Total Coliforms
i. Coliforms are bacgteria that are commonlyh found in the enviroment. They are indicators of drinking water quality.
ii. If there are too much coliform, such as fecal coliform that are found in feces, in drinking water it indicates a contamination which means a greater risk of pathogens. Pathogens are practically anything that can produce disease.
iii. Too much coliform in the water would mean the water is polluted. This indicates that you shouldn't be drinking it or even swimming in it. Less bacteria shows purer and cleaner water.
E. Coli
i. E. Coli is a sub-group of the fecal coliform group that is typically found in human and animal intestines. E. Coli measures the quality of drinking water.
ii. These tests are important because the presence of E. Coli in a drinking water sample almost always indicates recent fecal contamination, meaning there is a greater risk that pathogens are present. E. Coli in water can also cause illness.
iii. If the results show high amounts of E. Coli, the water is not safe to drink and even swim. If the results show low amounts of E. Coli, that is good because it is drinkable.
Turbidity
i. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness in water. It's caused by soil erosion, water discharge, urban runoff, bottom feeders like carp that stir up sediments, household pets playin in the water, and algal growth.
ii. Having too much turbidity can clos fish gills, reduce growth rates, decrease resistence to disease, and porevent egg and larval developement.
iii. Too much turbidity would cause the sea life to decay and die. Less turbidity indicates a cleaner enviroment and safer habitat.
pH
i. pH measures the amount of hydrogen ions in a substance. pH level of a substance can be discribed as basic or acidic. Acidic substances have high pH levels and basic substances have low pH levels.
ii. The level of pH in a substance can effect the pH level of water. The pH level water, being in the middle of the pH scale, can be effected by basic or acidic substances. This may change how water will react with other substances that it comes in contact with.
iii. If the pH level is changed in water, it can be harmful to the environment. Extreme pH levels on either side, acidic or basic, can harm the soil the water is in and can be harful to people to drink. These pH levels are important to measure because it can indicate which water is safe to use by humans.
TDS
i. TDS is used for analyzing the purity of fresh water and how many substances are dissolved in water.
ii. TDS is important in determining if tap water purification systems are working properly, or if deionizing resins need to be replaced. These devices may not measure all dissolved substances.
iii. These measurements determine how pure the water is, and how many other substances are dissolved within. It can be harmful to use or drink. TDS meters will only detect mobile charged ions.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/rhf/feature/
http://www.tdsmeter.com/what-is
Typing was not the greatest, but information is good!
ReplyDeleteGood information about the effects of pathogens in Coliforms.
ReplyDeleteFor turbidity, can the cloudiness of the water be measured?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the Ph's of various alchoholic beverages?
ReplyDeleteMost alcohols themselves are a pH of 3. A glass of wine will run about a pH of 3. The more watered down or mixed a drink is, the higher the pH will be. Beer has a pH of 4. pH levels of alcoholic beverages however will not affect intoxication, but water will make the person feel better during intoxication because of the neutral pH level.
DeleteHow does E coli usually get into water systems?
ReplyDeleteE. coli can get into water sources like rivers and streams, through human and animal waists and can also be transfered from soil deterioration
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIs there a specific way to measure the amount of coliforms in a body of water?
ReplyDeleteIs there any way to reduce the amount of E coli once it's already in a body of water?
Do some marine animals have tolerance to high pH levels? Are others effected by slight pH changes?
Is there a difference between the effects of an environment that is too acidic versus an environment that is too basic? What organisms fare well in acidic environments? What organisms fare well in neutral environments? What organisms fare well in basic environments?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the highest amount of E Coli that can be present in water without becoming sick?
ReplyDeleteHow will bacteria growth be affected by turbidity? Will the growing algae in an area with a very high turbidity diminish the decomposers food supply or give the decomposers a direct food source, eliminating the three trophic levels of consumers?
ReplyDeleteCan the amount of turbidity effect the drinker as we'll as the inhabitants of the water? Or is it just solely the wildlife there?
ReplyDeleteHow does one solve for the problem of turbidity in general (just curious, I don't know if you need that section in here)?
ReplyDelete