Water Quality Around Miami University

This topic submitted by Mike Urso, Brian Lutter, Paul Cattieu, Adam Rinsky on 10/21/04 .

Natural Systems 1 Syllabus---Western Program---Miami University

Water Quality around Miami University

Paul Cattieu, Brian Lutter, Mike Urso, Adam Rinsky

Abstract-
This project is being conducted to test and calculate the temperature, pH levels, total bacteria count and dissolved oxygen of multiple bodies of water around Miami University. In doing so, we will be testing how different parts of each body of water is affected by human influence (Clean v Dirty). By testing the bodies of water, we will see how each is affected by man since they are likely to have run off due to pollution, etc.

I. Introduction

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to test the water quality around Miami University
Hypothesis: Human interaction has a negative impact on the quality of water where we are testing.
Questions: What is the effect of man on the surrounding bodies of water?
Predictions: The closer the body of water is society there will be a wider range of ph levels (outside range 0f 6-8) compared to ponds that are tucked far away in the woods. The temperatures of each body will be influenced by its size not so much on mans influence. The more that humans have influenced the water, the fewer bacteria there will be.

Our first two proposals about squirrels and goats were rejected thus we had to decide on a new idea quickly and came up with testing water quality.

We plan to discover information concerning the cleanliness of the lakes and streams. In doing so, we will take the results from two years ago and compare them with our data to see how it has changed over last two years ago. We are loosely basing this experiment on an older project; however, we plan to test different streams as well.

This project is interesting because it allows us to see the influence of human activity and how much we can change and impact our surroundings. It also shows the true affects of what pollution does to water quality affecting the animals and ecosystems living in and around it.

II. Relevance of your Research Question

It is certainly evident that this day and age our society is genuinely concerned with the protection and safekeeping of the environment. Thus, one of the main goals of environmental groups is to keep the excessive watersheds clean with quality water. This has become a worldwide problem with the increase in technological innovations, which have in turn intensified the amount of pollution being given off into the atmosphere, most directly into lakes, streams, etc. Of course, as expected, this contamination has directly correlated with the problem concerning the quality of water in the bodies of water.
It is common knowledge that water is essential not only to the survival mankind, but rather any species in existence. This simple fact is why it is extremely important to conduct our experiment and relay the results to the human effects on water quality. Now the common question being asked is, what determines a high quality of water level? Well, to decipher the condition of water one must go about testing several factors including pH levels, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and bacteria count. Generally scientists agree that all water should be within the 6.5-8.5 pH range to be considered normal, while having a high count of dissolved oxygen and a small amount of bacteria present. This will be the basic outline for the water around Miami University to be considered healthy. Therefore, our experiment will collect results to determine whether or not Miami University's bodies of water are considered "fit". Moreover, this will help society determine conclusions to the overriding question of whether humans have a severe influence on water quality.
-Scholarly Sources:
1.) Prowse, Colin W. Spatial Variations in Water Quality In An Urbanizing Catchment. [J-stor] This journal makes reference to the increase in research of water quality over the past 20 years, in particular concerning spatial variations within certain areas. This will allow us to compare results and findings with a previous experiment to see if the data turns out similar.
2.) Smith, Richard A. Water-Quality Trends in the Nation's Rivers. [J-stor] This journal talks about the different water trends at over 300 US locations (bodies of water). It also talks of the differences and changes that occurred in the rivers due to the human pollution that took place. This gives us a reference point to have an idea of what to expect with the results of our experiment.
3.) Williams, Nancy E. Data Transformation and Standardization in the Multivariate Analysis of River Water Quality. This journal represents another experiment testing similar factors, such as dissolved oxygen, to determine the quality of the water. It also goes into detail of the significance that the data represents concerning the water cleanliness.
4.) Hall, Roland I. Effects of Agriculture, Urbanization, and Climate On Water Quality in the Northern Great Plains. This journal consists of information concerning the effects of human activity on the general watersheds across the United States. It explains in detail the effects and what it exactly does to the quality of the water itself. This will allow us to compare any similarities found in the Oxford bodies of water to the ones in the journal's experiment.
5.) Wear, David N. Land Cover Along An Urban-Rural Radiant: Implications For Water Quality. This journal contains more information concerning the effects of social and environmental interaction between humans and the environment. Although the experiments specific focus was on understanding patterns of land use change along the urban-rural gradiant in the Southern Appalachian Highlands.
6.) Williams, Louis G. Possible Relationships Between Plankton-Diatom Species Numbers and Water Quality Estimates. This journal specifically mentions the effects of different chemicals and populations on several water sources. This should allow us to examine the certain effects of bacteria being present in Miami's watershed.
7.) Stebbing, A.R.D. An Experimental Approach to the Determinants of Biological Water Quality. The journal is an experiment using techniques to "detect and measure variations in water quality in the marine environment by exposing suitable organisms in the laboratory to water samples collected in the field." This article will help in determining the overall significance of bacteria in the water's quality.
8.) Walling, D.E. Spatial Variation of River Water Quality: A survey of the River Exe. This journal talks of not only the relationship between man and his interaction with the environment, but also how a healthy environment (quality water) can effect human's everyday life. This will allow us to further connect the relationship between society and it's watersheds.
9.) Vertucci, Frank A. Spectral Reflectance and Water Quality of Adirondack Mountain Region Lakes. This author writes about research that was "initiated to evaluate whether remote-sensing methods could be used to identify and monitor the acidification of lakes through observed changes in optical properties."
10.) Huthnance, J.M. Towards Water Quality Models. It is apparent that this article breaks down the underlining reason of why models for water quality have many purposes, and why this research should be conducted. This provides support for the overriding question that we are desired to answer from this student generated lab.
11.) Burt, T.P. Managing Water Quality In Agricultural Catchments. The main idea of this article is that "strategic planning at the catchment scale offers real potential for minimizing the delivery of contaminants to both surface and ground waters." This is basically explaining how it has become essential to control the amount of pollution being put into the atmosphere and the world's watersheds.
12.) Lloyd, R. Problems in Determining Water Quality Criteria For Freshwater Fisheries. The subject of this article is to explain in further detail the change of water quality based on different influences from human activity.
-Internet Sources
1.) http://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/nationswaters/measure.htm This government website explains the in depth process of how to determine exactly what high quality water consists of, most specifically through pH, dissolved oxygen, bacteria count, etc.
2.) http://www.wqa.org This website contains information about this groups concerns with the pollution and decline in quality of water around the United States.
3.) http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa This website allows users to choose different sections of the United States watersheds and determine whether or not the quality of water there is satisfactory.
4.) http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water This website gives insight as to the restrictions and legislation that the European Union is pushing for in certain areas.
5.) http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/waterquality/?lang=_e This webpage, again, furthers the conditions that must be met in order to consider bodies of water "high quality." All of this information will allow us to determine exactly what stipulations should be set to consider water of good quality.

III. A Specific Research Design
Our experimental design is to test two points each of the Collins Run stream, swan pond and pond by Millett Hall, as well as two drinking fountains in Wells Hall. We will test temperature, pH levels, bacteria count and dissolved oxygen. These four attributes affect the quality of the water in question. For our experimental techniques we will test each body of water weekly and make sure the accuracy of our data is correct by repeating the tests four times.
-Sampling Design
We will do these tests once every week. Some of these tests must be performed at the site of the aquatic source in order to prevent any alteration of data. While at the source of water, we will first obtain the temperature by holding a thermometer inside the water and writing down what the thermometer reads. We will next test the amounts of dissolved oxygen in the body of water, followed by its bacteria count and pH by carefully following the instructions contained in each kit to obtain the desired data. By performing these tests on site, we will assure the accuracy of the results rather than taking samples in test tubes.

IV. Materials and Methods
a.) Materials:
-pH kit
-Dissolved oxygen kit
-Thermometer
-Bacteria kit
-Pencils
-Data Sheets
-Watch

b.) Class Activity:
-In order to get the class to get involved and see what we have been studying over last few months we will bring the experiment to class. We can bring samples of different liquids and have the class go through the same steps we have gone through. They will measure the temperature, pH level, bacteria count and put them in order by water quality.

Projected Timline to perform tests:

October 24
October 31
November 7
November 14
November 21
December 5

Data Sheet on Excel File
Week __ Collins 1 Collins 2 Swan 1 Swan 2 Millett 1 Millett 2 Wells DF1 Wells DF2

pH level

Dissolved O2

Bacteria

Temperature

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