Christine YaegerUniversity of Minnesota

Institute for Global Studies Water Quality and the Environment: A Global

Perspective June 25-June 29, 2012

What Is Water Quality?

http://www.pristinelife.com.au/pl-filtering.html; NoAA.gov

http://libertylake.org/protection-information/; Powerstates.com

It depends… Intended Uses

http://www.krismbeal.com/2011/10/19/drinking-water-and-liking-it-she-likes-it-she-likes-it/; http://www.skaneatelessuites.com/2008/07/25/lake-swimming-skaneateles-lake/; http://wavewalk.com/blog/2009/05/27/6-year-old-brians-first-fish-in-norms-w500-fishing-kayak-rhode-island/; http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/pond.htm; http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/animal-info4.htm

What Is Pollution?

• The contamination of soil, water or air by the discharge of potentially harmful substances.

• A chemical or biological substance that builds up in the environment enough to be toxic, harmful, or a nuisance to humans or other living things. (UK Rivers)

Criteria

http://blog.sparkhire.com/2012/05/23/employee-incentives-raise-productivity/carrot-and-stick-incentive/; http://www.crichbaptist.org/articles/life-or-death/; http://www.hedgeco.net/news/category/hedge-fund-regulation

• This works for point sources…what about Nonpoint Sources (NPS)?

http://www.roanokecountyva.gov/index.aspx?NID=353

http://www.osovo.com/diagram/watercyclediagram.htm

Measuring Water quality

http://www.public-domain-image.com/science-public-domain-images-pictures/water-quality-testing.jpg.html; http://nexsens.com/systems/river_monitoring.htm; http://ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/displayimage-7189.html

Measuring Water Quality: Physical

• Temperature Amount of heat in water. Seasonal variation; Aquatic organisms suffer thermal pollution and less DO; Due to power plants and Urban runoff.

• Turbidity The amount of dissolved and suspended materials (“clay, silt, finely divided organic and inorganic matter, soluble colored organic compounds, Plankton, microscopic organisms” -USGS). Measures the scattering effect of light (higher scattering, higher turbidity). Transparency is a complimentary measure. Suspended materials can be bound with pollutants and too much can reduce habitat for fish and aquatic insects.

• Physical Stream Characteristics: width, depth, velocity (http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQassess4h.html)

Measuring Water Quality: Physical

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthriverssed.html; water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/vms51.cfm; http://www.water.ncsu.edu/watershedss/info/turbid.html; clipart

Measuring Water Quality: Chemical • pH A measure of ionic composition, how acidic/basic

the water is, Scale 0-14. < 7 Acidic, >7 Basic/Alkaline (6-8 ideal for aquatic organisms, 7 being neutral). Higher in day (CO from photosynthesis).

• Alkalinity Measured in total alkalinity blah Buffering capacity of water to fluctuate based on PH changes. (Greater buffering is better for aquatic health)

• Hardness High mineral Content (Mg, Ca- Higher Alkalinity)

• Nutrients (Nitrates, Nitrates, Ammonia ) A naturally occurring nutrient, but too much is damaging to aquatic health. Sources include fertilizers for agricultural and urban areas and animal waste.

Measuring Water Quality: Chemical

• Orthophosphates A naturally occurring nutrient, but too much is damaging to aquatic health. Can bind to sediment

• Dissolved Oxygen (DO) DO is needed by aquatic organisms, including fish. Produced primarily by plants via photosynthesis (air mixing is slow). Diurnal cycles. Low DO can make aquatic organisms weaker and less resilient. Affected by turbidity (cloudy water=less photosynthesis).

• Conductivity (Specific Conductance) A measure of how much electrical current water can conduct. It gives a good idea of the amount of dissolved solids (such as salt, dust, particles). Distilled water will have low conductance, rainwater will have higher, and sea water extremely high ability of water to conduct an electrical current.

(http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/characteristics.html)

Measuring Water Quality: Chemical

• Metals• Volatile Organic Compounds• Contaminants of Emerging Concern:

Pharmaceuticals/Endocrine Disruptors

Measuring Water Quality: Biological

• Number and Type of Organisms • Index Organisms (Pollution tolerance) • Aquatic Life “criteria lists chemical

concentration goals to protect surface water for aquatic life use” (EPA)

• Biological “criteria are based on the numbers and kinds of organisms present and describe the biological condition of aquatic communities inhabiting surface waters” (EPA) (http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/crit.cfm)

Resources• USGS Water Science for Schools http://

ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/characteristics.htmlhttp://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterproperties.html

• MPCA Citizen Stream Monitoring Program Instruction Manual

http://bit.ly/KuODMe

• EPA Water Quality Criteria http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/crit.cfm

• Exploring the Environment http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQassess4h.html