The Chesapeake Bay’s water quality has been deteriorating over the recent years. Some reasons for the decrease in quality are agriculture, chemical contaminates, and sediment. Agriculture has caused problems for the Bay due to the use of fertilizer. When it rains, the excess nutrients run off into the waterways that lead to the Bay. These excess nutrients include nitrogen and phosphorus. When these nutrients get into the Bay, it causes an algae bloom. The algae bloom blocks any light from getting past so it makes it hard for organisms to live beneath the bloom. When the algae dies, bacteria uses oxygen to decompose the algae. This decreases the level of dissolved oxygen. With the decrease of oxygen, it makes it hard for any other organisms
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If we change the material the water goes through, how will it affect the quality of the water after it passes? To make the water quality better, an experiment can be done to see if a certain material can be placed in runoff areas. The independent variable would be the different material; rock, sand, and soil. The dependent variable would be the water quality. To test the water quality, test the pH level, the amount of dissolved oxygen, and the level of nitrogen and phosphorus. To keep the trials constant, the starting water quality needs to stay the same, the amount of water needs to stay the same, and the container needs to stay the …show more content…
The acid pH levels greatly affect the whole ecosystem. It is hard for fish to adapt to the change in pH. Some fish exposed to acidic pH levels have had their reproduction system altered. pH is an indicator of water quality. The current allowable range for acidity is between 6.5 and 8.5 in pH in the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland is trying to improve storm water systems and have more vegetation areas to help filter out nutrients before getting into the Bay.
Dissolved oxygen shows the amount of oxygen present in the water. To see if the water quality improved, the dissolved oxygen should increase. When dissolved oxygen levels decrease the animals have a harder time getting the oxygen needed to survive. The animals that live in the Bay need a dissolved oxygen concentration of 5.0 mg/L or better to live. Having a high amount of dissolved oxygen shows that there are green plants living and going through photosynthesis which all living organisms in the water need to
If we change the material the water goes through, how will it affect the quality of the water after it passes? To make the water quality better, an experiment can be done to see if a certain material can be placed in runoff areas. The independent variable would be the different material; rock, sand, and soil. The dependent variable would be the water quality. To test the water quality, test the pH level, the amount of dissolved oxygen, and the level of nitrogen and phosphorus. To keep the trials constant, the starting water quality needs to stay the same, the amount of water needs to stay the same, and the container needs to stay the …show more content…
The acid pH levels greatly affect the whole ecosystem. It is hard for fish to adapt to the change in pH. Some fish exposed to acidic pH levels have had their reproduction system altered. pH is an indicator of water quality. The current allowable range for acidity is between 6.5 and 8.5 in pH in the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland is trying to improve storm water systems and have more vegetation areas to help filter out nutrients before getting into the Bay.
Dissolved oxygen shows the amount of oxygen present in the water. To see if the water quality improved, the dissolved oxygen should increase. When dissolved oxygen levels decrease the animals have a harder time getting the oxygen needed to survive. The animals that live in the Bay need a dissolved oxygen concentration of 5.0 mg/L or better to live. Having a high amount of dissolved oxygen shows that there are green plants living and going through photosynthesis which all living organisms in the water need to