7

Environmental Science
Quarter 2 – Module 3:
Air, Water and Soil Index Quality

MA.ROSARIO T. BAGAY
Master Teacher I

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
This module has three lessons which are The Indicators of Air Quality, The
Indicators of Water Quality and The Indicators of Soil Quality.

Learners will have to answer the pre-test,

self- test and post-test on a separate sheet.

1
For the learner:

To learn most from this module, here are some tips that you have to remember.
1. Before proceeding to the lessons, don’t forget to take the pre-test. Your score in
the test will give you an idea how much time you need to devote to each lesson.
2. Read the instructions and bear in mind precautionary measures.
3. Make sure that the needed materials are already prepared before doing any of the
activities.
4. Always answer the Self-Test and compare your answers to the key to correction.
5. For you to know how much you have learned from the module, answer the post-
test.

What I Need to Know?

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
to understand about the indicators of water, air and soil quality. The scope of this
module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language
used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged
to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them
can be changed to correspond with the reference book you are maybe using .

2
The module is divided into three lessons namely

 Lesson 1 – The Indicators of Air Quality

 Lesson 2 – The Indicators of Water Quality
 Lesson 3 – The Indicators of Soil Quality

After going through this module, you are expected to:

• Explain the indicators of air, water, and soil quality

Specifically learners should be able to meet the following objectives:

1. Define Air quality Index
2. Explain how AQI is being determined
3. Describe the indicators of AQI
4. Describe what makes water potable
5. Explain how turbidity, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen can affect the
health of a water system
6. Identify what bio indicators are and how they can help determine the health of
a water system
7. Explain the different characteristics of soil.

Lesson

1 The Indicators of Air Quality

Suppose you are going inside your classroom and your teacher hang a warning sign
on your entry which reads, “The air quality index of this classroom is rated as unhealthy for
sensitive groups.” What do you think the sign means? What do you think of when you hear
the words air quality? What is the quality of the air in the place where you live?

3
 What’s In?

Notes to the Teacher

This module consists of self-assessment which is found at
the first and last part of the module. Every lesson will evaluate
through Self-Test. Learners should compare their answer to the
key to correction written on the last part of this module. Simple
activities will also be required to perform in order to answer the
guide questions.

What’s New?

Are you aware of the kind of air that you breathe every day? Sometimes the
air is clean. At other times it is not. Scientists and specialists measure how clean the
air is and call it the Air Quality Index (AQI) or the Pollution Standards Index.
Engineers use the AQI to look for trends in air quality. With this information, they can
more efficiently create technology to help address the problems of air pollution and
air pollution prevention. Engineers also suggest behaviour and policy changes in
response to air quality measurements.
Air pollution is becoming an increasing concern as we learn more about the
adverse health effects of poor air quality. Engineers investigate the source and effect
of air pollution on people and their environment, and do their best to prevent it and
clean it up. Environmental engineers must know the composition of air and
chemicals to determine how to mitigate poor air quality.

4
 The AQI focuses on the health effects that can happen within a few hours or
days after breathing polluted air. It uses colors, numbers (from 0 to 500) and words
to describe the air. The numbers are used to decide the AQI color.

The Air Quality Index

Source: https://www.teachengineering.org

Does it really matter to know the kind of air you breathe? How then are you
going to use and understand the Air Quality Index shown above?
A number from 50 to 100 means smog is in the air. You should avoid playing
or working outside around noon. It is best to go out early or later in the day. Do you
know why? Polluted air can harm you. When you work or play you breathe in more
air.
A number of 100 or more means the air is very polluted and dangerous. You
should stay inside. Try to use an air condition or fan to keep the air moving, and if at
all possible, rest.
Below is another chart for you to understand further AQI and its meaning.
Read and be able to remember the level of health concern as indicated in the color
coded numerical value and its corresponding meaning.

5
 In the next section you will be guided on how the Air Quality index is being
determined particularly in the Philippines. By this time you can prepare by
researching the reports of AQI in Metro Manila or to the nearest locality within your
residence. For those who have internet access they can easily be search through
Google Apps called Air Quality/ Air Visual.

What is it?
Now that you are familiar with the Air Quality index chart, have you ever tried
to ask how AQI is determined in the Philippines.
The most common air pollutants in the Philippines are classified under the
following categories: solids and metals, sulphur compounds, nitrogen compounds,
volatile organic compounds (VOC), oxygen compounds, halogen compounds,
radioactive compounds, odors, and others.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) currently monitors only what are called
“criteria pollutants”- air pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Guideline

6
Values have been established- for the protection of public health, safety, and general
welfare. These include total suspended particulates (TSP), particulate matter with a
diameter of 10 microns and smaller (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), and ozone (O3).
Summary matrix of pollutant-specific cautionary statements for the general public.

ACTIVITY 1 HOW CLEAN IS THE AIR TODAY?

Everyday are you aware of the kind of air you are breathing? With the use of
the Air Quality Index it will help you determine the quality of air in your area. The Air
Quality Index focuses on the health effects that can happen within a few hours or
days after breathing polluted air. A low number means the air is clean. A high
number means it is very polluted and unhealthy.

A number less than 50 means clean air.

A number from 50 to 100 means smog is in the air.

7
A number of 100 or more means the air is much polluted.

In the table below, mark √ the box that tells what the AQI number means.
The air has
The air is much
If… The air is clean. some pollution
polluted.
in it.
The Air Quality Index is 30
The Air Quality Index is 150
The Air Quality Index is 70
The Air Quality Index is 36
The Air Quality Index is 200
The Air Quality Index is 60
The Air Quality Index is 41
The Air Quality Index is 205

Now you have a better understanding of the Air Quality Index. How does this help
you?

A number that is less than 50 means that the air is fine. You can do whatever you
want when you are outside.

A number from 50 to 100 means the air is becoming polluted. You should avoid
playing or working outside around noon. It is best to go out early or later in the day.
Do you know why? Polluted air can harm you. When you work or play you breathe in
more air.

A number of 100 or greater means the air is dangerous. You should stay inside. Try
to use an air condition or fan to keep the air moving. Rest, if at all possible, so you
breathe less air and fewer pollutants enter your body.

8
 In the table below, mark √ the box that tells what you should do for each AQI
number.
Don’t play
If… Play Outside outside around Stay inside
noon.
The Air Quality Index is 45
The Air Quality Index is 15
The Air Quality Index is 180
The Air Quality Index is 236
The Air Quality Index is 91
The Air Quality Index is 25
The Air Quality Index is 69
The Air Quality Index is 122

Lesson
The Indicators of Water Quality
2

Have you ever walked or driven by a polluted stream and looked at it in

disgust? Have you taken a drink of water from a fountain and turned up your nose in
distaste? Clean water is important to a person's health and lifestyle, and it is
engineers who insure that our water is safe to drink and use. Environmental and civil
engineers help maintain the quality of our water resources. They design treatment
plants, monitor surface and groundwater, work with streams to sanitize drinking
water, as well as deal with the prevention of streams from disappearing altogether
from irrigation and industrial waste inputs.
How many of you have been to a local stream and really looked at it? Have
you ever seen a fish in a stream? What about an insect or a plant? Stream water has
many different characteristics and many different creatures living in it. What have
you seen that might indicate a healthy or unhealthy stream? For example, lots of fish
= healthy; lots of trash in the water = unhealthy. Many different species benefit from
healthy water, including humans and animals that drink from the water. Name the
many uses for streams and rivers. For example, recreation (boating, canoeing,
swimming), fishing, drinking water supply, crop irrigation, stock/animal water supply,
education and scientific studies.

9
 It is important to keep streams and rivers healthy for all of these different
uses. Water removal from irrigation and diversions reduces river flow and alters the
quality of the water habitat. Also, pollution from organic wastes (fertilizers, human
waste water, etc.) and industrial wastes have decreased in the last 20 years, but still
remain a great threat to the water quality of a stream or river. These are the
challenges that engineers face daily.

What is water quality?

Water quality is commonly defined by its biological, physical, chemical and
aesthetic (appearance and smell) characteristics. A healthy environment is one in
which the water quality supports a rich and varied community of organisms and does
not harm public health. The water quality of a body of water influences the way in
which communities use the water for activities such as drinking, swimming or
commercial purposes. It is an important environmental, economic and social
resource in our world.

What are some indicators of water quality?

Water quality can be evaluated by how many and how varied the biota (living
organisms) is in a stream. There are many factors that are important to the biota that
use the stream. The chemical factors that influence the biota are dissolved major
ions, dissolved nutrients, dissolved organic matter, dissolved gases (oxygen, carbon
dioxide) and trace metals. Variation in these factors is determined by the type and
amount of rocks, weathering, precipitation type and amount, and proximity to the
sea. Seasonality also has an influence on chemical factors. Areas of high rainfall and
surface water runoff have more dilute stream water compared to areas that are arid
and have greater evaporation. Biological influences of these factors are normally
seen only during times of extreme change.
Physical factors of a stream also influence the biota that uses the stream.
Many physical factors provide challenges as well as benefits for the flora and fauna
that inhabit the area. Current (how fast the stream moves), substrate (rock, stream
bed and gravel), and temperature are a few of the more prominent physical factors.
Current can provide transportation for organisms, but also poses the risk of the
organisms being swept away. The substrates in a stream may provide shelter for a
fish from the current or its enemies, and may determine the types of plants and algae
that can grow there.
Oxygen, a chemical factor, is affected by all of these physical factors. Current
replenishes oxygen in the system by bringing the water into contact with air.
Temperature affects the amount of oxygen in the stream because solubility of
oxygen in water decreases as temperature increases. Lastly, certain organisms
breathe better in certain environments.

10
WATER SYSTEM HEALTH WHAT AFFECTS IT?

When it comes to the health of a water system, there are many factors that go
into it. The balance between physical, chemical and biological variables determines
the health of a water system.
These variables are subject to change from both natural and man-made forces
Physical Chemical Biological
Dissolved oxygen (plus
Temperature Fish
other gases
Turbidity pH Algae
Water Movement Nitrates Insects
Salinity Plants

WATER SYSTEM HEALTH WHY DO WE CARE?

Freshwater is major concern because it is the source of water for humans and
animals. Our freshwater that we use can be classified as safe healthy enough to
bathe in and clean with or potable healthy enough to drink.

Potable water Safe water

PHYSICAL INDICATORS
1. Temperature

The temperature of a body of water determines the organisms that can live there.
Many organisms have a preferred temperature range where they will thrive. Think
about it. Can we live in -50º weather but some can especially aquatic life. As the
temperature increases it is able to dissolve more sediment which can block light
and not allow photosynthesis to occur. It dissolves less oxygen (because
particles are moving too fast and O2 can escape into the air) and may not contain
enough for organisms to survive.

11
2. Turbidity

Turbidity is how clear/cloudy a body of water is. Cloudiness is due to the amount
of sediment dissolved in the water. A high turbidity is not potable. It can lead to
increased temperatures because suspended particles absorb more heat.
High Turbidity – Low Turbidity- Clear
Cloudy [Type a

CHEMICAL INDICATORS

1. Dissolved oxygen

Dissolved oxygen is the amount of oxygen in water that is available for

aquatic organisms to use. The level of oxygen in surface water is important
for many organisms such as zooplankton and fish to thrive. There are two
ways oxygen gets into the water:

a. From the air (being trapped by waves and moving currents)

b. From plants releasing O2 during photosynthesis

12
 2. pH level

The pH of a body of water determines how acidic or how basic it is pH is

measured on a scale from 0-14; 0-6: Acidic, 7: Neutral, 8-14: Basic (Alkaline)
The pH of water is known to have a synergistic effect, which means that materials
(iron, aluminum, ammonia, mercury) introduced into bodies of water can have more
or less of an impact based on the pH of the water. Metals in more acidic water can
become more dangerous or poisonous than they normally would be in neutral water

3. Nitrates and Phosphates

Nitrates and phosphates come from Nitrogen and Phosphorous, which are
essential nutrients for healthy plant growth. Too many nitrates or phosphates in
drinking water can make it unhealthy.
Sources of Nitrates Sources of Phosphates
Human and animal waste
Runoff contaminated with fertilizers
Septic tank leaks Laundry
Sewage Cleaning and industrial waste

13
 Sources: https://www.google.com/imgres

4. Salinity

Salinity is the measure of salt in water and can be an indicator of how healthy
a water system is. Salinity can enter water systems through natural processes
of weathering rocks from wind and rain. High concentrations of salinity can
cause vegetation to become unhealthy or die and can lead to a decrease in
biodiversity.

5. Bio indicators

Biological indicators (Bio indicators) are macroinvertebrates that can give an

indication of how healthy a water system is. The presence and numbers of the
types of fish, insects, algae, plants and other aquatic organisms can tell us
how healthy the water they live in is. These organisms are usually easy to
collect and identify. These organisms are used to measure water health
because many are very sensitive to pollution. Poor water quality is indicated
by a few number of bio indicators organisms in one place.

Source: https://www.google.com/imgres

14
Again what you have in the illustration above are bioindicators of water quality.
Pollution- Intolerant Organisms are organisms that need high levels of dissolved
oxygen and are sensitive to chemicals and fertilizers. The quality of water needed for
these organisms is very high.
Examples: Dobsonfly Larva,Stonefly Nymph and Water Pennies.

Moderately Intolerant Organisms are organisms that can survive in areas with low
levels of nutrients from farm run-off, occasional sedimentation, medium to low levels
of dissolved oxygen fluctuations in the water.
Examples: Mayfly Nymph, Damselfly Nymph, Caddisfly Larva and Crayfish.
Fairly Tolerant Organisms These organisms can survive low dissolved oxygen,
and medium to high nutrient levels. Many of them are scavengers or bottom feeders.
Examples: Midge Larva, Snail, Black Fly Larva and Scud
Pollution- Tolerant Organisms can survive low dissolved oxygen, high nutrient
levels, sewage and sedimentation. Most of these organisms are bottom feeders and
actually eat the organic material that may be clogging the streams.
Examples: Nematodes, Aquatic Earthworm and Rat-tailed Maggot.

Source: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/graver/outreach/aquati

15
 What is More
Now as you know more on water quality indicator let us find out why it is
important to monitor water quality and who are doing this job.
Engineers strive to create situations in which water is usable by humans or
other living organisms, including plant and animal life. Algae is one method in which
engineers can determine the relative health of a water source. For example, a pond
with high concentrations of algae will have low oxygen levels. Engineers would test
and monitor this water source to ensure that the algae levels return to normal levels,
creating a safe habitat for its consumers. Effective pollution control strategies or
water treatment technologies would be employed to return the water to its normal
condition.
Engineers often look at algae and small organisms to help determine the
health of a river, lake or pond. Green algae are often called plants because they are
green like plants and carry out photosynthesis, but under most classification
schemes, they are neither plants nor animals but are protists — an organism that is
microscopic and shares traits with both plants and animals. When dissolved nutrients
— such as nitrogen and phosphorus, found in fertilizers and waste products — are
added to a lake, algae can reproduce very quickly because they have plenty to "eat."
The lake turns greenish, and the water situation is called an algae bloom.
When those algae start to die in large numbers, which can be noticed by the
presence of a strong odor, the real problems begin. As bacteria start to decompose
the dead algae, they use up the existing oxygen. This often leads to dangerously low
concentrations of oxygen that are needed for the survival of organisms, such as fish.
Low oxygen also puts a strain on water treatment processes designed by engineers.
For example, the increase in algae can block or plug water treatment filters and
tanks. This happens even more rapidly in the winter, when the lake is covered with
snow and ice, because the lake water is too dark for algae to produce much oxygen,
and it is not in contact with air that could replenish its oxygen.
Algal blooms can greatly speed up eutrophication, the natural aging process
of the lake. This is where lakes become rich in nutrients, which increase the growth
of aquatic plant life, and eventually deplete the oxygen supply to support the diverse
organisms of a healthy lake. Algal blooms can be controlled by preventing the
release of excess nutrients into surface and groundwater. Environmental engineers
have worked to support this by developing pollution control regulations and efficient
sewage treatment facilities.

ACTIVITY 2 WATER QUALITY INDICATORS

16
Directions: Use your notes to answer the following questions about water quality
indicators. Answer all questions fully and completely.

 Turbidity

1. Define turbidity: ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________
2. Water with a high turbidity will look _________ (cloudy/clear).
3. Why does water with a high turbidity have less dissolved oxygen?
4. What are some causes of increased turbidity?
5. Draw a picture showing 2 cups of water, one with low turbidity and one with high
turbidity. Label each.

 pH

1. Define pH: _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________
2. Look at the pH scale shown below. Label the pH scale to show the neutral zone,
the basic zone, and the acidic zone.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

3. What are some causes of pH change?

4. What will happen to organisms if the pH changes from the neutral zone?

 Dissolved Oxygen

1. Define dissolved oxygen: ____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.

17
2. What can cause the amount of dissolved oxygen to change?
3. What will happen to fish if the dissolved oxygen drops below 4 ppm?

 Temperature

1. Define temperature: ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.
2. Why does cold water hold more oxygen than warm water? You can draw a picture
to help you explain.

3. What causes the temperature of water to change?

4. What will happen to fish if the water gets too hot or too cold?

 Phosphates and Nitrates

1. How do phosphates and nitrates get into the water?

2. What happens if there are too many phosphates and nitrates in a body of water?

 Bio-Indicators

1. What is the definition of a bio-indicator?

2. Healthy water will have a _______ (high / low) variety of bio indicators, while a
polluted body of a water will have a ________ (high / low) variety.
3. What four things impact the amount of bio indicators that will be present in a body
of water?

Conclusion
Make a concept map showing how each of these six water quality indicators are
interconnected and how they impact each other. Then, write a 3 paragraph
summary explaining how each of these water quality indicators are interconnected.

18
Lesson
The Soil Quality Indicator
3

Healthy Soil for Life

Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil
to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.
This definition speaks to the importance of managing soils so they are sustainable
for future generations. To do this, we need to remember that soil contains living
organisms that when provided the basic necessities of life - food, shelter, and water -
perform functions required to produce food and fiber.

Only "living" things can have health, so viewing soil as a living ecosystem reflects a
fundamental shift in the way we care for our nation's soils. Soil isn’t an inert growing
medium, but rather is teaming with billions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that
are the foundation of an elegant symbiotic ecosystem. Soil is an ecosystem that can
be managed to provide nutrients for plant growth, absorb and hold rainwater for use
during dryer periods, filter and buffer potential pollutants from leaving our fields,
serve as a firm foundation for agricultural activities, and provide habitat for soil
microbes to flourish and diversify to keep the ecosystem running smoothly.

What Soil Does

Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing
lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Soil does all this by performing five
essential functions:

 Regulating water - Soil helps control where rain, snowmelt, and irrigation
water goes. Water and dissolved solutes flow over the land or into and
through the soil.
 Sustaining plant and animal life - The diversity and productivity of living things
depends on soil.
 Filtering and buffering potential pollutants - The minerals and microbes in soil
are responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying
organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal by-
products and atmospheric deposits.
 Cycling nutrients - Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients
are stored, transformed, and cycled in the soil.
 Physical stability and support - Soil structure provides a medium for plant
roots. Soils also provide support for human structures and protection for
archeological treasures.

Inherent and Dynamic Properties of Soil

19
Soil has both inherent and dynamic properties, and qualities. Inherent soil quality is a
soil’s natural ability to function. For example, sandy soil drains faster than clayey soil.
Deep soil has more room for roots than soils with bedrock near the surface. These
characteristics do not change easily.
Dynamic soil quality is how soil changes depending on how it is managed.
Management choices affect the amount of soil organic matter, soil structure, soil
depth, and water and nutrient holding capacity. One goal of soil health research is to
learn how to manage soil in a way that improves soil function. Soils respond
differently to management depending on the inherent properties of the soil and the
surrounding landscape.
Understanding soil health means assessing and managing soil so that it functions
optimally now and is not degraded for future use. By monitoring changes in soil
health, a land manager can determine if a set of practices is sustainable.

What I Have Learned

 The Air Quality Index is based on measurement of particulate matter (PM2.5

and PM10), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and
Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions. ... All measurements are based on hourly
readings

 AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When

AQI values are above 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive

20
 groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher. The AQI is
divided into six categories.

 Air quality is measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI. The AQI works like
a thermometer that runs from 0 to 500 degrees. However, instead of showing
changes in the temperature, the AQI is a way of showing changes in the
amount of pollution in the air.

 The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater
the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 or below represents
good air quality, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air
quality.

 Water quality is an important topic of discussion when it comes to your overall

health. Water is essential to life. Water pollution can cause major health
problems that can lead to serious illness. The chance of getting sick from
polluted water is extremely high.

 The most important indicators of water quality include Temperature and

Dissolved Oxygen. Water temperature is one of the most important
characteristics of an aquatic system, affecting: Dissolved oxygen levels.

 Physical properties of water quality include temperature and turbidity.

Chemical characteristics involve parameters such as pH and dissolved
oxygen. Biological indicators of water quality include algae and phytoplankton.

 Soil quality is defined as the soil's capacity to function within natural or

managed ecosystem boundaries and to sustain plant productivity while
reducing soil degradation

 Soil quality cannot be measured directly, so we evaluate indicators. Indicators

are measurable properties of soil or plants that provide clues about how well
the soil can function. Indicators can be physical, chemical, and biological
characteristics. Indicators can be assessed by qualitative or quantitative
techniques

What I Can Do
ACTIVITY 3 SOIL ORGANIC MATTER (AGGREGATE STABILITY)

Materials:
 Hardware cloth  ruler
 scissors  two glass jars

21
Procedure:
1. Cut the hardware cloth so that it will support a soil clod at the top of a jar filled
with water.

2. Choose two soils which you suspect will have different organic matter
contents (garden versus lawn, no-till crop field versus conventional tilled crop
field). Observe the different stability of the soil material.

22
 Additional Activities
ACTIVITY 4 PEA SOUP PONDS ACTIVITY

Purpose: Act as an environmental engineer to find the effect of fertilizer on algae

Materials:

 4 baby food jars or Petri dishes

 Hot tap water that has been aged for one day
 1 eyedropper
 Algal culture (from a biological supplier or scraped from a local fish tank)
 Commercially packaged plant fertilizer pellets or loose fertilizer (any type of
commercial plant food may be substituted)
 Artificial light source, preferably fluorescent
 4 2-3" strips of masking tape or wax pencil

Procedure:

23
 1. Prepare four identical jars of water and algae. Have one of the four jars be left
as a "control sample," that is, it should be a reference against which the other
jars can be compared. The control jar should have a concentration of zero,
meaning you should not add any fertilizer to the jar.

Reminder: The fertilizer to be used should be measured using eyedroppers full for
liquids, teaspoons for dry fertilizer, or numbers of pellets. You can plan your own
experiments by selecting four different fertilizer concentrations (remember: one
concentration you choose must be zero)

2. Label the jars with masking tape or wax pencils. Include the group number or
name (if you will perform it by group), student's name (if you perform it
individually), and amount of fertilizer added.
Add fertilizer first, and then fill with aged tap water to within a centimeter of the
top.
3. Add one eyedropper full of live algae to each sample jar. Leave jars
uncovered.
4. Place all jars in areas with similar light intensities. An artificial light source may
be used if needed. Make sure the source of light is held constant for all jars.
Dark at night is fine.
5. Observe jars daily for any visual evidence of algal growth. Keep records on
the algae growth charts found in the next pages. Determine a way to quantify
algae growth (for example, percent of greenness in jars or percent of light
blocked when jar is held up to light).
6. At the end of one week, fill out the "Growth after 1 Week" section of the Algae
Growth Chart. Decide how the algal growth in the control jar compares with
the other jars. You may also record any other observations on the growth
chart.
7. Present your data.

Hint: One way is to use water color paints or crayons to color in a square for
each fertilizer concentration, showing that each concentration resulted in a
different shade of green. The other option is to make a graph of your results.
Graphs should be a line graph or a bar graph and should have time along the
x-axis. Concentration of algal growth should be recorded on the y-axis either
as a quantified percent of greens or light or a relative amount; i.e., high,
medium and low algal growth.

8. Write your conclusion. Be able to consider the following.

Why an excess of algae can be harmful to lakes?
Are there any practices that could contribute to this problem?
Are there actions you could take that would improve the situation?
How might engineers solve this problem?

Reminder: Clean up: The algal cultures should be poured on the ground, especially
in areas that could use fertilizer. Avoid adding the cultures to surface water. If you
pour them down the drain, they may burden your sewage treatment system.

24
 Pea Soup Ponds Activity – Algae Growth Chart

Instructions Record algae growth observations below.

Fertilizer
Concentratio Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
n

Fertilizer
Growth Compared to Control Jar after One Week
Concentration
Less Same More

Additional observations (such as color, odor, etc.):

___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
___

___________________________________________________________________
___
___________________________________________________________________
___

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______

25
References
Quizizz.com. 2020. Air Quality - Quiz. [online] Available at:
<https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5832dee0fa33eca57f9e1f57/air-quality> [Accessed 27 July
2020].

Anon. 2020. https://www.lcsnc.org/cms/lib/NC01911169/Centricity/Domain/854/water

%20quality%208E13%20nearpod.pdhttps://www.lcsnc.org/cms/lib/NC01911169/Centricity/
Domain/854/water%20quality%208E13%20nearpod.pdf.

"Middle School Lesson Plans | Clean Air Projects". Nationaljewish.Org, 2020.

https://www.nationaljewish.org/cehc/lesson-plan-packets/middle-school-plans.

"Middle School Lesson Plans | Clean Air Projects". Nationaljewish.Org, 2020.

https://www.nationaljewish.org/cehc/lesson-plan-packets/middle-school-plans.

Today?, What. "What Color Is Your Air Today? - Activity". Teachengineering.Org, 2020.
https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_air_lesson01_activity3.

Nwf.Org, 2020. https://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Eco-schools/Transportation_Air

%20Quality%20Survey_GreenSchoolsIreland.ashx.

"Ambient Air Quality Monitoring | Air Quality Management Section". Air.Emb.Gov.Ph, 2020.
https://air.emb.gov.ph/ambient-air-quality-monitoring/.

Www3.Epa.Gov, 2020. https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/aqi_brochure_02_14.pdf.

26
"Water Quality Indicators | LCRA". Lcra.Org, 2020.
https://www.lcra.org/water/quality/colorado-river-watch-network/Pages/water-quality-
indicators.aspx.

"Water Quality In The Philippines (2008-2015)". Slideshare.Net, 2020.

https://www.slideshare.net/EnPRageneAndreaPalma/water-quality-in-the-philippines-
20082015.

27