Water Analysis of the University of Cincinnati, Clermont Campus

Bridget Jennings, Brittany Miller, Sara Neel, Kristopher Thomas, Tricia Wright June 6, 2008

Abstract

• For a brief summation of the ecological impacts presented at the UC Clermont campus we chose to investigate the water quality of environment. We did this by corresponding available info produced by previous students and interpreting the data and our own inference as to why this has occured. Through this inference we were able to identify many interesting correlations such as dissolved oxygen and alga content and the varying pH which has a correlation with the CaCo3 content.

Introduction

• • UC Clermont has been marked with a widespread number of wetlands. Unlike a forest area which can more easily be classified as healthy or hazardous, any type of wetland proposes a problem. With murky waters we are not able to physically see what is developing inside. The objective of our research is to provide ideas on the health of the wetlands on location. Five Falls Creek, Future Wetlands, South Maple Creek, Ponds, North Maple Creek, Marshy Area, West Woods Pond, and the pond up the hill will be the focus of the experiments. With not being about to define health by the naked eye six tests will be assessed. The hardness, acidity, chloride, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and bottom depth will be the determining factors. An annual documentation of these results have taken place. Many ecological tragedies will occur if these tests don't meet satisfactory markings.

Literature Review

• • • • • • The Water Analysis lab consisted of six tests to be conducted. Those tests look for hardness, acidity, chloride content, dissolved oxygen content, turbidity, and bottom depth. The hardness test uses titration to find the parts per million of CaCO3. The acidity test is conducted to find the pH of the water samples. A range of 6.5 to 8 is the ideal reading for water. pH is measured on a 1 to 14 scale. The chloride content test uses titration to find the chlorosity of the water sample. This test finds the chlorine and bromide content in the water. The dissolved oxygen test uses titration to find the milligrams of oxygen per liter of water. This test is also called the Winkler test after the developer Lajos Winkler. The test is a measure of the biological activity of the water masses. The turbidity test finds the clarity of the water.

Normally naked to the human eye, the test finds the cloudiness and haziness due to the particles suspended in the sample.

Materials and Methods

• • Four areas were covered in determining the data; hardness, acidity, chloride and dissolved oxygen. To determine hardness, 100mls of sample water was measured as precisely as possible using a volumetric flask. A couple drops of indicator solution were added to the 100mls of sample water in the Erlenmeyer flask. A hydrochloride titration was performed until a light pink color was noticeable. Records were maintained of levels in the buret before and after each titration. The amount of HCl added was then multiplied by 5 to determine ppm of CaCO 1991).

3 . This procedure was repeated 3 times to determine an average result as established in the Water Analysis Protocol (Carter, Followed procedure in lab handout.

Data

• Data retrieved from http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio303/inde x.htm

based upon compiled student data from current and previous years:

Results

• Correlating Data representing relationship between CaCO3 and pH: 1 Five Falls Creek 2 South Maple Creek 3 Ponds (blackbird) 4 N.Maple Creek riffle 5 N.Maple Creek pool 6 West Woods pond 7 Pond up Hill

Results cont..

• • Correlating Data representing relationship between Green Alga content and dissolved Oxygen: 1 Five Falls Creek 2 N.Maple Creek riffle 3 N.Maple Creek pool 4 West Woods pond

Conclusions

• • • • • In the North Maple and South Maple Creeks the elevated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) concentrations are due to the fact that the riffle areas have a faster current, resulting in the picking up of sediment and rock debris run-off from the surrounding rocks. Because the surrounding pool area has a decreased water current, the sediment is then able to settle back down resulting in a low concentration of CaCO3.

However, if the data from the west woods pond and pond uphill are correlated, it can be noticed that the concentrations are not as high as the flowing pool area in the creek. This is due to the fact that the pond is a collection of relatively still water, resulting in the majority of calcium carbonate to settle at the bottom because the particles are denser than the water.

There is also a correlation between acidity and CaCO3 concentration, calcium carbonate being a base. The calcium carbonate causes the pH to become more basic instead of neutral. This pattern is shown throughout all environments except west woods pond and pond up the hill. This is because the water is still. Calcium carbonate is not as free-flowing in the ponds as in the riffle areas and pool areas of the creek, effecting the pH in a basic fashion. Generally, the more chloride (g Cl /L H 2 O) found in an area, the lower the pH because it is more acidic. The highest chloride concentration is found at the ponds (Dragonfly marsh). It occurs at the marsh possibly because of the use of salt during winter months or the use of chloride for the treatment of algae in the pond.

Bib

• • 1. Stein Cart, J. "Ecology." 29 Mar. 2005. 4 June 2008 .

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 4 June 2008 .