Improving Water Quality in Urban Rivers

Planet Guardians
Investigación de Calidad de Agua a la Quebrada Sabana Llana

http://www.delcarmenverde.blogspot.com/

• While for a housewife, water contamination can mean bad
taste, odor or water cause intestinal diseases, they do not
display an industrial or farm.

• For industrial water pollution can mean the pipe is affected
boiler industry and for a farmer that water contains
extraordinary amounts of salt that does not allow its use for
irrigation or animal consumption.

• The concept of pollution of water is on and is closely
related to the proposed use of water.

• Natural causes of water pollution
Volume of water bodies
Number of bacteria
Organisms living in water
Amounts of pollutants

•Unnatural causes of pollution
Downloads home
Industrial discharges
Agricultural wastes
Sedimentation and erosion

•Major water pollutants
Existing number of coliform bacteria

Amount of oxygen dissolved in water

Fertilizers and pesticides

Pollution by suspended solids metals

•The multidisciplinary project Water Cops CL, enable
students to explore their own watershed and understand
what happens to the flow of water over them, the way in
which human activities depend on the river and impact the
hydrology, and the way in which the change of land use can
affect plant and animal communities that live along it.

•This project also seeks to develop technology skills in
applications such as Logger Pro and Vernier Software
LabQuest, MS Publisher 2007, ArcGIS Explorer, Adobe
Premier and Thinkquest.org or Blogger.

Students will have the opportunity to develop the following
skills XXI century:

Communication

Technology

Creativity

Critical Thinking

Teamwork

Essential Question:

The percentage of contaminants in urban rivers in
the island is of concern. If you were appoint the
Secretary of Natural Resources for a certain period
of time, how could help improve water quality in
urban river basins in PR now and in the future?

During the development of the students will engage in tasks
and sub-tasks to complete highlights the following products:

Science, Mathematics and Technology – Hydrology Data
Sheet- MS Word 2007.

Science, Mathematics and Technology - Scientific Article -
Logger Pro and Vernier LabQuest.

Science, Mathematics and Technology - Data Analysis and
Results Presentation – MS Power Point 2007

Geography and Technology - GeoMapping – ArcExplorer

English and Technology - Blog – Blogger.com and
Thinkquest.org

English and Technology - Video Documentary - Adobe
Premier

Data Analysis and Results
Natacha Gonzalez
Leslie Cabán
Angelice Vale
Marimar Bracero
Gerardo Costa
Jessmar Matos
Mariedith Santos
Paola Soto

Sabana Llana Stream Site #1
Water Quality Investigation
Tables and Graphs

Table 1:Sabana Llana Site 1
Temperature, Turbidity and pH

Water Temperature
• The temperature of a body of water influences its overall
quality.
• A change in water temperature can affect the general health
of the aquatic organisms, thus changing the quality of the
stream.
• The temperature measured on Sabana Llana is suitable for
small mouth bass and the rest of similar water organism.
• The average temperature in this site was 26.5°C.

Turbidity
• Turbidity is a measure of water’s lack of clarity.
Water with high turbidity is cloudy, while water
with low turbidity is clear.
• Many factors can contribute to the turbidity of
water.
• An increase in stream flow due to heavy rains or a
decrease in stream-bank vegetation can speed up
the process of soil erosion.
• This will add suspended particles, such as clay
and silt, to the water.

Turbidity
• According to the USGS, the turbidity of surface
water is usually between 1 NTU and 50 NTU .
• Water is visibly turbid at levels above 5 NTU.
• The standard for drinking water is 0.5 NTU to 1.0
NTU.
• The average turbidity in this site of the Sabana
Llana Stream is 45.8 NTU.
• The water is visibly turbid and in the standard
range. It can’t be used for drinking water.

Water pH
• Water contains both hydrogen ions, H+, and hydroxide ions, OH–.
The relative concentrations of these two ions determine the pH
value .
• Water with a pH of 7 has equal concentrations of these two ions
and is considered to be a neutral solution.
• If a solution is acidic, the concentration of H+ ions exceeds that of
the OH– ions. In a basic solution, the concentration of OH– ions
exceeds that of the H+ ions.
• On a pH scale of 0 to 14, a value of 0 is the most acidic, and 14 the
most basic. A change from pH 7 to pH 8 in a lake or stream
represents a ten-fold increase in the OH– ion concentration.
• The average pH of the Sabana Llana stream is 8.2. The water is
optimal for most organisms. The ph level is acceptable for most
drinking water standards.

Table 2: Sabana Llana Site 1
Temperature and Conductivity

Graph 2:
Conductivity vs. Time

Conductivity
• Solids are found in streams in two forms, suspended and
dissolved.
• Suspended solids include silt, stirred-up bottom sediment,
decaying plant matter, or sewage-treatment effluent.
• Total dissolved solids, or TDS, can be determined usinig a
Vernier Conductivity Probe to determine the ability of the
dissolved salts and their resulting ions in an unfiltered
sample to conduct an electrical current.
• The conductivity is then converted to TDS.
• Either of these methods yields a TDS value in units of mg/L.
• There are many possible manmade sources of ions that
may contribute to elevated TDS readings.

Conductivity
• Fertilizers from fields and lawns can add a
variety of ions to a stream.
• Increases in TDS can also result from runoff from
roads that have been salted in the winter.
• Organic matter from wastewater treatment
plants may contribute higher levels of nitrate or
phosphate ions.
• Treated wastewater may also have higher TDS
readings than surrounding streams if urban
drinking water has been highly chlorinated.

Conductivity
• Irrigation water that is returned to a stream will often
have higher concentrations of sodium or chloride ions.
• Acidic rainwater, with dissolved gases like CO2, NO2, or
SO2, often yields elevated H+ ion
• concentrations.
• TDS values in lakes and streams are typically found to
be in the range of 50 to 250 mg/L Drinking water will
tend to be 25 to 500 mg/L TDS.
• The average conductivity of the Sabana Llana Stream is
403 μS/cm.
• There is little amount of metals because the standard
levels of conductivity are low.

Temperature and DO

Dissolved Oxygen
• Description: Trout and small bass can’t live with this
amount of dissolved oxygen found in this site of the Sabana
Llana stream.
• Oxygen gas dissolved in water is vital to the existence of
most aquatic organisms.
• Oxygen is a key component in cellular respiration for both
aquatic and terrestrial life.
• Dissolved oxygen concentrations can range from 0 to 15
mg/L. The average
• DO of this site of the Sabana Llana stream is 5.9 mg/L under
the expected values.
• Some organisms like Mosquito larvae, Carp, Catfish, May fly
larvae, Caddis fly larvae can live in this amount of DO.

Temperature and Flow Rate

Stream Flow
• Description: Stream flow or discharge is the volume of
water that moves through a specific point in a stream
during a given period of time.
• Discharge is usually measured in units of cubic feet per
second (cfs).
• Flow velocity is influenced by the slope of the surrounding
terrain, the depth of the stream, the width of the stream,
and the roughness of the substrate or stream bottom.
• The stream flow of this site of the Sabana Llana stream is
low, 0.034cfs, because there is not much depth, the stream
channel is not wide, there are many rocks, and there is no
slope or inclination.

Nitrate and Temperature

Nitrate Ion Selective Electrode
• Nitrate ions found in freshwater samples result from a
variety of natural and manmade sources.
• Nitrates are an important source of nitrogen necessary for
plants and animals to synthesize amino acids and proteins.
• Although nitrate levels in freshwater are usually
• less than 1 mg/L, manmade sources of nitrate may elevate
levels above 3 mg/L.
• These sources include animal feedlots, runoff from
fertilized fields, or treated municipal wastewater being
returned to streams Levels above 10 mg/L in drinking water
can cause a potentially fatal disease in infants called
methemoglobinemia, or Blue-Baby Syndrome.

• In this disease, nitrate converts hemoglobin into a form
that can no longer transport oxygen.
• High nitrate concentrations also contribute to a condition in
lakes and ponds called eutrophication, the excessive growth
of aquatic plants and algae.
• Unpleasant odor and taste of water, as well asreduced
clarity.
• The nitrate level in freshwater is usually found in the range
of 0.1 to 4 mg/L NO3–-N.
• Unpolluted waters generally have nitrate levels below 1
mg/L .
• This body of water has a low amount of nitrate, 1.3 mg/L,
which permits life.

Ammonium and Temperature

Ammonium Ion Selective Electrode
• Some trees and grasses are able to absorb
ammonium ions directly, but most require
their conversion to nitrate.
• This process, called nitrification, is usually
accomplished by bacteria in the soil or water.
• If ammonium nitrogen levels in surface waters
are too high, they can be toxic to some
aquatic organisms.

• Dissolved oxygen levels can also be lowered when
ammonium nitrogen is high due to the increased
amount of nitrification occurring.
• Ammonium-nitrogen levels are usually quite low
in moving surface waters.
• This is because there is little decaying organic
matter collecting on the bottom.
• If there is a high level of ammonium nitrogen in a
moving stream, it may be an indication of
pollution of some kind entering the water.

• While levels of ammonium nitrogen in
drinking water should not exceed 0.5 mg/L,
streams or ponds near heavily fertilized fields
may have higher concentrations of this ion.
• These amounts of ammonium are low, 0.3
mg/L, because the water flows in this body of
water .
• The amount of ammonium in this water is
accepted for drinking water.

Calcium and Temperature

Calcium Ion Selective Electrode:
• Most calcium in surface water comes from
streams flowing over limestone, CaCO3, gypsum,
CaSO4•2H2O, and other calcium-containing rocks
and minerals.
• The concentration of calcium ions (Ca2+) in
freshwater is found in a range of 0 to 100 mg/L,
and usually has the highest concentration of any
freshwater cation.
• A level of 50 mg/L is recommended as the upper
limit for drinking water.

Calcium Ion Selective Electrode:
• High levels are not considered a health concern;
however, levels above 50 mg/L can be
problematic due to formation of excess calcium
carbonate deposits in plumbing or in decreased
cleansing action of soaps.
freshwater is found in a range of 4 to 100 mg/L.
• The average concentrations of Calciuim ion of
this site of the Sabana Llana stream is 6.3 mg/L.
• This amount of calcium is in the expected levels
for organisms and for drinking water.

Tabla 8: Sabana Llana Site 1
Chloride and Temperature

Chloride Ion Selective Electrode
• These salts, and their resulting chloride ions,
originate from natural minerals, saltwater
intrusion into estuaries, and industrial pollution.
• There are many possible sources of
• manmade salts that may contribute to elevated
chloride readings.
• Sodium chloride and calcium chloride, used to
salt roads, contribute to elevated chloride levels
in streams.

• Chlorinated drinking water and sodium-chloride water
softeners often increase chloride levels in wastewater
of a community.
• The recommended maximum level of chloride in U.S.
drinking water is 250 mg/L.
• Even freshwater streams and lakes have a significant
chloride level that can range from 1 to 250 mg/L.
• The average concentration of Chloride ion in the
Sabana Llana stream is 5.5mg/L.
• This amount of Calcium ion is in the expected levels for
organisms and drinking water. The obtained amount is
within the normal levels.

Sabana Llana Stream Site #2
Water Quality Investigation
Tables and Graphs

Temperature, pH and Turbidity

Water Temperature
• The temperature of a body of water influences its
overall quality.
• A change in water temperature can affect the
general health of the aquatic organisms, thus
changing the quality of the stream.
• The temperature measured on Sabana Llana is
suitable for small mouth bass and the rest of
similar water organism.
• The average temperature in this site was 25.7°C.

Water pH
• Water contains both hydrogen ions, H+, and
hydroxide ions, OH–.
• The relative concentrations of these two ions
determine the pH value .
• Water with a pH of 7 has equal concentrations of
these two ions and is considered to be a neutral
solution.
• If a solution is acidic, the concentration of H+ ions
exceeds that of the OH– ions.
• In a basic solution, the concentration of OH– ions
exceeds that of the H+ ions.

Water pH
• On a pH scale of 0 to 14, a value of 0 is the most
acidic, and 14 the most basic.
• A change from pH 7 to pH 8 in a lake or stream
represents a ten-fold increase in the OH– ion
concentration.
• The average pH of the Sabana Llana stream is 7.4.
• The water is optimal for most organisms.
• The ph level is acceptable for most drinking water
standards.

Turbidity
• Turbidity is a measure of water’s lack of clarity.
• Water with high turbidity is cloudy, while water
with low turbidity is clear.
• The cloudiness is produced by light reflecting off
of particles in the water; therefore, the more
particles in the water, the higher the turbidity.
• Many factors can contribute to the turbidity of
water.
• An increase in stream flow due to heavy rains or a
decrease in stream-bank vegetation can speed up
the process of soil erosion.

Turbidity
• This will add suspended particles, such as clay
and silt, to the water.
• According to the USGS, the turbidity of surface
water is usually between 1 NTU and 50 NTU .
• Water is visibly turbid at levels above 5 NTU.
• The standard for drinking water is 0.5 NTU to 1.0
NTU.
• The average turbidity in this site of the Sabana
Llana Stream is 55.4 NTU. The water is visibly
turbid and in the standard range.

Temperature and DO

Dissolved Oxygen
• Trout and small bass can’t live with this
amount of dissolved oxygen found in this site
of the Sabana Llana stream.
• Oxygen gas dissolved in water is vital to the
existence of most aquatic organisms.
• Oxygen is a key component in cellular
respiration for both aquatic and terrestrial life.

Dissolved Oxygen
• Dissolved oxygen concentrations can range
from 0 to 15 mg/L.
• The average DO of this site of the Sabana
Llana stream is 4.3 mg/L under the expected
values.
• Some organisms like Mosquito larvae, Carp,
Catfish, May fly larvae, Caddis fly larvae can
live in this amount of DO.

Temperature and Conductivity

Conductivity
• Solids are found in streams in two forms, suspended
and dissolved.
• Suspended solids include silt, stirred-up bottom
sediment, decaying plant matter, or sewage-treatment
effluent.
• Total dissolved solids, or TDS, can be determined usinig
a Vernier Conductivity Probe to determine the ability
of the dissolved salts and their resulting ions in an
unfiltered sample to conduct an electrical current.
• The conductivity is then converted to TDS.
• Either of these methods yields a TDS value in units of
mg/L.

Conductivity
• There are many possible manmade sources of
• ions that may contribute to elevated TDS readings.
Fertilizers from fields and lawns can add a
• variety of ions to a stream. Increases in TDS can also
result from runoff from roads that have
• been salted in the winter. Organic matter from
wastewater treatment plants may contribute
• higher levels of nitrate or phosphate ions. Treated
wastewater may also have higher TDS
• readings than surrounding streams if urban drinking
water has been highly chlorinated.

Conductivity
• Irrigation water that is returned to a stream will often
have higher concentrations of sodium or chloride ions.
• Acidic rainwater, with dissolved gases like CO2, NO2, or
SO2, often yields elevated H+ ion concentrations.
• TDS values in lakes and streams are typically found to
be in the range of 50 to 250 mg/L.
• Drinking water will tend to be 25 to 500 mg/L TDS.
• The average conductivity of the Sabana Llana Stream is
432 μS/cm.
• There is a considerably amount of suspended solids
because the levels of TDS are very near to the max
level.

Temperature and Flow Rate

Stream Flow
• Stream flow or discharge is the volume of water that moves
through a specific point in a stream during a given period of
time.
• Discharge is usually measured in units of cubic feet per
second (cfs).
• Flow velocity is influenced by the slope of the surrounding
terrain, the depth of the stream, the width of the stream,
and the roughness of the substrate or stream bottom.
• The stream flow of this site of the Sabana Llana stream is
low, 0.064 cfs, because there is not much depth, the stream
channel is not wide, there are many rocks, and there is no
slope or inclination.

Nitrate and Temperature

• Nitrate ions found in freshwater samples result from a
variety of natural and manmade sources.
• Nitrates are an important source of nitrogen necessary for
plants and animals to synthesize amino acids and proteins.
• Although nitrate levels in freshwater are usually less than 1
mg/L, manmade sources of nitrate may elevate levels
above 3 mg/L.
• These sources include animal feedlots, runoff from
fertilized fields, or treated municipal wastewater being
returned to streams.
• Levels above 10 mg/L in drinking water can cause a
potentially fatal disease in infants called
methemoglobinemia, or Blue-Baby Syndrome.

• In this disease, nitrate converts hemoglobin into a form that can no
longer transport oxygen.
• High nitrate concentrations also contribute to a condition in lakes
and ponds called eutrophication, the excessive growth of aquatic
plants and algae.
• Unpleasant odor and taste of water, as well as reduced clarity.
• The nitrate level in freshwater is usually found in the range of 0.1 to
4 mg/L.
• Unpolluted waters generally have nitrate levels below 1 mg/L.
• The average concentration of nitrate ion in this site of the Sabana
Llana stream is of 4.6 mg/L. This body of water has a high amount
of nitrate which can’t permits life for many organism.

Ammonium and Temperature

• While levels of ammonium nitrogen in drinking
water should not exceed 0.5 mg/L, streams or
ponds near heavily fertilized fields may have
higher concentrations of this ion.
• The average of the concentration of ammonium
ion in the Sabana Llana stream are 6.29mg/L.
• These amounts of ammonium are above the
expected values.
• The amount of ammonium in this water isn’t
accepted for drinking water.

Calcium and Temperature

Calcium Ion Selective Electrode
• Most calcium in surface water comes from
streams flowing over limestone, CaCO3, gypsum,
CaSO4•2H2O, and other calcium-containing rocks
and minerals.
freshwater is found in a range of 0 to 100 mg/L,
and usually has the highest concentration of any
freshwater cation.
• A level of 50 mg/L is recommended as the upper
limit for drinking water.

Calcium Ion Selective Electrode
• High levels are not considered a health concern;
however, levels above 50 mg/L can be
problematic due to formation of excess calcium
carbonate deposits in plumbing or in decreased
cleansing action of soaps.
• freshwater is found in a range of 4 to 100 mg/L.
• The average concentrations of Calciuim ion of
this site of the Sabana Llana stream is 12.6 mg/L.
• This amount of calcium is in the expected levels
for organisms and for drinking water.

Table 8: Sabana Llana Site #2
Chloride and Temperature

• These salts, and their resulting chloride ions, originate
from natural minerals, saltwater intrusion into
estuaries, and industrial pollution.
• There are many possible sources of manmade salts
that may contribute to elevated chloride readings.
• Sodium chloride and calcium chloride, used to salt
roads, contribute to elevated chloride levels in streams.
• Chlorinated drinking water and sodium-chloride water
softeners often increase chloride levels in wastewater
of a community.

• The recommended maximum level of chloride in
U.S. drinking water is 250 mg/L.
• Even freshwater streams and lakes have a
significant chloride level that can range from 1
• to 250 mg/L.
• The average concentration of Chloride ion in the
Sabana Llana stream is 9.0 mg/L.
• This amount of Calcium ion is in the expected
levels for organisms and drinking water.
• The obtained amount is within the normal levels.

Site 1

Sabana Llana Water QualityData Results

Site 2

Sabana Llana Water Quality Data Results

The Green Lanterns
• Susan Cabello
• Diva Mockford
• Bethany Vázquez
• Laurimar Rosado
• Juan Corujo
• Tomás Pérez

Guardians Dreamers
• Jessmar Matos
• Angelice Vale
• Leslie Cabán
• Marimar Bracero
• Paola Santos
• Mariedith Santos
• Natacha González

Discovery Kids
• Adriana Álvarez
• Christian Maldonado
• Rolando Rivera
• Jean Paul Heffelfinger
• Paolah González
• Gerardo Costas

Green Brains
• Andrea Sandoval
• Carlos Colón
• Edgardo Maldonado
• Valentina Márquez
• Valerie Castro
• Germán Oyola

Natural Beauties
• Laurimar González
• Liana Basora
• Veda Mockford
• Krystal Flores
• Beatriz Del Valle
• Coral Flores
• Emmanuel Medina

Improving Water Quality in Urban Rivers

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