Abstract

The quality of water is an important aspect to consider for all organisms of life. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulations that demand specific standards when it comes to the quality of water due to the importance of having safe drinking water. With this in mind, the idea of performing a comparative analysis among neighborhood ponds was conducted in order to determine each pond’s state of water quality.

Purpose

In this ecological research project, the quality of water was determined from three different local neighborhood pond ecosystems. The general characteristics and water quality were observed and tested in order to produce a comparative analysis between the three sites.

Introduction

The three pond sites were selected from Prospect, K.Y. These three sites were relatively close being less than a few miles away from each other. The three chose neighborhood ponds were Harrods Landing, the Sutherlands, and Covered Bridge Farms. A general survey of each site was performed and the chemical properties were tested for using a chemical dipstick found in the water quality test stripes kit by Aquachek. These tests were for total chlorine, free chlorine, total hardness, total alkalinity, and pH. Each test

involved using the chemical dipstick and following the simple task of which the dipstick was held in the water sample for a certain amount of time in order to receive a good test result. (An example can be seen under methods.) The pads on the dip stick changed colors according to the response to the concentration of chemicals found in the water from each pond site. The degree of change in color on the dipstick will provide the result of the water quality test.

The free and total chlorine test was performed in order to understand the concentration of chlorine found in the pond. Chlorine is a chemical with high oxidizing abilities and therefore is used to clean water as a biocide. It is important to keep a chlorine concentration of 0.1 to 0.4ppm in order to have water safe for drinking. A sample with a reading of 0.5ppm or more shows contamination usually. Free chlorine is chlorine that sanitizes the water from bacteria and other disease-causing microorganisms that may produce harm to an organism. A reading of 1.0ppm or more results in tasting chlorine in the water sample. Total chlorine is the sum of free chlorine and combined chlorine. If the total chlorine is higher that 1.0ppm that the water may develop a foul odor and undesirable taste.

The hardness test was performed in order to see the water's ability to precipitate soap, which is caused mostly by the existence of calcium and magnesium. Hardness does not cause any sever effects for organisms, it only is known to cause the existence of kidney stones. As a measure of ions in water, hardness can be divided into two main types. They are hard or soft water. A hard water sample has many mineral s and nutrient within it (such as calcium, carbonate, etc.) causing the water to have high production due to the high amount of minerals and nutrient for growth. A soft water sample has few mineral and nutrients and is unable to support that much diverse life in its ecosystem, which leads to little production. A result of high hardness is scale buildup and clogged pipes. A hardness reading of 50ppm or below is considered low and may cause damage to pipes due to its corrosive behavior. A reading above 250ppm is considered high and causes scale buildup.

The total alkalinity test was performed in order to measure the amount of buffering capacity to react with strong acids to a designated pH in water. Water from natural habitats usually exhibit a combination of bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxyl ions. This test acts as a means of controlling the quality of water. A moderate amount of alkalinity should be present in water due to its ability to reduce the corrosiveness of water. A low reading of total alkalinity may cause an increase on the effects of metals, such as lead, copper, and iron, to leach from the metal pipes into the water. Although there is no standard for total alkalinity, a reading of 80ppm is wanted. However, a reading above 120ppm is harmful due to it leading to scaling of pipes and an unpleasant taste in water.

The pH test was performed in order to determine the nature of the pond water; the water would be considered either acidic or alkaline. An acidic sample is one with a pH of 1-6 (high hydrogen ion concentration) while an alkaline sample is one with a pH of 8-14 (low hydrogen ion concentration). A reading with a pH of 7 is a neutral sample. Most samples for drinking water are relatively neutral or alkaline, ranging from pH of 6-9. A reading below 6.5 pH shows acidity, which leads to pipes to leach into the water. A reading above 7.5 pH shows alkalinity, which results in a bitter taste in water, while a reading above 8.5 pH can lead to having deposits left on fixtures.

Methods

Each chemical test was performed basically in the same technique at each of the three pond ecosystems. The only difference was with time for each chemical attribute studied. A general survey of the pond sites was conducted along with noting the characteristics, both the similarities and differences, between the ponds. The procedure of the chemical test was as follows:

1. Dip entire strip into water for 1 second (or pass under water stream).

2. Remove. Do not shake.
3. Hold strip level for 30 seconds.
4. Compare total hardness, total alkalinity, and pH pads to the color chart.
5. Re-dip strip into water and move back and forth for 30 seconds (or hold two chlorine pads under water stream for 10 seconds).

Results

7.2 pH (all times)

7.2 pH (all times)

Conclusion

The comparative analysis of the three different pond ecosystems showed similarities with the results of the chemical property tests. The quality of water observed at each pond was considered to be relatively safe. The total and free chlorine tests all resulted with 0ppm, which is highly likely due to understanding that each pond is for not for water consumption, but for scenic view in each neighborhood. The total hardness for each pond was all found to range from 120-250ppm, which is considered normal. The total alkalinity was all found to range from 120-180ppm while the pH values ranged from 7.2 to 8.2. The Harrods Landing pond was found to be most alkaline when compared to the other two ponds at Covered Bridge Farms and the Sutherlands.

In conclusion, the water samples collected yielded in similar results among all the three pond ecosystems. This shows that there is no real significance to worry when it comes to the quality of water in the three different neighborhoods due to the water at each pond being relatively safe under the regulations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.