Temperature - Dissolved Oxygen (DO) - pH

Alkalinity - Hardness
Nitrates and Phosphates - Turbidity
Conductivity
-
Affects:
Water density
Gas solubility
Chemical reaction rates
Organism growth rates
Conductivity
pH
Dissolved Oxygen
 … Changes in seasonal/diurnal air
temperature

… Thermal stratification in lakes

… Size and temperature of inflows

… Residence time (lakes)

… Heated industrial effluent

… Runoff from asphalt/pavement

… Deforestation
 Q10 rule
cold-blooded aquatic organisms

Predicts that growth rate will double

if temperature increases by 10˚C
(18˚F) within their "preferred" range.
DO is the measurement of oxygen
dissolved in water and available for
fish and other aquatic life.

Indicates health of an aquatic system.

Can range from 0-18 ppm.

Most natural water systems require 5-

6 ppm to support a diverse population.

Varies with time of day, weather, temperature.

Increase in organic waste

Increase in algae/plant vegetation

Decrease in DO available to organisms

Leads to changes in ecosystem as

organisms needing lots of DO are
replaced by organisms needing little.
Hood
Canal
Sill

Saltwater from entry

point.

Freshwater from stream

and river runoff.

Highly stratified

Slow-circulating

Long residence time

 Hood Canal

Jan Apr Jun Sept Dec

Modified from Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Project, Collias, UW, PRISM 2005
http://www.hoodcanal.washington.edu/observations/historicalcomparison.jsp
Natural

• increased sunlight or other climate factors

• increased nutrient availability
• Changes in ocean properties
• Changes in river input (e.g.: drought)
• Changes in weather conditions

Artificial

• human loading of nutrients or organic material

• Changes in river input (eg: diversion)
Determines the solubility of nutrients (PO4-3, NO3-, C)
and heavy metals (Fe, Cu, etc)

Determines availability of these chemicals for use by aquatic life.

In natural water systems, determined largely by geology and soils.

 Sea water
due to humic acid

Limestone, marble, CO3 rich

Pure rain, snow

Modified from www.waterwatch.org

http://www.vic.waterwatch.org.au/fortheteacher/manual/sect4f.htm
• Algal blooms
• Bacterial activity
• Water turbulence
• Chemicals flowing into the water body
• Sewage overflows
• Pollution
 Decreasing pH
(e.g.: via acid rain)
▼
Liberation of Al, metals
▼
Toxic conditions
▼
Chronic stress
▼
Smaller, weaker fish
 Alkalinity refers to the capability of water to neutralize acid.

Buffering capacity –
resistance to pH changes.

Common natural buffer: CO3

(carbonates – like
limestone).

Protects aquatic life.

Commonly linked to water

hardness.

In natural systems:
Limestone outcrop 50 – 150 mg/L as CaCO3.
 Reflects dissolved
carbonate minerals.

Mostly of concern for

drinking water
standards.

Metals precipitate out

of solution.

Create scale/hard
water deposits

High alkalinity 
Hard water

From USGS
http://water.usgs.gov/owq/news.html
Nitrate (NO3-)
Phosphate (PO4-3)
naturally-occurring
naturally occurs in
form of nitrogen
rocks and minerals.
found in soil.
Plants uptake
Forms by microbial
weathered-out
decomposition of
elements and
fertilizers, plants,
compounds.
manures or other
organic residues
Animals ingest plants.
Plants uptake
Water soluble.
nitrates (Spinach a
good source).

Redfield Ratio: 106:16:1

 Artificial sources:
• Livestock
manure/urine
• Failing septic
systems
• Synthetic fertilizers

Can lead to:

eutrophication of natural
water systems
(overproduction of
vegetation)

Blue baby syndromne

The U.S. EPA has set a maximum
contaminant level for NO3- in drinking
water of 10 parts per million (ppm)
 Artificial sources:
• Sewage
• Laundry,
cleaning fluids
• Synthetic
fertilizers

Can also lead to

eutrophication of
natural water
systems
(overproduction of
vegetation)

Blue green algae

 From US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/monitoring/limnology/SprNOx.html
 Gulf of
Mexico
Mississippi River drainage basin – 41% of US landmass.
 Hypoxic
waters

Image from Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team,

NASA/GSFC, January 2003
From NCAT (Nat’l Center for Appropriate Technology)
http://www.ncat.org/nutrients/hypoxia/hypoxia.html
Global distribution of oxygen-depleted coastal zones.
Annual = yearly events (summer or autumnal stratification)
Episodic = occurring at irregular intervals > one year
Periodic = occurring at regular intervals < one year
Persistent = all-year-round hypoxia
Sources: Boesch 2002, Caddy 2000, Diaz and others (in press), Green and Short 2003,
Rabalais 2002
Source: Patrick Heffer, Short Term Prospects for World Agriculture and Fertilizer Demand
2002/03 - 2003/04 (Paris: International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), December
2003); IFA Secretariat and IFA Fertilizer Demand Working Group, Fertilizer Consumption
Report (Brussels: December 2001); historical data from Worldwatch Institute, Signposts
2002, CD-ROM, compiled from IFA and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization,
Fertilizer Yearbook (Rome: various years).
 Wetland restoration Reduce fertilizers

Reduce soil erosion

Reduce emissions – WWTP/industry
Measures how
“murky” the water is

Estimates:

Mineral fraction
Organics
Inorganics
Soluble organic compounds
Plankton
Microscopic organisms

MODIS Image from NASA

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/
 Causes of highly waters

• In open waters, phytoplankton

• Closer to shore, particulates
Resuspended bottom sediments
(wind)
• Organic detritus from stream
and/or wastewater discharges.
• Dredging operations
• Channelization
• Increased flow rates
• Floods
• Too many bottom-feeding fish
(such as carp)
• Hippos
 Effects of highly waters

• Modify light penetration

• Increase sedimentation rate
• Smother benthic habitats
• Settling clay particles can suffocate
newly hatched larvae
• Fine particulate material also can
damage sensitive gill structures
• Decrease organism resistance to disease
• Prevent proper egg and larval development
• Macrophyte growth may be decreased
• Reduced photosynthesis can lead to lower daytime release of oxygen
 From waterontheweb.org
http://waterontheweb.org/under/waterquality/turbidity.html
 Ability of a substance to conduct an electrical current.

Cl- In water, conductivity determined by types and quantities of dissolved

solids. (Commonly called Total Dissolved Solids = TDS)

Current carried by ions (negatively or

positively charged particles).
Cl- Cl- Cl- Cl-
Na+
Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+
Eg: NaCl(aq) = Na + + Cl –
Cl- Cl- Cl- Cl-
Cl- Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+

Cl- Cl- Cl- Cl-

Cl- Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+

Na+ Cl- Cl- Cl- Cl-

Na+ Cl- Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+
Na+
Cl-
Conductivity of natural waters depends upon:

Ion characteristics (mobility, valence, concentration)

Water temperature
Geology
Size of watershed
Evaporation

Some artificial factors that can affect conductivity:

Wastewater
Urban runoff (especially road salt)
Agricultural runoff
 EC TDS
(μS/cm) (mg/L)

Electrical Divide Lake 10 4.6

Conductivity Lake Superior

Lake Tahoe
97
92
63
64
Grindstone Lake 95 65

and Ice Lake 110 79

Lake
Independence 316 213

TDS Lake Mead

Atlantic Ocean
850
43,000
640
35,000
Great Salt Lake 158,000 230,000
Dead Sea ? ~330,000

From wateronthweb.org
Salt present in 1L water http://www.waterontheweb.org/under/waterquality/conductivity.html