Water Quality Parameters

Water quality is often tested to ensure

healthy waters, not just for humans
but for all living things.

Those parameters most often tested

are:
●Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
What: the amount of O2 dissolved
in water
Importance: used by aquatic
organisms for respiration, chemical
reactions in water
Affected by: temperature, pressure,
water mvmt, nutrient levels,
decomposition, photosynthesis
rates (DO can change w/in a 24hr
period), depth, ice cover
 
  
                                                       

 
  
                                                       

 
How measured: mg/L (ppm) or %
saturation
Ideal: depends upon the aquatic
species living in waters
trout  6.5, catfish  2.5,
mosquito larvae  1.0 PA
 min = 6.0 mg/L
Consequences: too little DO (anoxia)
will suffocate certain organisms
(fish kills), this can offset the food
web; can lead to a change in the pH
of waters
● Temperature
What: amount of energy contained by
the molecules
Importance: most aquatic organisms
are ectothermic temp is crucial to
activity, reprod & growth [Q10 rule –
rates of rxns will double w/ an
increase of 10°C w/in preferred
range]; influences DO (warm water
holds less DO)
Affected by: air temp changes, amt
of sunlight, thermal pollution, turbidity
Measured in: °C
Ideal: depends upon the organisms,
trout  5-20 mosquito  10-25
catfish  20-25
Consequences: decreased temps
can lead to slower reaction rates
(metabolism & reprod), too hot
leads to depleted O2 levels as well as
cell damage
●pH
What: the measure of the concentration of
hydrogen (hydronium) ions
07 = acid 7 = neutral
714 = base
Importance: pH determines the solubility
and bioavailability of nutrients and
heavy metals [pH affects whether P
can be used by aquatic life, also the
solubility and toxicity of heavy metals 
more soluble at low pH]
Affected by: photosynthesis (uses
dissolved carbon dioxide 
increases pH), respiration adds
CO2  decreases pH
buffers = ability to resist pH change
Measured in: negative log of the [H+]
ion  each change in one pH unit
= a tenfold change in concentration
of H+
Don’t use this # for simple statistical
applications
Ideal: most lakes will fall b/w 6.5 and
8.5
PA = 6-9 [6.5-8.2  optimal]
less than 4.5  highly lethal
5  fish eggs won’t hatch
greater than 9.5  harmful to fish
Consequences: high pH values can
lead to the leaching of toxic heavy
metals; also high/low pH values
can inhibit metabolic functions
● Turbidity
What: water clarity; murky water is
the result of more total suspended
solids (TSS); the result of
phytoplankton, clays/silts from the
shoreline, stirred bottom sediments,
organic detritus
Importance: high turbidity can limit
light penetration (photosynthesis),
smothering of aquatic eggs,
clogging/damage of gill structures,
decreased resistance to disease
Affected by: dredging, wind/wave
erosion, runoff, storms, snowmelt,
many human activities, animal
disruption
Measured in: nephelometric turbidity
units (NTU’s) which measure the
amount of light scattered, we will
use a turbidity tube and calculate
NTU’s
Ideal: less than 1NTU
Consequences: increased turbidity
can fill in lakes/ponds, aesthetically
unpleasing, increased water
treatment costs, perturbation of
heavy metals and toxic organics
● Phosphates
What: phosphorus in the form of PO4
Importance: it is necessary for plant
growth; used as a fertilizer; used in
detergents (has been reduced)
Affected by: P attaches to soil
particles and is easily moved via
erosion; waste water effluent, urban
and agricultural runoff, waste lagoon
rupture
Measured in: mg/L
Ideal: total phosphates should not
exceed 0.05 mg/L (as phosphorus)
Consequences: too much
phosphorus is a major contributor to
eutrophication (over feeding) –
nutrients feed algae, algae bloom,
then die, as they decompose the O2
is taken from the water
● Nitrates
What: nitrogen in the form of NO3
Importance: nitrogen is necessary for
plant growth, it is used as a
fertilizer for crops
Affected by: fertilizer runoff, waste
lagoon ruptures, sewage
Measured in: mg/L
Ideal: PA max = 10mg/L
ideal  less than 1mg/L
Consequences: too much nitrogen
can cause algal blooms which can
clog water intakes and use up O2
as they decompose
(eutrophication); nitrate is converted
by the body to nitrite which bonds
more readily to hemoglobin than
oxygen  methemoglobinemia
(blue baby)
● Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) or
electrical conductivity (EC)
What: the total amount of dissolved
ions in the water
Importance: see consequences
Affected by: geology (limestone =
high EC), size of watershed (larger
= more soil contact = higher EC),
wastewater and runoff (both urban
and agricultural = higher EC),
evaporation of water = higher EC
Measured in: μS/cm
(microSiemens/cm)
can be filtered and measured as
mg/L
Ideal: PA = 500mg/L average, max =
750 mg/L
Consequences: excess TDS can
leave water with a mineral taste,
corrosion or encrustation of metallic
surfaces; cellular problems for
plants (plasmolysis, cytolysis)