Water Quality

Water Color

• Water is not colorless it has a slight blue tent
• If the water is a milky white or hazy it most likely has disolved oxygen
• Water with different colors has dissolved and suspended components like dirt

DO (Dissolved Oxygen)

• DO in lakes,rivers and oceans are crucial for the organisms living in it
• Water contains an oxygen atom but that's not what living organisms need to live

DO (Dissolved Oxygen)

• DO in lakes,rivers and oceans are crucial for the organisms living in it
• Water contains an oxygen atom but that's not what living organisms need to live
• The amount of oxygen water can hold depends upon temperature

DO (Dissolved Oxygen)

• DO in surface water is used by all aquatic life
• Scientist measure DO to make sure the health of the organisms will be okay
• Scientist use field and lab meters to measure the DO in water
• Field and lab meters have been around for a long time modern ones are small and electranic

PH (potential hydrogen)

• The more hydrogen there is the more basic it is
• pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is
• The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral
• The pH of water determines the solubility (amount that can be dissolved in the water)

Turbidity

• Turbidity is the measure of relative clarity of a liquid
• It is an optical characteristic of water and is an expression of the amount of light that is scattered by material in the water when a light is shined through the water sample
• Turbidity makes water cloudy and hard to see through

Hardness

• The amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water determines its "hardness"
• Hard water can even shorten the life of fabrics and clothes
• Hard water minerals can clog pipes and reduce water flow
• Hard water can affect the taste of tea and coffee

Temp

• Temperature exerts a major influence on biological activity and growth
• Temperature governs the kinds of organisms that can live in rivers and lakes
• Fish, insects, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and other aquatic species all have a preferred temperature range
• As temperatures get too far above or below this preferred range, the number of individuals of the species decreases until finally there are none

Sediment

• sediment, mineral or organic particles that are deposited by the action of wind, water, or glacial ice
• sediment may build up on the bottom or it may get picked up and suspended again by swift-moving water to move further downstream
• Sediment on banks or flood plains are great for farming because the dirt is normally mineral rich

Sources

• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/sediment.aspx
• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Dissolved_oxygen.aspx
• http://aliciachappell.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/9/3/30930779/water-quality-inf...
• http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/809742/hard-water-facts...