|
Parameter |
Unit |
Range |
|
pH |
|
5.8 |
|
Conductivity |
µs |
20 |
|
Conductivity at 25°C |
|
4.3 |
|
Chloride |
(mg/l) |
<0.5 |
|
Silica |
(mg/l) |
<2 |
|
Alumina |
(mg/l) |
<0.04 |
|
Calcium |
(mg/l) |
<1 |
|
Chromium |
(mg/l) |
<0.01 |
|
Copper |
(mg/l) |
<0.01 |
|
Cadmium |
(mg/l) |
<0.002 |
|
Iron |
(mg/l) |
<0.006 |
|
Lead |
(mg/l) |
<0.01 |
|
Magnesium |
(mg/l) |
<0.01 |
|
Nickel |
(mg/l) |
<0.01 |
|
Potassium |
(mg/l) |
0.19 |
|
Sodium |
(mg/l) |
<1 |
|
Zinc |
(mg/l) |
<0.01 |
Dissolved Oxygen
Fish and other aquatic animals depend on dissolved oxygen (the oxygen present in water) to live.
The amount of dissolved oxygen in streams is dependent on the water temperature, the quantity of sediment in the stream, the amount of oxygen taken out of the system by respiring and decaying organisms, and the amount of oxygen put back into the system by photosynthesizing plants, stream flow, and aeration.
Dissolved oxygen is measured in milligrams per liter (mg/l) or parts per million (ppm). The temperature of stream water influences the amount of dissolved oxygen present; less oxygen dissolves in warm water than cold water.
For this reason, there is cause for concern for streams with warm water. Trout need DO levels in excess of 8 mg/liter, striped bass prefer DO levels above 5 mg/l, and most warm water fish need DO in excess of 2 mg/l.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)/Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
Natural organic detritus and organic waste from waste water treatment plants, failing septic systems, and agricultural and urban runoff, acts as a food source for water-borne bacteria.
Bacteria decompose these organic materials using dissolved oxygen, thus reducing the DO present for fish. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a measure of the amount of oxygen that bacteria will consume while decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions.
Biochemical oxygen demand is determined by incubating a sealed sample of water for five days and measuring the loss of oxygen from the beginning to the end of the test. Samples often must be diluted prior to incubation or the bacteria will deplete all of the oxygen in the bottle before the test is complete.
The main focus of wastewater treatment plants is to reduce the BOD in the effluent discharged to natural waters. Wastewater treatment plants are designed to function as bacteria farms, where bacteria are fed oxygen and organic waste. The excess bacteria grown in the system are removed as sludge, and this “solid” waste is then disposed of on land.
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) does not differentiate between biologically available and inert organic matter, and it is a measure of the total quantity of oxygen required to oxidize all organic material into carbon dioxide and water. COD values are always greater than BOD values, but COD measurements can be made in a few hours while BOD measurements take five days.
If effluent with high BOD levels is discharged into a stream or river, it will accelerate bacterial growth in the river and consume the oxygen levels in the river. The oxygen may diminish to levels that are lethal for most fish and many aquatic insects.
As the river re-aerates due to atmospheric mixing and as algal photosynthesis adds oxygen to the water, the oxygen levels will slowly increase downstream. The drop and rise in DO levels downstream from a source of BOD is called the DO sag curve.
pH/Acidity/Alkalinity
pH is a measure of the amount of free hydrogen ions in water. Specifically, pH is the negative logarithm of the molar concentration of hydrogen ions.
pH = -log[H+]
for example, at pH 2, [H+] = 10-2 or .01
at pH 10 [H+] = 10-10 or .0000000001
at pH 4 [H+] = 10-4 or .0001
Because pH is measured on a logarithmic scale, an increase of one unit indicates an increase of ten times the amount of hydrogen ions.
A pH of 7 is considered to be neutral. Acidity increases as pH values decrease, and alkalinity increases as pH values increase.
Most natural waters are buffered by a carbon-dioxide-bicarbonate system, since the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere serves as a source of carbonic acid.
H2CO2 --> HCO3 + H+ pK ~ 7.5
This reaction tends to keep pH of most waters around 7 - 7.5, unless large amounts of acid or base are added to the water. Most streams draining coniferous woodlands tend to be slightly acidic (6.8 to 6.5) due to organic acids produced by the decaying of organic matter.
Natural waters in the Piedmont of Georgia also receive acidity from the soils. In waters with high algal concentrations, pH varies diurnally, reaching values as high as 10 during the day when algae are using carbon dioxide in photosynthesis.
pH drops during the night when the algae respire and produce carbon dioxide.
The pH of water affects the solubility of many toxic and nutritive chemicals; therefore, the availability of these substances to aquatic organisms is affected. As acidity increases, most metals become more water soluble and more toxic.
Toxicity of cyanides and sulfides also increases with a decrease in pH (increase in acidity). Ammonia, however, becomes more toxic with only a slight increase in pH.
Alkalinity is the capacity to neutralize acids, and the alkalinity of natural water is derived principally from the salts of weak acids. Hydroxide, carbonates, and bicarbonates are the dominant source of natural alkalinity.
Reactions of carbon dioxide with calcium or magnesium carbonate in the soil creates considerable amounts of bicarbonates in the soil.
Organic acids such as humic acid also form salts that increase alkalinity. Alkalinity itself has little public health significance, although highly alkaline waters are unpalatable and can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.