Salinity

• Describe: SPLAT Salinity Risk Assessment Tool is a paper-based salinity extension tool.• Managing salinity involves striking a balance between the volume of water entering the

groundwater system (recharge) and the volume of water leaving it (discharge).• Analyse: Although PSS is a dimensionless quantity, its "unit" is usually called PSU. It is not the

case that a salinity of 35 exactly equals 35 grams of salt per liter of solution.• Causes: natural processes such as weathering of rocks and wind and rain depositing salt over

thousands of years– Widespread land clearing and altered land use, and may take the form of "dryland

salinity"– Dryland salinity occurs when deep-rooted native plants are removed or replaced with

shallow-rooted plants that use less water.• Effects: may cause native vegetation to become unhealthy or die and lead to a decline in

biodiversity through dominance of salt-resistant species– Reduces amount of crops

Dalton AlexanderWill Simmons

Christian Landeros

- Tools/Techniques: The concentration of dissolved oxygen in water can be measured using two methods. The easiest method, which requires no calculations, is using a dissolved oxygen meter. The most reliable method is the Azide-Winkler titration method. - Measurement: Dissolved Oxygen can be measured with an electrode and meter or with field test kits.- Causes: More sunlight and warmer temperatures also bring increased activity levels in plant and animal life; depending on what organisms are present, this causes the DO concentration increase or decrease.- Effects: As the water moves slower, it mixes less with the air, it may decrease DO concentration to decrease. During rainy seasons, oxygen concentrations tend to be higher because the rain interacts with oxygen in the air as it falls.- Solutions: Oxygen enters the water by absorption directly from the atmosphere or by aquatic plant and algae photosynthesis. Oxygen is removed from the water by respiration and decomposition of organic matter.

Dissolved Oxygen

pHTools: litmus paper, pH dropsUnits: pH on a scale of 0-14Causes: location, composition of the soil around the waterEffects: deformities, death, bad things…Treatment: add opposite acids or bases to neutralize the solution

Turbidity

• Turbidity: How murky the water is • Tools to measure: Secchi disk• Measured in Jackson Turbidity Units (JTU)• Causes: sediments, algae, waste, urban runoff• Effects: absorb and block sunlight raising the

biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

Dissolved MetalsToluope Adekunjo and Jolleen Thompson

• Many dissolved metals have been found in harmful concentrations in groundwaters destined for potable drinking water due to both naturally occurring contamination as well as contamination introduced from industrial pollution.

• Examples- mercury, and lead, Cadium• Where does mercury come from. Mercury occurs in the environment naturally, as a result of

human activity, mercury can also evaporate to form and odorless, colorless, vapor, mercury has proved useful for measuring devices, such as thermometers, and mercury also comes from the erosion of rocks.

• This heavy metal is toxic even at low concentrations to a wide range of organisms including humans. The organic form of mercury can be particularly toxic, and the methyl-and ethyl-forms have been the cause of several major epidemics of poisoning in humans resulting from the ingestion of contaminated food, e.g. fish.

• Where does lead come from? Lead is a natural element which is widely distributed in soils, rocks and in rivers and the sea. But in nature lead usually exist combined with other chemical elements in the form of lead compounds.

• Lead poisoning is one of the most prevalent public health problems in many parts of the world. It was the first metal to be linked with failures in reproduction. It can cross the placenta easily. It also affects the brain, causing hyperactivity and deficiency in the fine motor functions, thus, it results in damage to the brain.

• Ways to stop Mercury and lead pollution. Wastes management, reducing consumption of raw materials, and products generating mercury releases. Called the EAP to reduce the level of lead pollution, removed lead contents from gasoline, and check older buildings for lead.

B O DSamantha Tan, Leilani Anonuevo, Tyler Zahn, Chris Kwasny

Methods to determine: Dilution and manometric

Units of measure: Mg/ LCauses: When there’s more life in the water

that is causing a higher demand for oxygenEffects: High B.O.D. means high pollution

which can spread disease and become hazardous to humans

Solutions: providing a supply of oxygen during the treatment process

WATER TEMPERATURE

• Testing surface water temperature only requires a thermometer and a data sheet.

• Temperature changes for many reasons due to man

1. Dams

2. Factories

3. And humans cutting off trees that provide shade

By: Marcio and Chad

*Pesticides*Tools/Techniques- Regular tests are done to ensure

public safety. For testing use a water testing kit or if you have a private well use private laboratories.

*Measurement: The reporting limits for the HPAA method are 0.2 micrograms per liter (ug/L), while reporting limits for the LCAA method are 0.05 ug/L.

*Cause : Pesticides not taken up by plants, adsorbed by soils or broken down by sunlight, soil organisms or chemical reactions may ultimately reach groundwater sources of drinking water.

*Effects: Pesticides can cause cancer, organ damage in animals. In humans pesticides can cause damage to the nervous system, cause cancer, and birth defects.

*Solutions: Use an activated carbon filter. Water is filtered through carbon granules that trap contaminants.

PHARMACEUTICALS

☺ Pharmaceuticals are chemicals found in prescription, over-the-counter, and veterinary drugs.

☺ Describe: The method used to test for pharmaceuticals combines solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography.

☺ Analyze: Measured in nanograms per liter; usually present in much lower amounts than the acceptable medical dose

☺ Causes: Pharmaceuticals are introduced to the water supply through the sewage of individuals who took these drugs, improper drug disposal, poorly controlled manufacturing facilities, and agricultural runoff.

☺ Effects: Since the pharmaceuticals are present in such small amounts, there are usually no negative effects to human health. However, scientists are beginning to worry about the long-term consequences of these chemicals in drinking water.

☺ Solutions: Natural processes (adsorption into sediment, solar photodegradation and biological degradation); proper household drug disposal; wastewater treatment

Phosphorous Measured with Colorimetric procedures

and ascorbic acid treatment in units of mg/L

Phosphorous levels increase when exposed to fertilizer or detergents

higher levels promote algae growth which is detrimental to other organisms

Can be treated with calcium or aluminum and iron to lower phosphorous levels CHRIS

DANIELA

COLLIN

Coliform

James DedmonOlivia Herrera

Measuring MethodsTwo common laboratory procedures:

Membrane filtration(MF)Most probable number(MPN)

Nitrogen: Nitrite/Nitrate

• Describe: Nitrate Electrode Method• Analyze: Read in millivolts converted to mg/l• Causes: affects the electric potential of a

solution in the probe.• Effects: Eutrophication in bodies of water. Can

cause a restriction of oxygen transport in blood for humans.

BACTERIA, WAYS TO FIND, DETECT AND ELIMINATE. NOAH KING

B A C T E R I O L O G I C A L W A T E R A N A L Y S I S I S A M E T H O D O F A N A L Y Z I N G W A T E R T O E S T I M A T E T H E N U M B E R S O F B A C T E R I A P R E S E N T A N D , I F N E E D E D , T O F I N D O U T W H A T S O R T O F B A C T E R I A T H E Y A R E . I T R E P R E S E N T S O N E A S P E C T O F W A T E R Q U A L I T Y . I T I S A M I C R O B I O L O G I C A L A N A L Y T I C A L P R O C E D U R E W H I C H U S E S S A M P L E S O F W A T E R A N D F R O M T H E S E S A M P L E S D E T E R M I N E S T H E C O N C E N T R A T I O N O F B A C T E R I A . I T I S T H E N P O S S I B L E T O D R A W I N F E R E N C E S A B O U T T H E S U I T A B I L I T Y O F T H E W A T E R F O R U S E F R O M T H E S E C O N C E N T R A T I O N S . T H I S P R O C E S S I S U S E D , F O R E X A M P L E , T O R O U T I N E L Y C O N F I R M T H A T W A T E R I S S A F E F O R H U M A N C O N S U M P T I O N O R T H A T B A T H I N G A N D R E C R E A T I O N A L W A T E R S A R E S A F E T O U S E .

T H E I N T E R P R E T A T I O N A N D T H E A C T I O N T R I G G E R L E V E L S F O R D I F F E R E N T W A T E R S V A R Y D E P E N D I N G O N T H E U S E M A D E O F T H E W A T E R . V E R Y S T R I N G E N T L E V E L S A P P L Y I N G T O D R I N K I N G W A T E R W H I L S T M O R E R E L A X E D L E V E L S A P P L Y T O M A R I N E B A T H I N G W A T E R S W H E R E M U C H L O W E R V O L U M E S O F W A T E R A R E E X P E C T E D T O B E I N G E S T E D B Y U S E R S .

S O M E W A Y S T O G E T R I D O F T H E S E H A R M F U L S U B S T A N C E S I S T O B O I L W A T E R W I L L K I L L A L L L I F E W I T H I N T H E W A T E R , C A R B O N F I L T E R S G E T R I D O F T H E B A C T E R I A T H O U G H F I L T E R I N G , A N O T H E R W A Y I S T O U S E A S A N D F I L T E R O R E V A P O R A T I O N M E T H O D .