A2 Biology : Module 5 (Environment)

 

Pollution of aquatic ecosystems

 

This homework assignment is to be handed in by Thursday 9th July.

 

·       The effects of organic effluent, nitrates and phosphates on aquatic ecosystems.

·       Eutrophication

·       Biochemical oxygen demand

 

You are provided with some data from five sites on the River Wold.

Site A is one kilometre upstream of Site B, which is one kilometre upstream of Site C, which is one kilometre upstream of Site D, which is one kilometre upstream of Site E.  Midway between Sites A and B is Folly Farm from which organic effluent leaks into the river. ( see diagram below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, inorganic fertilisers (nitrates and phosphates) are applied to the crops, and these ions are leached from the soil and drain into the river. There are no other farms on this stretch of the river. The land use is largely heather moor land elsewhere.

 

Your role is that of a research scientist for the National Rivers Authority (NRA). You are asked to make a scientific report to the NRA explaining the results of your river study and the impact of Folly Farm on the River Wold.

You can introduce any extra background information about the farm or the river, as long as it does not contradict the information already given

 

 

Your task is as follows:

 

1.    Thoroughly research the background information topics given above in order to provide a comprehensive introduction to the report

 

2.    Present the data using spreadsheet facilities, in the form of tables, carrying out any calculations that you think are necessary.

 

3.    Present the data in appropriate graphs.

 

4.    Present the conclusions that you can draw from the data. (i.e. Does the farm pollute, does the river recover, how fast does it recover?)

 

5.    Explain your conclusions using your scientific knowledge of the process of eutrophication.

 

6.    Send your finished report to your biology tutor as an attached file, by e-mail, by Thursday 10th July:

                   lhastaff@aquinas.ac.uk

jbostaff@aquinas.ac.uk

smostaff@aquinas.ac.uk

pvistaff@aquinas.ac.uk

cwostaff@aquinas.ac.uk

jspstaff@aquinas.ac.uk

 

 

 

Data collected by NRA research worker

 

Site A; Nitrate concentration in water samples

 

Water sample

Nitrate concentration / mg N l­-1

1

0.01

2

0.02

3

0.00

4

0.01

5

0.01

6

0.02

7

0.01

8

0.00

9

0.02

10

0.01

 

 

Site A; Organic matter content in water samples

 

Water sample

Suspended solids (dried filtrate - contains organic + inorganic material) /

g m3

 

Water sample

Suspended solids following 3 hours at 285oC

(which burns off organic matter)

g m3

1

8

 

1

4

2

10

 

2

4

3

6

 

3

3

4

7

 

4

2

5

9

 

5

3

6

10

 

6

3

7

11

 

7

3

8

8

 

8

2

9

7

 

9

4

10

7

 

10

3

Site A; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples

 

 

 

Site A; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples after dilution with set volume of aerated water.

 

Site A: Dissolved oxygen content in diluted water samples after five days incubation in the dark


Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

1

35

 

1

43.5

 

1

42

2

37

 

2

43.7

 

2

41

3

34

 

3

43.4

 

3

43

4

36

 

4

43.6

 

4

40

5

36

 

5

43.6

 

5

41

6

37

 

6

43.7

 

6

42

7

38

 

7

43.8

 

7

42

8

35

 

8

43.5

 

8

42

9

37

 

9

43.7

 

9

43

10

37

 

10

43.7

 

10

41

 

 

Site A; Turbidity

 

Turbidity

Depth at which black and white disk can no longer be seen (cm)

1

Still visible at bottom (1m)

2

 Still visible at bottom (1m)

3

Still visible at bottom (1m)

4

Still visible at bottom (1m)

5

Still visible at bottom (1m)

6

Still visible at bottom (1m)

7

 Still visible at bottom (1m)

8

 Still visible at bottom (1m)

9

 Still visible at bottom (1m)

10

 Still visible at bottom (1m)

 

 

 

 

Site A : Abundance of mayfly larvae in water samples

 

Water sample

Number of mayfly larvae

1

28

2

31

3

25

4

33

5

29

6

28

7

29

8

27

9

30

10

32

 

Site A : Abundance of Tubifex worms in water samples

 

Water sample

 

Number of Tubifex worms

1

0

2

0

3

0

4

0

5

0

6

0

7

0

8

0

9

0

10

0

Site B; Nitrate concentration in water samples

 

Water sample

Nitrate concentration / mg N l­-1

1

0.16

2

0.18

3

0.17

4

0.15

5

0.19

6

0.20

7

0.15

8

0.21

9

0.16

10

0.16

 

 

 

Site B; Organic matter content in water samples

 

Water sample

Suspended solids (dried filtrate ; contains organic + inorganic material) /

g m3

 

Water sample

Suspended solids following 3 hours at 285oC

(which burns off organic matter)

g m3

1

24

 

1

8

2

20

 

2

7

3

27

 

3

9

4

25

 

4

9

5

30

 

5

12

6

29

 

6

10

7

22

 

7

6

8

23

 

8

6

9

25

 

9

7

10

26

 

10

10

 

 

Site B; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples

 

 

 

Site B; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples after dilution with set volume of aerated water.

Site B: Dissolved oxygen content in diluted water samples after five days incubation in the dark

 

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

1

15

 

1

41.5

 

1

21

2

16

 

2

41.6

 

2

22

3

16

 

3

41.6

 

3

22

4

17

 

4

41.7

 

4

23

5

14

 

5

41.4

 

5

20

6

15

 

6

41.5

 

6

19

7

15

 

7

41.5

 

7

22

8

15

 

8

41.5

 

8

20

9

16

 

9

41.6

 

9

20

10

17

 

10

41.7

 

10

21

Site B; Turbidity

 

Turbidity

Depth at which black and white disk can no longer be seen (cm)

1

7

2

8

3

5

4

6

5

6

6

5

7

8

8

10

9

8

10

8

 

 

 

Site B : Abundance of mayfly larvae in water samples

 

Water sample

Number of mayfly larvae

1

0

2

0

3

0

4

0

5

0

6

0

7

0

8

0

9

0

10

0

Site B : Abundance of Tubifex worms in water samples

 

Water sample

 

Number of Tubifex worms

1

9

2

8

3

9

4

10

5

7

6

11

7

9

8

9

9

8

10

13

 

 

 

Site C; Nitrate concentration in water samples

 

Water sample

Nitrate concentration / mg N l­-1

1

0.12

2

0.13

3

0.15

4

0.11

5

0.12

6

0.12

7

0.09

8

0.14

9

0.13

10

0.13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site C; Organic matter content in water samples

 

Water sample

Suspended solids (dried filtrate - contains organic + inorganic material) /

g m3

 

Water sample

Suspended solids following 3 hours at 285oC

(which burns off organic matter)

g m3

1

19

 

1

7

2

20

 

2

8

3

18

 

3

9

4

18

 

4

8

5

19

 

5

8

6

21

 

6

7

7

17

 

7

6

8

20

 

8

8

9

19

 

9

8

10

19

 

10

7

 

 

Site C; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples

 

 

 

Site C; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples after dilution with set volume of aerated water.

Site C: Dissolved oxygen content in diluted water samples after five days incubation in the dark


 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

1

18

 

1

41.8

 

1

22

2

19

 

2

41.9

 

2

23

3

17

 

3

41.7

 

3

23

4

17

 

4

41.7

 

4

22

5

16

 

5

41.6

 

5

24

6

18

 

6

41.8

 

6

22

7

15

 

7

41.5

 

7

21

8

17

 

8

41.7

 

8

25

9

17

 

9

41.7

 

9

23

10

18

 

10

41.8

 

10

24

 

 

Site C; Turbidity

 

Turbidity

Depth at which black and white disk can no longer be seen (cm)

1

8

2

9

3

9

4

10

5

8

6

7

7

7

8

10

9

8

10

9

 

Site C : Abundance of mayfly larvae in water samples

 

Water sample

Number of mayfly larvae

1

0

2

0

3

0

4

0

5

0

6

0

7

0

8

0

9

0

10

0

 

 

Site C : Abundance of Tubifex worms  in water samples

 

Water sample

 

Number of Tubifex worms

1

10

2

11

3

9

4

10

5

11

6

12

7

12

8

9

9

13

10

11

 

 

Site D; Nitrate concentration in water samples

 

Water sample

Nitrate concentration / mg N l­-1

1

0.06

2

0.06

3

0.05

4

0.07

5

0.06

6

0.04

7

0.05

8

0.06

9

0.05

10

0.06

 

 

Site D; Organic matter content in water samples

 

Water sample

Suspended solids (dried filtrate - contains organic + inorganic material) /

g m3

 

Water sample

Suspended solids following 3 hours at 285oC

(which burns off organic matter)

g m3

1

15

 

1

6

2

16

 

2

7

3

15

 

3

7

4

15

 

4

6

5

17

 

5

5

6

14

 

6

8

7

18

 

7

4

8

16

 

8

6

9

16

 

9

6

10

16

 

10

6

 

 

 

 

Site D; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples

 

 

 

Site D; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples after dilution with set volume of aerated water.

 

Site D: Dissolved oxygen content in diluted water samples after five days incubation in the dark

 

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

1

22

 

1

42.2

 

1

30

2

23

 

2

42.3

 

2

29

3

23

 

3

42.3

 

3

28

4

21

 

4

42.1

 

4

31

5

25

 

5

42.5

 

5

31

6

24

 

6

42.4

 

6

30

7

21

 

7

42.1

 

7

28

8

24

 

8

42.4

 

8

29

9

23

 

9

42.3

 

9

30

10

25

 

10

42.5

 

10

30

 

 

 

Site D; Turbidity

 

Turbidity

Depth at which black and white disk can no longer be seen (cm)

1

38

2

45

3

32

4

47

5

41

6

39

7

38

8

36

9

40

10

40

 

 

Site D : Abundance of mayfly larvae in water samples

 

Water sample

Number of mayfly larvae

1

3

2

4

3

5

4

5

5

7

6

6

7

5

8

3

9

6

10

6

 

Site D : Abundance of Tubifex worms in water samples

 

Water sample

 

Number of Tubifex worms

1

0

2

1

3

1

4

0

5

0

6

0

7

2

8

0

9

1

10

0

 

 

 

 

 

Site E; Nitrate concentration in water samples

 

Water sample

Nitrate concentration / mg N l­-1

1

0.03

2

0.04

3

0.03

4

0.02

5

0.05

6

0.03

7

0.03

8

0.04

9

0.04

10

0.03

 

 

 

Site E; Organic matter content in water samples

 

Water sample

Suspended solids (dried filtrate - contains organic + inorganic material) /

g m3

 

Water sample

Suspended solids following 3 hours at 285oC

(which burns off organic matter)

g m3

1

8

 

1

4

2

8

 

2

5

3

9

 

3

5

4

11

 

4

6

5

8

 

5

3

6

10

 

6

4

7

9

 

7

4

8

9

 

8

5

9

7

 

9

5

10

8

 

10

4

 

 

Site E; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples

 

 

 

Site E; Dissolved oxygen content in water samples after dilution with set volume of aerated water.

Site E: Dissolved oxygen content in diluted water samples after five days incubation in the dark


Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

 

Water sample

Dissolved oxygen /

mg O2 dm-3

1

28

 

1

42.8

 

1

37

2

29

 

2

42.9

 

2

38

3

29

 

3

42.9

 

3

39

4

27

 

4

42.7

 

4

36

5

30

 

5

43.0

 

5

36

6

30

 

6

43.0

 

6

37

7

29

 

7

42.9

 

7

38

8

28

 

8

42.8

 

8

35

9

28

 

9

42.8

 

9

37

10

29

 

10

42.9

 

10

37

 

 

 

Site E; Turbidity

 

Turbidity

Depth at which black and white disk can no longer be seen (cm)

1

Still visible at bottom

2

Still visible at bottom

3

Still visible at bottom

4

Still visible at bottom

5

Still visible at bottom

6

Still visible at bottom

7

Still visible at bottom

8

Still visible at bottom

9

Still visible at bottom

10

Still visible at bottom

 

 

 

 

Site E : Abundance of mayfly larvae in water samples

 

Water sample

Number of mayfly larvae

1

9

2

9

3

11

4

10

5

12

6

9

7

8

8

11

9

10

10

11

Site E : Abundance of Tubifex worms  in water samples

 

Water sample

Number of Tubifex worms

1

0

2

0

3

0

4

0

5

0

6

0

7

0

8

0

9

0

10

0