Water Quality Essay

Water quality is measured by several factors, such as the concentration of dissolved oxygen, the pH level in the water, the salinity of the water or salt content in the water, the temperature of the water and its turbidity or the ability to see through the waters surface, there are also other contaminants that may affect water quality.

Dissolved oxygen (D.O) is an important variable in the water quality of fresh water ponds as it is vital for aquatic life such as fish to survive in the environment. D.O is the quantity of oxygen that has been dissolved into the water. Oxygen levels in ponds systems depend on the amount of aquatic vegetation and number of aquatic animals in the pond. The D.O readings will increase if there is a large number

Fish and crayfish also depend on the temperature of the water, as they are ectotherms, which mean that heat is obtained from their external environment. Therefore the animal’s body temperature will usually be the same as that of the surrounding water. Temperature therefore has a direct effect on important factors in an organisms system such as growth, oxygen demand, food requirements and food transformation efficiency. Optimum temperature conditions will depend on the species of organism, but is the temperature conditions are to high or to low it could result in death for many species. Another factor that affects fish is pH. The pH is a range from 0 to 14 with a pH of 7 being neutral. A pH below 7 is acidic and a pH of above 7 is basic. An optimal pH range is between 6.5 and 9 however this will alter slightly depending on the species living in the area. pH will vary depending on a number of factors such as the number of aquatic life within the pond, the carbon dioxide they produce will have an acidic reaction in the water. The pH in ponds will therefore become more basic during during the day as phytoplankton and other aquatic plants removing the carbon dioxide from the water through