Water+Quality+and+pH

Water Quality and pH
 **Introduction and Objective ** Water (H2O) takes up over half of the earth's surface. This water, however, is not stagnant. Water molecules constantly move, come into contact with other water molecules, and reattach themselves to other molecules. On a molecular, micro level, there is a huge amount of motion and activity, but on the macro level, there is very little visible change.

Flat Rock Brook Nature Center has various bodies of water scattered around acres of land. Merely looking at each body of water provides no conclusive evidence of change. To observe the change taking place in the water at Flat Rock Brook, Neesha and I have recorded the location of each water body, the pH, salinity, temperature, amount of dissolved oxygen, and our visual observations of the water and surrounding area.

Naturally, water changes over time. The extent of that change was what we sought to discover. Because there are so many variables that could incite change in the water quality, we narrowed down our focus to observe the effect of the changing seasons, the surrounding environment, and time on the water. Our observations of the effects of the changing seasons and the environment would provide data about what caused the change in the water. Our observations of the effects of time would provide data about how long it took to cause change in the water.

And how does this all relate to the grand scheme of things? Water is everywhere in different forms. Water is in lakes, rivers, rain, snow, ice, and there are water molecules hanging in the air around us. Because water is so plentiful, a change in our water could affect our lives and our living situation. Many of us take water for granted because it's just another commodity. However, with overpopulation, global warming, pollution, harmful technology, and chemicals, out water supply is being poisoned and drained. The study of water provides data to evaluate the healthiness of our water and find what is in the water.

By looking at the water at Flat Rock Brook, we're looking to find out how much the water bodies change and how healthy they are. Flat Rock Brook is located within a residential community, but it is fairly elevated and separated from outside influences. How will Flat Rock Brook's water supply fare against the environment that we have contributed to?

pH reader Dissolved oxygen reader Methods ** At Flat Rock Brook, there are five different locations for gathering data: Quarry Pond (the Turtle Pond), McFadden's Pond, the two forks that feed into McFadden's Pond, and the stream by the playground. The pH machine read the pH, the hardness in water (ppm), the conductivity (μS), and the water temperature. The dissolved oxygen machine read the amount of dissolved oxygen  in the water along with the salinity. Data alone isn't sufficient, so visual observations of the environment had to be made and anything that could have an effect on the water due to proximity was noted.  Data collecting days were spaced out in a comprehensive way. In the winter, there would be fewer days to collect data because there would be very little change. The water would freeze and if an outside, unnatural force broke the ice, the accuracy of the data would be called into question because of the interference. Then, after a long period of time, the next data collecting day would be in the spring. The long period of time would also provide data for the theory that time has an effect on change. Then, the next visit would be planned a month later to give the water some time, but not as much time as we had given in between the winter and the spring, to change. Then, the final visit would be planned to be less than a week away from the last visit, to get data on if a short period of time would allow for change. **Hypothesis** In the winter, the water would freeze and external matter would not have an effect on the water. However, it would be difficult to gather the data because of the ice. In the spring, we expect many changes each time we visit because of the run-off rainwater, dirt, pebbles, animals, trash, and other debris.
 * Materials **
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We also believe that time will have an effect on how much the water changes. In a short amount of time, the water won't change as much as it will after a long period of time. Our reasoning behind this is that a longer period of time will allow for more outside influences to change the water.

**    __November 14, 2007__ 4 PM Observations: In the pond, there were ducks, algae, leaves, sticks, mud, grass, and frogs. Outside of the pond, there were leaves, sticks, dirt, grass, and trees. The plant-life looked healthy and green. The water was clear except for at Quarry Pond where there was pollen or algae floating at the top. The weather was slightly chilly.
 * Data
 * || Quarry Pond || McFadden's Pond ||
 * pH || 7.2 || 7.52 ||
 * Hardness (ppm) || 86 || 30.9 ||
 * Conductivity (μS) || 18.3 || 16.6 ||
 * Temperature (°C) || 41.7 || 11.5 ||

__December 6, 2007__ 73°58.013 W Elevation 394 ft. || 40°58.014 N 73°56.24 W Elevation 100 M || 40°52.729 N 73°57.87 W Elevation 354 ft. || 40°52.721 N 73°57.759 W Elevation 95 M || 40°52.734 N 73°58.213 W Elevation 312 ft. || 9.36 mg/L || - || 81.3% 10.72 mg/L || - || 91.6% 11.65 mg/L || Observations: McFadden's Pond and the water at the Left Fork were frozen and the other bodies of water were nearing the point of freezing. There were a lot of leaves and snow on the ground. At the right fork, the water moved relatively fast compared to the other sites. There were no signs of life. The weather was very cold.
 * || Quarry Pond || McFadden's Pond || Right Fork || Left Fork || Playground Stream ||
 * Location || 40°52.295 N
 * pH || 7.87 || - || 7.56 || - || 7.95 ||
 * Hardness (ppm) || 463 || - || 459 || - || 433 ||
 * Conductivity (μS) || 919 || - || 916 || - || 865 ||
 * Temperature (°C) || 1.8 || - || 1.3 || - || 0.9 ||
 * Dissolved Oxygen || 92.2%

__April 16, 2008__ 73°58.013 W Elevation 394 ft. || 40°58.014 N 73°56.24 W Elevation 100 M || 40°52.729 N 73°57.87 W Elevation 354 ft. || 40°52.721 N 73°57.759 W Elevation 95 M || 40°52.734 N 73°58.213 W Elevation 312 ft. || 8.04 mg/L || 85.0% 8.13 mg/L || 90.1% 8.87 mg/L || 81.9% 7.70 mg/L || 75.7% 6.84 mg/L || Observations: The weather was warmer and because it was spring, there were more bugs, plant life, moss, and fish. The water moved slowly in all of the bodies of water. The water was very clear.
 * || Quarry Pond || McFadden's Pond || Right Fork || Left Fork || Playground Stream ||
 * Location || 40°52.295 N
 * pH || 8 || 8.55 || 8.86 || 8.62 || 9.29 ||
 * Hardness (ppm) || 86 || 348 || 339 || 342 || 305 ||
 * Conductivity (μS) || 173 || 698 || 680 || 685 || 592 ||
 * Temperature (°C) || 17.3 || 16.7 || 16.6 || 16.6 || 16.3 ||
 * Dissolved Oxygen || 86.2%

__June 1, 2008__ 73°58.013 W Elevation 394 ft. || 40°58.014 N 73°56.24 W Elevation 100 M || 40°52.729 N 73°57.87 W Elevation 354 ft. || 40°52.721 N 73°57.759 W Elevation 95 M || 40°52.734 N 73°58.213 W Elevation 312 ft. || 7.97 mg/L || 88.2% 7.69 mg/L || 89.3% 8.14 mg/L || 85.4% 7.62 mg/L || 88.5% 7.62 mg/L || Observations: The weather was very warm. The plants had grown tremendously, there were many bugs, and there were more animals wandering around with their newborn babies. The water was very clear except for at Quarry Pond where algae was starting to build up on the surface. There were turtles, frogs, geese, many bugs, and fish at Quarry Pond. There were turtles and fish in McFadden's Pond and many birds were singing in the trees. There was even a type of rat swimming underwater. At the Right Fork, there was open sky to allow more sunlight through and the water moved slowly. At the Left Fork, the water was almost still and the trees blocked out most of the sun. There were more bugs here. At the playground stream, the water level seemed to be lower and there were new woodchips around the water's edge.
 * || Quarry Pond || McFadden's Pond || Right Fork || Left Fork || Playground Stream ||
 * Location || 40°52.295 N
 * pH || 7.43 || 7.75 || 7.87 || 7.92 || 7.63 ||
 * Hardness (ppm) || 476 || 412 || 455 || 401 || 468 ||
 * Conductivity (μS) || 521 || 711 || 672 || 705 || 644 ||
 * Temperature (°C) || 22 || 20.5 || 17 || 17.6 || 17.2 ||
 * Dissolved Oxygen || 90.6%

__June 5, 2008__ 73°58.013 W Elevation 394 ft. || 40°58.014 N 73°56.24 W Elevation 100 M || 40°52.729 N 73°57.87 W Elevation 354 ft. || 40°52.721 N 73°57.759 W Elevation 95 M || 40°52.734 N 73°58.213 W Elevation 312 ft. || 8.28 mg/L || 88.7% 8.06 mg/L || 91.1% 8.56 mg/L || 86.8% 8.08 mg/L || 89.3% 8 mg/L || Observations: The weather was chillier today because it had rained the day before. There was a lot of life at both Quarry Pond and McFadden's Pond. The water at Quarry Pond was the dirtiest, with green algae floating at the top. The water at all water sources, except for at the Right Fork, was fairly still. There were many leaves and sticks in McFadden's Pond.
 * || Quarry Pond || McFadden's Pond || Right Fork || Left Fork || Playground Stream ||
 * Location || 40°52.295 N
 * pH || 7.45 || 7.74 || 7.96 || 8.00 || 8.07 ||
 * Hardness (ppm) || 312 || 301 || 342 || 329 || 306 ||
 * Conductivity (<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">μ S) || 533 || 705 || 663 || 703 || 620 ||
 * Temperature (°C) || 20.3 || 17.3 || 17.01 || 16.8 || 17.3 ||
 * Dissolved Oxygen || 89.37%


 * Graphs**


 * Pictures**

December 6, 2007

June 1, 2008 June 5, 2008


 * Analysis**

__pH__ refers to the acidity of water on a scale of 0 to 14. A number lower than 7 will be more acidic, 7 is neutral, and a number greater than 7 will be more basic. pH is based on logarithms, so if the pH changes by one number, it means that something has changed in water by ten times. For healthy water, a pH of 6, 7, 8, or 9 is best, especially if there is animal life in the water. pH can change if there is algae or plants in the water because of photosynthesis and respiration. If algae or plants are present in the water, the water becomes more acidic at night and more basic in the morning. pH can also be affected by human influences, such as acid rain from pollution, mining, and industry.

The pH of the water at Flat Rock Brook stayed in the 7 and 8 levels, which is considered to be healthy. The water tended to be more basic than acidic, which is good because acidic water is harmful to animals and humans alike. The pH went up as the water temperature went up. Because of physical proof and because the pH went up more in the spring, it's reasonable to say that the amount of algae in the water affected the pH and made it more basic. We went to Flat Rock Brook before noon, and algae causes water to become more basic in the morning. We could also physically see the algae floating on the top of the water. This algae could have come from plant life thriving inside the water or from run-off from rain.

__Hardness__ refers to metal ions, such as calcium and magnesium, in water. Usually, these ions enter the water as limestone or chalk or because of a proximity with soil, which has a lot of minerals.. Usually, hard water isn't harmful. It is corrosive, though, and it isn't ideal for washing. For human use, water is usually softened, but natural water can be hard or soft. The hardness of water is read in parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate in the water. There are temporary hardnesses and permanent hardnesses. Despite their names, both temporary hardness and permanent hardness can be removed from water.

The water sources had hardnesses that ranged from around 300 (moderately hard) to 500 (hard). Hard water is reasonable because in the warmer weather, the soil is more likely to get knocked into the water and leave minerals behind, or run-off could have pulled minerals from stones. The water seemed to be harder on June 1, the hottest day we went on.

__Conductivity__ refers to the water's ability to pass an electrical current. Inorganic dissolved solids, such as chloride anions, nitrate anions, sulfate anions, phosphate anions, sodium cations, magnesium cations, calcium cations, iron cations, and aluminum cations, affect conductivity. Materials that ionize or dissolve into ionic compounds will cause a higher conductivity. Warmer water also affects conductivity by bringing it up. If there is a huge change in conductivity, it could be an indicator of pollution. Conductivity is measured in microSiemens. Conductivity from 50 to 1500 microSiemens is considered to be normal for rivers. Water with fish should have conductivities of about 150 to 500 microSiemens. Water near industrial areas can have conductivities as high as 10,000 microSiemens.

In Quarry Pond, the conductivity ranged from 0 to 900 <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">μ S, and it was at its highest in December. That's within a healthy range for water. The other bodies of water were similar to each other, ranging from about 600 to 900 <span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">μ S. They were also at their highest conductivity in December, which is very weird because colder water brings down conductivity. This could either be because of an experimental error or because of pollution. More pollution would cause strange jumps in numbers.

__Temperature__ should be regular in the water in order for the life to thrive. Temperature is also directly linked to dissolved oxygen. Colder water will cause more dissolved oxygen to appear in the water.

The temperature of the water directly related to the season and temperature of the air. Colder weather caused colder water and warmer weather caused warmed water.

__Dissolved Oxygen__ refers to the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water. Oxygen can get into the water by being diffused from the air, through aeration, or because of photosynthesis. The levels of dissolved oxygen can fall because of run off and fertilizers because the underwater plants will thrive and use up the oxygen in the water. The amount of water and how fast it moves also affects dissolved oxygen. The levels of dissolved oxygen rise in cold weather and fall when they come in contact with organic waste. There should be around 5 mg per liter of dissolved oxygen in the water for animal life to survive.

The amount of dissolved Oxygen was consistent for all water sources. It stayed below 100% and above 80%. All of the water bodies had over 5 mg per liter of dissolved oxygen, but under 12 mg per liter. The water had good amounts of dissolved oxygen in them, meaning that run-off wasn't a huge problem at Flat Rock Brook.

The pH kept a fairly regular pattern, except for in Quarry Pond where it dipped and rose on the different days. All of the water bodies, except for Quarry Pond, had a similar pattern for pH, hardness, conductivity, and temperature. The pattern for dissolved oxygen was fairly similar in all five water bodies.
 * Patterns/Trends**

The similarities mean that even though the water bodies are separated by some distance and physical objects, because they are in the same environment, they more or less go through the same changes because something is having an effect on the at the same time. For instance, if it rained, all water bodies would be affected and have the same pattern of change because of fairly similar levels of rain being added to them.


 * Error**
 * There were sections of data that were left out each time we went because of faulty machines or weather issues (ice).
 * More days of data collecting would provide a more thorough analysis of how time affects change.
 * No patch of water is the same. We took the data from on spot in each body of water, but other spots in that same body of water could have been different.
 * Microorganisms from one body of water could have been transferred to another body of water through contact with our machines. Trivial, but it's a change caused by outside interference.
 * Other people besides us have touched, affected, thrown things into the water that naturally wouldn't be there.

The water at Flat Rock Brook was fairly healthy. pH levels were at a good place near neutral 7. The water was hard, but that doesn't really contribute to the overall healthiness of the water. The conductivity of the water was at a healthy level and there was a good amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.
 * Conclusion**

Looking at change, though, we noticed that the biggest changes occurred between November and December, and then between December and April. The change between December and April made sense because of the huge amount of time between the two months during which anything could have happened. The real shocker was with the changes between November and December. The two months are close together, but a big change happened during that period of time. One explanation of this could be because we only took data of 2 water bodies, rather than everything. Another explanation of this could be because November is more of a fall season and December is a winter season.

From our data, we can conclude that a long period of time will cause greater change than a shorter period of time will. We have also found that pollution isn't as big of a problem. One main reason for change is the algae that comes in the spring and fall. Algae can come from run-off and fertilizer, and most of it ended up in Quarry Pond.

Overall, though, Flat Rock Brook didn't seem to be affected very much by human influence, and was fairly healthy consistently throughout the year.

Because Flat Rock Brook is fairly healthy, we can study the reasons for how it maintained its health. Using that knowledge, it'll be easy to make other bodies of water healthy, too. Keeping our water healthy helps us, also, because we'll eventually use that water in one form or another.
 * Significance**

__Evolution__ - Each body of water had different characteristics, even though they were all fairly close to one another. McFadden's Pond and Quarry Pond both contained fish that looked fairly similar but had a couple of differences, such as size, behavior, and color. They may or may not be related, but the different species show how different water environments make the animal life adapt differently and develop different traits. __Equilibrium__ - There are chemicals entering the water every second. Pollutants in the air drift down and harmful molecules mix with the water. According to Le Chatelier, these newly added components unsettle the balance of equilibrium in the water, and the water will make changes to itself to re-balance itself. When something is added to the water, something in the water will try to push that thing out. If the water is healthy, that means that the equilibrium is stable. If the water is unhealthy, that means that the number of harmful things entering the water greatly outweighs the water's fight to stabilize its equilibrium. __pH: Acids and Bases__ - The pH of the water never goes below 7. That means that the water is slightly basic. That's a good thing because acidic water would be harmful to everything that comes into contact with it. Acids cause burning sensations when touched, while bases feel slippery. __Chemistry__ - Water is H2O. The atoms are polar and are stuck together by hydrogen 'bonds', a misnomer because they are attractions, not bonds. Positive hydrogen molecules attract negative oxygen molecules. Because of unpaired electrons on the oxygen molecule, the shape of the H2O is bent. Water is denser in its liquid form than in its solid ice form. Ice can float. __Phase Changes__ - Heat of fusion is when liquid becomes solid. The process is exothermic and gives off heat. In the winter, the water froze, but some areas didn't. Then the ice melted in the spring, which is an endothermic process that puts heat into the ice. __Entropy__ - Entropy is the amount of disorder and randomness in a system. In the winter, there was less entropy because most of the water was frozen. In the warmer weather, there was more entropy because the ice became a liquid. __Energy Chain__ - In a way, the water bodies start off the food chain by providing plants and microorganisms for larger animals and predators to eat. If a body of water is healthy, the life will thrive, but if the body of water is unhealthy, there will be less life.
 * Reference to other Projects/Labs**

Flat Rock Brook is just one small area compared to the vast amount of space taken up by water in our world. To begin with, research should be done at different water sites. Each location should be picked specifically. Tests should be taken at sites closer to industrial factories, cities, farms, mountains, forests, roads, and so on to see how different ranges of human contact and the proximity of humans affect water.
 * Further Research**

Natural Water - http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/applychem/waternatural.html Healthywater - http://www.healthywater.com.au/water_facts/waterfacts06.cfm?cat=commercial Hard Water - WIkipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water DRBC Water Quality Terminology - http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/snapshot_terms.htm Household Water Quality - http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/housing/356-490/356-490.html Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality - http://www.epa.gov/volunteer/stream/vms59.html
 * Bibliography**