| The Effect of Human Development on Wenas Creek | |
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The purpose of this experiment was to determine how a community living along Wenas creek affected the quality of the creek water.
I became interested in this idea when I was watering our horses and I thought about how water quality was affected by raising crops and livestock including mine.
The information gained from this experiment should be of interest to almost everyone, but especially to those who draw their drinking water from a creek or river.
My overall hypothesis was that the creek water above a community would
have better quality than below the community. My specific hypotheses
were:
1 The pH level would be more acidic below the community
2 The level of dissolved oxygen would be lower below the community
3 The level of nitrates would be greater below the community.
4 The level of orthophosphate would be greater below the community.
5 The level of dissolved oxygen would be greater above the community.
6 The level of turbidity would be greater below the community.
7 The level of conductivity would be greater below the community.
I based my hypothesis on a quote by Ryan Anderson, an Environmental Specialist at the Department of Ecology, "Generally, I think the pollution would be greater below a community."
The constants in this study were:
o The method used for testing pH.
o The method for testing dissolved oxygen.
o The method for testing nitrite levels.
o The method for testing conductivity levels.
o The amount of water tested for each variable.
o The method for testing orthophosphate.
o The general time of day the water was tested.
o The distance from shoreline that the water was collected.
o The depth the water was collected.
o The number of tests for each site.
o The depth of water for each test.
The manipulated variable was location of water sampling: above or
below the human development along the creek.
The responding variable was the levels of pH, DO, nitrate, orthophosphate, turbidity, and conductivity, and temperature.
To measure the responding variable I used pH, DO, conductivity meters, nitrate, turbidity and orthophosphate testing kits and a thermometer.
|
QUANTITY |
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | pH meter |
| 1 | DO meter |
| 1 | Conductivity meter |
| 1 | nitrate testing kit |
| 1 | orthophosphate testing kit |
| 1 | suction tool |
| 1 | 30 oz sample jar |
| 1 | 30oz jar for contaminated water |
| 1 | Turbidity testing kit |
1. Go to your first location.
2. Take out your pH meter, turn it on and take the cap off, and hold
it in the water until the number become steady.
3. Record your data. Repeat steps 2-3 two more times.
4. Take out your DO meter and put the probes in the water and wait
for the numbers to stop.
5. Record your data. Repeat steps 4-5 two more times.
6. Take out the conductivity meter, turn it on and take the cap off,
and hold it in the water until the numbers become steady.
7. Record your data and repeat steps 6-7 two more times.
8. Take a large sample of water in a clean jar.
9. Pour water into a tube up to the third line for nitrate levels.
10. Pour the chemical into a second tube of water filled to the first
line, swirl it around and let it sit for1 minute.
11. Put both tubes in the nitrate color wheel box.
12. Turn the wheel until both colors match, and then read the number.
13. Record your data then repeat steps 9-12 two more times.
14. To test orthophosphate level pour water into the square bottle
up to the 20ml line.
15. Pour the chemical into the bottle and swirl it around for one minute.
16. Then let the bottle sit for eight minutes.
17. Pour the water into one of the rinsed tubes and put it in the box,
also put a tube of only creek water in the box.
18. Turn the wheel until the colors match, read the number.
19. Record the data and repeat steps 14-18 two more times.
20. Go to the second location.
21. Repeat steps 2 ? 19.
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine how a community living along Wenas Creek affected the quality of the creek water.
The results of the experiment were that the amount of dissolved oxygen above the creek was greater than that below, the pH below the community was more acidic. The level of nitrates was greater below the community; the level of orthophosphate was greater below the community. The level of turbidity was less above the community and the level of conductivity would be greater below the community.
My hypothesis was that the water above the community would of better quality than the water below the community.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted because the quality of the water above the community was better than that below.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if humans living along the creek were to change their whole lifestyle, if the creek would become better in quality also if humans were to dump a bunch of chemicals in the water, if it would affect the dissolved oxygen in the water.
If I were to conduct this project again I would probably test more variables,
and record the names of chemicals that I used for orthophosphate, turbidity
and nitrates.
o Ryan Anderson for giving me a lot of information, helping me conduct my experiment and for supplying all the tools I needed for my experiment.
o My parents for giving me advice and picking me up after school.
o Mr. Newkirk for helping me with everything and answering all my questions.
o Mrs. Helms for advising me to help my board look better and helping me cut and measure for my board.
o And everyone who made my project possible.
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