Water Quality Research: Water Quality Research Cymone Morris, Tyler Lannon, Rickea White, and DaNesha Curry Burroughs Wellcome Fund August 17, 2007


Problem: Problem The causes and impacts of water pollution in and around Elizabeth City.


Outline: Outline I. Introduction A. Problem B. What is water quality? II. Hydrosphere A. Surface Runoff B. Diseases found in poor water quality C. Impact of water level III. Lithosphere A. Impacts of elevation B. Speed of Runoff C. Soil IV. Atmosphere A. Acid Rain B. Thermal Pollution C. Atmospheric Changes V. Biosphere A. Death of animals and plants B. Oil spills C. Things that are hazardous to water quality VI. Conclusion A. Suggestions B. Reflections C. Acknowledgments D. References


What is water quality?: What is water quality? Water quality is determined by the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water.


Surface Runoff and its effect on water quality: Surface Runoff and its effect on water quality Surface runoff is the flow of water, rain and snow (hydrosphere). It is also a main component of the water cycle. What is surface runoff?


Causes and effects of runoff: Causes and effects of runoff When the water runs along the ground it picks up soil contaminations, (man-made chemicals) petroleum, (crude oil) pesticides (bug preventions, and fertilizers. These contaminants then go into our water causing its quality to decline


Does Elevation Influence the amount and Speed of Runoff?: Does Elevation Influence the amount and Speed of Runoff? In areas of high elevations such as mountains, runoff effects can be more apparent in the form of flash floods and mudslides. Areas around the Pasquotank are already at a low elevation. Runoff carries sediment, raising the bed level which causes increased flooding.


Does the Speed of Runoff have an Impact on Water Quality?: Does the Speed of Runoff have an Impact on Water Quality? The speed of runoff has a great impact on water quality. This is because if the Runoff’s speed picks up, it can pick up more sediment and man-made chemicals such as fertilizer and pesticides. Forests and Swamps are much more capable of slowing water than farmlands and grasslands. Impervious surfaces such as parking lots and roads increase the speed of Runoff because there is nothing to slow it down.


ELEVATION AROUND PASQUOTANK RIVER: ELEVATION AROUND PASQUOTANK RIVER


Does the type of soil have an Impact on Water Quality?: Does the type of soil have an Impact on Water Quality? The soil acts as a natural filter when water percolates down into the groundwater. Soil type has a significant effect as well as soil depth, and how clean the soil is, and surrounding vegetation. Different types of soil have different rates of percolation. For example, water percolates through sand much faster than clay (this is because of the size of the soil particles; sand has much larger particles than clay).


What diseases are found in water of poor quality?: What diseases are found in water of poor quality?


The impact of water level on water quality: The impact of water level on water quality When the precipitation builds up it causes an area to flood. Flooding washes materials from land (lithosphere) into the water, often causing a decline in water quality. High Water Levels


About Acid Rain: About Acid Rain Acid rain is a term used to describe how acidic materials build up in the atmosphere and return to earth in the form of precipitation. Cause: The burning of fossil fuels creates nitric acid and sulfuric acid.


Effects of acid rain: Effects of acid rain Acid rain has a negative effect on the quality of water. Low pH levels in water kills plants, diminishes oxygen and increases bacteria growth, furthermore decreasing water quality.


Thermal Pollution: Thermal Pollution A sudden change in water temperature Cause: Rainfall flows on asphalt and becomes heated and is then deposited into nearby water. Effects: Increased temperature results in the reduction of dissolved oxygen causing rapid growth of algae and bacteria, which in turn decreases water quality.


Atmospheric changes and water quality: Atmospheric changes and water quality Increased amounts of sulfur and nitric oxides result in acid rain or dry deposition of these acidic particles Increased atmospheric temperatures can contribute to thermal pollution by raising water temperatures Storms that occur in the atmosphere can provide the soil with more water than it can absorb or result in increased flooding and runoff Negative Effects:


How does the death of animals effect the Pasquotank River?: How does the death of animals effect the Pasquotank River? Animals such as herring, white perch, and catfish live in the Pasquotank River. If one animal from the food chain dies, other animals will die because each animal lives off each other. When the animal decompose in the water their body begins to decay making the water contaminated; making it unsuitable for humans to use.


How does the death of plants effect the Pasquotank River?: How does the death of plants effect the Pasquotank River? Just like animals, plants have a big impact on the Pasquotank River. Plants in the river provide oxygen to the animals as well as a home . So if the plant begin to die off then that will cause the animals to die off also. Leaving the water contaminated.


What are the effects of oil spills on water quality?: What are the effects of oil spills on water quality? Oil pollution is a growing problem, that particularly devastates coastal wildlife. Most man-made oil pollution comes from land based activity such as factories, ships, and oil tankers. When oil starts to leak into the river it harms a numerous amount of things such as the oceanic habitat and the animals living in the river, and it contaminates the water which provides the us with less drinking water.


What is hazardous to the water quality of the Pasquotank River?: What is hazardous to the water quality of the Pasquotank River? There are many things known to cause the decline of water quality such as runoff from farms which includes fertilizers, animal waste, and chemicals. Dissolved oxygen occurs when organic waste consumes oxygen; making it harder for animals to live. Large amounts of hazardous substances like nitric acid can kill vegetation and destroy an animal’s habitat.


Conclusion: Conclusion Through the Earth System Science (ESS), our team was able to discover the ways that the four spheres interact and impact our water quality. For example, the atmosphere releases precipitation which forms runoff (hydrosphere); causing erosion (lithosphere) and damages the biosphere.


Suggestions: Suggestions Properly dispose of hazardous materials such as detergents and paints. Use organic fertilizers Save Water!!! Don’t leave the water running when you’re not using it! Recycle and dispose of trash properly The use of BMP (Best Management Practices) would greatly help the situation in the Pasquotank River


Acknowledgments : Acknowledgments Mrs. Julie Stamper Dr. Leon Pringle Dr. Thomas Rossbach Dr. Jim Botti Dr. Liz Noble Dr. William Porter


References: References http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/acidrain.html http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/pollute.htm http://www.pollutionissues.com/Te-Un/Thermal-Pollution.html http://www.answers.com/topic/acid-rain?cat=health http://www.eoearth.org/article/Acid_rain http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/Atmosphere/water_watersheds.backup_CopyrightChange http://ga2.er.usgs.gov/peachtree/droughtsqa.cfm


Slide26: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/air_pollution.htm http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/544 http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/basinwide/chapter_2.htm http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_pollution http://www.fws.gov/contaminants/Issues?waterQuality.cfm


Slide27: http://www.ecsu.edu/ECSU/AcidDept/Geology/pruqp.htm#_To452353485 http://www.ncfisheries.net/habitat/chppdoc4/E_SAV.pdf http://wikipedia.org/ http://www.aacounty.org/SevernRiver/pollution1.cfm http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/fenlewis/Waterquality.html http://www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/do.html


Reflections: Reflections These two weeks have been wonderful! We’ve learned how to apply our knowledge to the events that occur in real life. We’ve been to The Great Dismal Swamp, where we learned why it is important to protect our swamps. The trip to the Currituck Sound allowed us to gain hands-on experience on how scientists collect and analyze data. Through Problem Based Learning (PBL) and the Earth System Science (ESS) we have all gained invaluable skills that will last a lifetime!