The Global Water Sampling Project

All classes participating in this project have been asked to submit a final report to the project Discussion Area. In this report, students share what they have learned from doing the project. Read on to see the results of the students' hard work!
Primary Purpose: To look for relationships and trends among the data collected by all project participants.

Conclusion:
We had a great time on the water sampling project.We had the opportunity to observe many macro and micro organisnsims in the pound that is flowing near our school.We saw many creatures that we havent seen before.Also the oxygen level was 2.4ppm and the ph was 6.Since there are many cattle and horsefarms in the area around the school,we had suspected ammonia.Our test proved that it did.Since there are many farmlands in the area we hypothesized that there would be nitrates and phosphates.Our pond water also showed the presence of those chemicals which probably came from the fertilizers.The water temperature was 15 degrees Celsius.The speed of the water flow was 1 kilometer per second. We enjoyed reading all the letters you all wrote.We hope you had a good time with this project.We also like to thank Ms.Macke for taking her time to come out and help us.Hope to do projects with you in the future.

Academy of St. Elizabeth
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.

Thank you for allowing our school to participate in this project. We enjoyed it so much we will participate next year.

Preston High School
Kingwood, West Virginia
Lower Youghiogheny River
Conclusion:
Before completing the water sampling tests, we had hypothesized that our water would be reasonably clean and hospitable to aquatic life. In appearance, our river is clear and constantly flowing. There is no large growth of algae or harmful plant life, while small mammals, fish, and waterfowl have been previously observed between the riverbanks. Perhaps the most interesting bit of information is that the river skirts around the town of Oakland, Md. There are no visible sources of industrial pollution or public littering, and fishermen frequent the banks of the river. We expected to find noticeable quantities of both phosphates and nitrates due to a large number of farmlands in the surrounding area, but not to find them in harmful quantities. Our belief for pH was that the water would likely be slightly basic (greater than a pH of 7) due mainly to fertilizer runoff.

Water was sampled four times on the dates March 29, April 16, April 30, and May 5, and the data collected was averaged for submittance to the Global Water Survey's collected data.

Temperature of the water was taken at each sampling; the water temperature ranged from 11.1 °C (52 °F) to 17.2 °C (63 °F) and averaged 14.6°C (58.3 °F).  The variance of temperature was important in my collecting in both general observations and tests for dissolved oxygen, phosphates, and nitrates. Dissolved oxygen concentrations can be higher at cooler water temperatures due in part to oxygen solubility, so I expected DO concentrations to be greater for the earliest samplings. Similarly, with my initial tests earlier in the year I did not expect much farm runoff from field treatments.

Readings of pH ranged from 7.2 to 7.5 (averaging 7.4) and fell within my predictions of a slightly basic nature. The readings earliest in the year (before much farming activity) were taken as 7.2, while the reading taken later in the year (as treatment of fields was underway) increased to 7.5. These observations first led me to believe that agricultural activity was to have a great impact on the water quality of the river. Data taken from testing amounts of phosphates and nitrates would have to be an indicator of how true that conclusion was in actuality. Still, the readings of slightly above 7 are well within the range of being hospitable to aquatic species.

Dissolved Oxygen readings varied from 9.5 ppm to 7.5 ppm over the course of testing, with an average reading of 8.5. Excellent levels of DO are around 8 ppm so the results from the testing showed a healthy level. DO is possible in greater concentrations in colder water and was found likewise in my testing.  Previously unfamiliar with DO, I could not easily hypothesize an expected level; the results though show the river to be quite healthy in the respect of DO.

Nitrates and Phosphates were expected to be found in noticeable quantities, but not in harmful excesses. Readings of nitrates varied from 0.25 ppm to 0.50 ppm and averaged 0.41 ppm, while reading of phosphates varied from less than 0.05 ppm to 0.1 ppm and averaged about 0.05 ppm. Results for both of these tests were surprising. I had expected much higher amounts of both quantities than was apparent. The amount of agricultural runoff was less than expected for perhaps a variety of reasons. First, full scale treatments of fields had not completely gotten underway; less chemicals would be on the ground to wash away.  Second, there may be less runoff into the river than I had first suspected. These factors have yet to be analyzed, but may prove an interesting project in the future.

In (somewhat lengthy) conclusion, the Lower Youghiogheny was found to be a cleaner river than even I optimistically suspected. All required water tests were found to be excellent in possible hospitality to aquatic (both plant and animal) life. The river is surprisingly well taken care of; I hope others had similar results.

Conclusively, Scott Kelly and Samplers from Preston High School

Mead Junior High School
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Mead Stream
Conclusion:
Margaret Mead Junior High School's 7th grade science classes tested the water in Mead Stream which runs through the residential neighborhood where our school is located in Elk Grove Village,Il. The stream is part of the DesPlaines River Watershed. Our purpose was to determine the quality of the water in the stream and to also decide if our neighborhood was contributing to the pollution problems of the DesPlaines River. The River is considered to have More Serious Water Quality Problems as measured by state and tribal water quality standards.

Each of our 46 lab teams in six different classes performed the tests of pH,temperature,phosphates,nitrates,dissolved oxygen,and coliform bacteria and the results were averaged. We feel certain that our data is accurate because of the large amount of data we collected. Our hypothesis for the project was that the water quality of the stream would be fair. In addition, we thought we would find coliform bacteria because of the large Cananda goose population which inhabits the parks surrounding the stream. Also, we thought we would find nitrates from the fertilizers carried in the run-off from the lawns in the neighborhood.

The LaMotte Green Water Monitoring Kit datasheet allowed us to categorize our results as excellent,good,fair,or poor. The pH of our water was 8.0 which was slightly basic and categorized in the good range. Most organisms could survive at this pH level. As expected, we discovered nitrates in the water in the amount of 3.1ppm. This level was categorized as fair. This amount would probably not contribute to excessive plant growth. The dissolved oxygen level was measured as 4.4ppm which is considered below the levels needed to support the growth and activity of aquatic organisms. This level was given a rating of poor.  The average water temperature was 15.3 degrees which could be a contributing factor to the low levels of dissolved oxygen. The suprising results came from the discovery of phosphates in the water in the amount of 2ppm. Phosphate levels higher than .03ppm contribute to increased plant growth so this was not a positive indicator of good water quality. The most likely source of this contamination is detergents. The overall quality of the water in Mead stream was given a rating of fair which leads us to believe that we are contributing somewhat to the poor water quality of the DesPlaines River Watershed.

The next step for us will be to find ways that the students and the community can improve the quality of the water in our stream. Next year we will expand on this project and try to accomplish this.

We learned a great deal from participating in this project and we hope we can participate again next year. To the project sponsers,thank you for all your support and information. The web-site and the links were extremely helpful.

Howard D. McMillan Middle School
Miami, Florida
Local Water Sources
Conclusions:
I think that our hypothesis was correct bacause in Michigan, which is alot colder, has an oxygen level of 16ppm. They had a water temperature of 5(c). Our oxygen levels was an average of 9. With a water temperature of 30(c). Also in Angelholm, Sweden, they had an oxygen level of 26ppm. In conclusion, Oxygen levels have been proven to be higher in colder places but lower in urban waters.
 

Water gets polluted from many different sources. The Silverado High School tested the Sabine River and found negative amounts of Nitrogen but high amounts of Coliform. This Coliform is due to cattle run off. The Strang School of Science found testing their water that their oxygen level was 2.4 ppm, this indicates that the oxygen level is stressful to living organisms, the pH is acidic,and the phosphate was 6. They suspected that the water was polluted from cattle and horse farms near the school. This was due to fertilizers.

At Michigan School for the Deaf they tested the Elint River behind their school and found fecall coliform the test results were 1300/100m. of coliform but ph, oxygen nitrate, and phosphate were fine. They determined that hte water was contaminated by a sewage spill.

In conclusion the water can be affected by many sources. Areas that use fertilizer have a major impact. In Miami we have many farms that grow our citrus trees and teir water run off goes into our canals which feed into our lakes. People also polluted the water by not disposing trash properly.

Homeschool
Lancaster, Pennslyvania
Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Little Conestoga
Conclusions:
Barbara and I's conclusion is as we thought. The nitrates levels are very high in this area because we are in farm land. We tested the tributaries to the Sesquehanna (Little Conestoga Creek and Conestoga). We found the most Nitrates in the smallest stream we tested (The Little Conestoga), and then less inThe Conestoga, and even less in the Sesquehanna because it keeps getting diluted. There is a very big push for buffer zones in our area by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation because our farm land is polluting the Chesapeake bay. Other than nitrates everything in our area was normal. We both had fun in the project and hope you did too!  Paul Dana and Barbara Bromley
 

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