The Effects Of Temperature On Water

Temperature Temperature affects various processes in the water quality (ANZECC 1992). The rate of chemical reactions, for example, is activated when high water temperature occurs which causes evaporation of certain substances that may be present in the water. Also, as water temperature increases, the solubility rate of gases in water, such as oxygen (O2), decreases and respiration rates of aquatic organisms increases which results to greater oxygen consumption (Chapman and Kimstach 1992). A change in water temperature also causes greater destruction of aquatic life and problem of unwanted growth of water plants and wastewater fungus (Metcalf and Eddy 1991).

The normal temperature of surface waters which generally ranges from 0oC to 30oC can be influenced by factors such as geographical position, seasonality, diurnal period, circulation of air, and quantity of cloud cover, depth of water and flow rate. Also, abnormally high temperatures can arise from discharges of industrial effluent and sewage treatment plants (Chapman and Kimstach 1992). pH

The pH of natural water stays in between 6.0 and 8.5 but could be affected by chemicals entering the waterways (Chapman and Kimstach 1992). Assessing water quality can be best done with the use of this parameter as it affects many biological and chemical processes within a water body (Chapman and Kimstach 1992, p.62). Extreme pH affects the adaptation of many aquatic macroinvertebrates by disrupting their natural physical and environmental processes. Moreover, the availability of nutrients such as calcium and magnesium may be affected when pH becomes too low from river’s normal