Effects+of+pH+and+Organisms+After+Rainfall

=   = = = = = =**Watershed Project **=

= = = = =By Alana Davis and Sonali Sen Sharma =

When given the topic of water quality, we chose to further look into the effects of acid rain because it has been and is currently a huge problem facing our ecosystem. By reading about acid rain, we were able to gain a better understanding of the causes and effects of what we were measuring and investigating. Once we knew more about the problems with acid rain, we could get started on our experiments. We took multiple water samples from McFadden's Pond in Flat Rock Brook, and proceeded to compare the pH of those samples to other samples we gathered right after rainfall occurred. Although the samples we gathered only showed minor fluctuations, those changes still occurred in pH. It is not hard for one to imagine the devastation that more severe acid rain could cause to the lakes, plants, and streams of an ecosystem. Eventually, we concluded that sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions, both natural and man-made, contributed to the slight acidity in our rain.
 * __Abstract__:**


 * __Statement__:** After rainfall, the pH of water will be affected due to acid rain.

Although our project is based on only one pond in New Jersey, our results represent what happens in watersheds in all areas. By testing the water quality before and after rainfall, we can determine the overall acidity or basicity of the rain that falls in New Jersey. By figuring out how acidic or basic the rain is, we can also figure out how it affects the pH of the water. Acidity and basicity are important because they can tell us a lot about our environment and how our water quality is affected. In this project, we will be testing the water at McFadden's Pond after it rains and comparing its pH to another sample from McFadden's when there has been no rainfall. By doing this, we will be able to see whether or not the rain contains any substance that affects the pH.
 * __Why our project is important__:**

//What is Acid Rain?// Acid rain is defined as rain that has a pH below 7. Although natural, clean, rain is slightly acidic (pH of 5.6), human emissions from cars, factories, and other technological developments have seriously hindered the pH of rain.
 * __Background info__:**

Acid rain is a broad term that refers to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The formation of acid rain results from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) which come from fossil fuel combustion. Most of the man-made pollution that forms SO2 and NOX comes from the Unites States. SO2 is mostly formed by

In the U.S., the result of these emissions is a mild form of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Clearly, this is a very serious problem that affects a large part of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is very damaging to lakes, streams, forests, and the plants and animals that live in these environments.

//The image above shows how acid rain is created, with its origins in factories and other waste-excreting industries.//

a. pH strips b. plastic containers c. camera d. Vermer labpro with pH probe e. distilled water f. T Series Lifebook Tablet (LoggerPro) g. Cabbage juice h. GPS device
 * __Materials__:**



1. After arriving at Flat Rock Brook, look around for any trash or foreign objects around McFadden's Pond that may hinder the pH of the water in the pond. 2. After a location was chosen, the GPS device was used to figure out the exact location of each data site. 3. For each visit, a sample of water was taken and stored in a plastic container, labeled to identify when and where the sample came from, and what the weather conditions were that day. 4. After it would rain and/or after it had been sunny for at least one week, we went back to McFadden's Pond to take additional samples from the same location. 5. Once our collection of samples was complete, we began to test the pH of each water sample. 6. The samples were tested in 3 different ways to assure accuracy: 1. Using pH strips, 2. Using LabPro and LoggerPro on the computer, and 3. Experimenting with the red cabbage pH indicator test. 7. After the pH was determined for each sample, they were compared to each other to determine whether or not rainfall effects water quality.
 * __Procedure__:**



//This scale was used to determine the pH of the water from McFadden's Pond. It shows the relationship that everyday items have with the pH scale://

Here is a map of Flat Rock Brook:

McFadden's Pond:


 * Collecting Data:**

We went to Flat Rock during different times of year. In the fall it was brisk out, we were armed with jackets and hats to keep us from catching colds. We used GPS to track our locations, then collected samples from McFadden's pond and tested the pH of those with the pH strips, red-cabbage pH indicators, and the Labpro device.


 * __Pictures from the fall:__**



our samples




 * Pictures from the Spring:**


 * Data:**

We boiled some red cabbage and took the colored water to use as a pH indicator. We poured the water samples from McFadden's Pond into the cabbage water and proceeded to test the pH of the water and observe any changes in the water's coloration. The cabbage juice changes color as pH becomes more basic or acidic. The scale is as follows: 2: red, 4: purple, 6: violet, 8: blue, 10: blue-green, 12: greenish-yellow

The results of our tests were not unexpected because we had already tested the pH using both the pH strips and the LoggerPro device. When we introduced the water sample from location 1 before and after rainfall, the violet colored water did not change for either sample. The same results were witnessed when we poured a bit from Location 2 into the indicator. The only change occurred when we poured the sample from location 3 //after rainfall// into the indicator. It turned slightly deeper color, but nothing very dramatic. We can conclude from this test that the last sample experienced the greatest change in pH.






 * __Analysis:__**

//The image above shows the pH in McFadden's Pond after a week of sunny weather.//
 * Location 1 (40* 52.392 N, 70* 58.070 W):**

//This image shows the pH after rainfall.// At location 1, the pH shows that there is a slight drop in acidity. After rainfall, the water is slightly more acidic due to SO2 and NOX emissions in the air, causing acid rain.

//This image shows the pH of the water after rainfall in location 2.
 * Location 2 (40* 52.387 N, 70* 58.086 W):**

This image shows the pH after one week of sunny weather.//

This data shows similarities to that of Location 1. The pH of the water after a week of sunny weather is higher, which means it is more basic than the water after rainfall.

//This image shows the pH in the water after after rainfall. This sample is the most acidic of the three locations.
 * Location 3 (40* 52.398 N, 70* 58.072 W):**

This image shows the pH at McFadden's Pond after one week of sunny weather. It is evident that the pH is more basic after a week of sunny weather than the pH after rainfall. Clearly, the rainfall has had an effect on the pH of the pond.//

//This graph shows the overall results of the three locations after rainfall and after one week of sunny weather. As our hypothesis stated, the pH of the water after sunny weather was less acidic than the pH of the water after rainfall. Sample/ Location 3 seemed to have the highest drop in pH.//


 * __Conclusions:__**

Overall, our results show that there is a slight drop in pH of the water after rainfall. Although we cannot ultimately conclude that the drop in pH after rainfall is due to natural or man-made chemicals, there is a pretty good chance that humans had a significant influence. Taking this into account, our data showed that the largest drop in pH occurred on a day after the heaviest rainfall at Location 3. The days with lighter rainfall did not produce such dramatic results. There have been multiple studies and data records that state that if humans could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and factory work, we could lessen the CO2 and NOX emissions that spew into the air, ground, and water as a result. By lessening these gasses we could eventually lower the acidity of rain, thus reducing, and hopefully reversing the disastrous and potentially catastrophic results that acid rain has on our environment.


 * __Possible Experimental Errors:__**

While collecting and reading our data, there were many opportunities for errors and subconscious mistakes to occur. Firstly, while measuring the pH of our data, we had stored the water samples in water bottles, which may have had a different affect on the water's pH than taking a direct sample from the open water.

Secondly, we used different methods of testing pH on different days. For one day's sample, we used the pH strips. For another day's, we used the cabbage experiment. For the last day, we used the LabPro system. Each test may have given us different results if used on the same days.

Another possible source of experimental error is water flow. In Location 3, there is basically no flow of water and the pond seems quite stagnant. The stillness of the water may have had an effect on the particular sample we collected, and the quality of the water in the still areas may have remained unchanged due to lack of movement, even if it did rain the day before.

Dirty water may have also had an effect on the samples we collected. When we visited Flat Rock on May 29th, the water was much dirtier than it has ever been and was full of plant fluff and other sheddings from plants and trees during the springtime. These items may have contained slight traces of SO2 or NOX in their leaves and seeds due to the water they absorbed after rainfall and the nutrients they contained. Nitrogen naturally cycles through an ecosystem in the nitrogen cycle, this includes plants and soil, which may have run off into McFadden's Pond and affected the pH levels more so than just rainfall itself.

Other possible margins of error could be pollution and runoff from the wintertime. Between the months of December- March, there was snow on the ground which may have accumulated not only pollution from the air, but from car exhausts and other exterior factors as well. When this dirty snow melted and ran off into the pond, it may have had a greater affect on pH than simply rainfall.

http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/ http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/acid_rain.htm http://www.ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa012803a.htm
 * References:**