correct pH levels) already present in the water. When a body of water becomes that Acidic, high counts of aluminum ions surface and construct redundant amounts …show more content…
Incidents of water pollution are arising and becoming more frequent from human actions everyday. One example of this is acid rain. Many scientists believe that the recent drop in aquatic life in our bodies of water around the world is owed acidic rain lowering the pH levels. Acid rain produced by coal burning industries flow into all bodies of water after falling on forests, fields, buildings, and roads. The acid rain eventually raises pH levels of surrounding bodies of water leading to it 's many negative affects on aquatic life. Point source pollution is water pollution that comes from a single, discrete place that is able to be traced back to its original pollution point. (www.in.gov) An example of a point source polluting waters natural pH levels is when we dump industrial pollutants directly into bodies of water. Another source of pollution produced by humans is mining. Mining exposes rocks to rainwater that produces acidic runoff. Humans poor decision making and lack of knowledge of how we pollute the waters will soon be