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I hypothesize that the water from Jar 5 (left) came from a forest stream. One indicator is its turbidity, which is fairly high, as you might find in a shallow natural stream. It's DO is also pretty high too, which suggests that it was probably a moving water source, like a stream, and can support small aquatic life. Finally, it's pH level is slightly alkaline, so it would be good to drink, but not perfect. Taken together, I would rate this good quality water, because while it doesn't have unhealthy levels of anything, but it isn't filtered.
Sign that could be posted by culvert
This water could also be from a culvert, because the same indicators could apply to both locations. While they may not seem particularly similar, the actually do have some similarities. Most of the water in a culvert is rainwater, and it flows, which could explain the fairly high level of DO. Also, both locations are shallow, and could turn up bottom sediment, which would lead to a level of turbidity. Since rainwater is usually alkaline (except where there are high levels of air pollution), the pH levels would make sense too. While I wouldn't recommend drinking this water, if you did, you would probably be okay.
Image credit: gardenpool.org
In my experiment to determine how fertilizer concentration affects the growth of duckweed plants (pictured left), I determined that the lowest concentration of fertilizer, 0.25%, was best for the duckweed growth. That water's duckweed grew many more fronds (leaf like protuberances on the surface of the water) than the other four concentrations. The two highest percentages, 1% and 2%, were bad for the plants, leaving most of the plants dead within five days. The duckweed plants with the concentration of 0.5% and the control were okay for the duckweed, too. This leads me to think that when we use fertilizer in our gardens and yards to help our own plants grow, we are actually affecting the outside environment. When it rains, the rainwater mixes with the soil, then flows down to the nearest body of water. My experiment shows that even 1-2% of fertilizer concentration in the water can make it a worse environment for plants like duckweed to grow, and it's possible that the fertilized soil-infused water collectively could reach that percentage, affecting the body of water's aquatic plant growth. All in all, the concentration level of phosphates and nitrates impacts water quality and plant growth positively in moderation, but negatively in excess.
Image credit: bjsilliman.wordpress.com
If I were to come across a body of water like the one pictured right, I would determine the quality of the water by using many but not all of the tests we've learned about so far. Specifically, I would include turbidity, pH level, check for organisms and parasites like amoeba, and its temperature. My reasoning is fairly simple - the tests I chose would determine whether it's quality was good for humans only, other types of organisms, or none. For instance, if the pH level was very acidic, I would be able to tell that the water quality wasn't very good for any type of life. If there were organisms or parasites in the water, I would know that it wouldn't be good for humans to drink, but maybe okay for other animals, as with the turbidity. Finally, its temperature would tell me how good it was for both humans and animals, because warm water is both a less good environment for aquatic life, and more likely to host things that are bad for humans too. Judging from the picture of this water alone, I would rate it's turbidity level pretty high, and guess that there would be a fair amount of organisms within it. I would recommend it for boating and canoeing, but not necessarily for swimming, and definitely not for drinking unfiltered.
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This water could also be from a culvert, because the same indicators could apply to both locations. While they may not seem particularly similar, the actually do have some similarities. Most of the water in a culvert is rainwater, and it flows, which could explain the fairly high level of DO. Also, both locations are shallow, and could turn up bottom sediment, which would lead to a level of turbidity. Since rainwater is usually alkaline (except where there are high levels of air pollution), the pH levels would make sense too. While I wouldn't recommend drinking this water, if you did, you would probably be okay.
