Water Quality
Water quality is the chemical, biological, and physical properties of water. The measure is relative to surrounding species and human consumption. In this, stream study the biotic species in water are being utilized as indicators of water quality.
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Background |
The Microorganisms |
The type and diversity of microorganisms can help determine the quality of water. The microorganisms act as pollution indicators. This means that certain types of microorganisms are only present if the water is of good quality and some are only present if the water is polluted. Therefore if organisms that survive in polluted conditions, the water quality is poor. If the organisms that only survive in healthier water conditions the water is of better quality.
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Indicator species are separated into three main categories. There are sensitive, moderately sensitive, and tolerant. The sensitive indicators that would most likely be found are stonefly, caddisfly, cranefly, syrphus, and mayfly. The moderately sensitive microorganisms found consists of microscopic crustaceans and rotifers. There are also many types of protozoans, desmids, diatoms, and other bacteria. The tolerant organisms consisted of all plant materials, forms of red, blue-green, and green algae.
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Examining this water...I found floating therein divers earthy particles, and some green streaks, spirally wound serpent-wise...and I judge that some of these little creatures were above a thousand times smaller than the smallest ones I have ever yet seen, upon the rind of cheese, in wheaten flour, mould, and the like.
[The first recorded observation of protozoa.]
Antoine van Leeuwenhoek
Sources:
Limnology Textbook
Freshwater Guide APES Textbook Mrs. Monteleone's Acid Drainage Notes: Plankton Net Sampling World Health Organization: Water Quality |
I used the information from these resources to acquire background information on water quality and to construct the procedure for this experiment. I also found types of species to identify and the method of identification when analyzing samples.
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