Dear International Students,
The Academy of St. Elizabeth students tested a small pond in a residual area. The pond is mainly inhabited by geese. Residents in the area do not swim in the pond. The pond is not located near any factories and there is no run off of water from the residual homes. Water testing results indicated a healthy environment for plant and animal life in Bee Meadow Pond. However, the water quality in other areas from the databank was not always equally conducive to life. Although results were greatly varied, all observations can be accounted for and explained. Our dissolved oxygen levels came out to be 4.89 ppm. Ideal environments for aquatic life would be between 7 and 9 ppm. Dissolved oxygen levels below 3 ppm are dangerous and poor living conditions for aquatic life. The carbon dioxide levels were recorded at 4.70 ppm. Austin High School in Minnesota recorded a dissolved oxygen level of 5and did not have a record of carbon dioxide levels. This shows that the dissolved oxygen levels make for a more stable environment. Dissolved oxygen levels drop at night accounting for our low level, but the time of the other samples was unknown and therefore we can’t account for their result. Carbon dioxide levels rise at night because of less photosynthesis is taking place. There were a wide variety of organisms found in Bee Meadow Pond. The other schools organisms were unknown. The dissolved oxygen levels were not in the adequate range of ideal living conditions for aquatic life; however, this level is substantial, and not dangerous for fish and other organisms to survive in. This level of danger is below 3 ppm. At Austin High School, a record of organisms found was not listed. However, organisms were probably found because the dissolved oxygen level was able to support life. Their dissolved oxygen levels were written as 5 ppm. This would support a good amount of aquatic life, but is not ideal (which is about 7 to 9 ppm). We feel that the water source is an adequate environment for fish and other aquatic life to live in based on the pH levels. As the tests were performed, we found that the pH level was consistently seven. Seven is a neutral state, making the water source neither too acidic or too basic, making it an excellent living condition. Austin High School in Minnesota had results that were recorded with their pH level at 8.4. This states that Cedar River is a basic water source. Having concluded that a neutral pH is healthier to survive in, it is safe to say that Bee Meadow Pond is a better living condition. There are high nitrate and phosphate levels because of the time when the samples were taken plants and other aquatic life was just starting to comeback to life. Phosphates and nitrates are both important in plant life, so the high level meant that there was much plant life sprouting to life. It also may show harm because it may indicate a factory runoff or detergents in the water. The turbidity level ranged from school to school. The turbidity level demonstrates the amount of "suspended matter that interferes with the passage of light through the water or in which visual depth is restricted." Therefore, depending on the level of turbidity for each school, the amount of "debris" can be told. This turbidity level also controls the amount of orgasmic life in the water source. Although the different types of organisms were not specified in the results of this round or water testing, the higher the turbidity level, the lower the amount of organisms. Dissolved oxygen is also needed for plant life. In the results, it is seen that in most cases, when the turbidity level was high, the dissolved oxygen level was also high, and vice versa. This can be explained also by showing that the turbidity is the cloudiness in the water and the organisms cause the cloudiness. Also the plant life in the water through their processes of photosynthesis, produce oxygen. So, it makes sense that the more plants, the more oxygen. The temperature and dissolved oxygen levels affected each other. If the temperature rose, it caused the dissolved oxygen amount to decrease. This is because the higher the water temperature, the more the organisms, especially fish, move around in the water, and the more oxygen they use for their life processes.
There is a relationship between the types of organisms in the water and the water’s quality. Even though this round of the project did not ask for organisms, we looked at them in our water. Some of the organisms that we found were paramecia, protozoa, euglena, rotifers, cilliads, and spirogyra. Depending on the quality of the water, some of these organisms may not be able to survive. In the Academy of Saint Elizabeth results good Water Quality was shown in our pH test and our Nitrates and Phosphates test. Our pH test was 7,meaning the water was neutral and provided a good environment for fish and other organisms. Also our Nitrates and Phosphates were 0, a healthy amount for the environment of Bee Meadow Pond. In comparison to the rest of the Spring 2000 Results, most of the pH was a round the area of 7, indicating good Water Quality. In the Academy's results the main characteristic that indicated poor water quality was the e-coli. Our e-coli test was positive. This can be explained by the large amount of geese that inhabited the pond. The e-coli test in other schools also indicated poor water quality. For other schools the Nitrates and Phosphates were high. This was one characteristic that indicated poor water quality for them but not for our school. All of our results were normal and what we expected them to be. The e-coli test shocked us at first but then we realized it could be explained by the fact that geese and a variety of organisms inhabited the pond. Other schools results were very shocking though. At the Magnarp School in Sweden, their nitrates were 60 and their Phosphates were 15. Most of the pH was the same but there was a great variety in the area of Nitrates, Phosphates, Carbon Dioxide and Dissolved Oxygen. Our relationships held true basically for all the schools. This is because they are the common relationships of water. For example, as the temperature increases the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases and vice versa. This test and the other tests show the common properties of water. Our water seemed to have better quality than the water sample taken by Gladewater High School. However we both concluded with a positive coliform bacteria test. Their water had a phosphate and a nitrate level. Their water source must have been by a manufacturing plant or was affected by runoff from another harmful source, such as detergents. Their oxygen level was much higher than ours at 8ppm, while ours was at 4.8875ppm. This could have been related to the time that the sample was taken. Another comparison that could be made was that between pH results. Our water had a pH of 7 or neutral. However their school had a pH of 7.5 which is a little more basic than ours. Our turbidity level was not so close. We had a result of 20 JTUs and they resulted in 40 JTUs. All of these results can basically be explained by the time of year that the samples were taken, and the time of day each was taken.
Thankyou for allowing our school to participate in this project. We enjoyed it so much we will participate next year.
Sincerely,
Academy of St. Elizabeth