Water Quality Activity: The Effect of Pollutants on Algal Growth - Lab Report Example

Water Quality Activity 9 Effect of Pollutants on Algal Growth The study aims at the societal problem that is slowly developing because of industrialization. The emission of pollutants in the air that have created an effect to the level of effect in the water bodies identified with the growth of algae that grows well in places with a high concentration of these elements. The study aims at understanding the effects of pollutants such as phosphates, nitrogen and acidic rain to the growth of algae. The study depends on the hypothesis that covers the algae growth further on the absorption of phosphorous, nitrogen and the composition of acid water in the rain. The objectives that cover the study of components of the water that affect the growth of algae were met at the end based on the application of the excremental data collection approach. The study resulted the objectives hence proving the growth ability of algae based on the presence of phosphates, nitrogen and acid in water. Water Quality Activity 9 Effect of Pollutants on Algal Growth Introduction One of the major societal problem stems from the effect of pollution on the water bodies. The pollution aspect keeps increasing based on the further growth of the industrialization approach. Industrialization provides emissions that get into the water systems and contaminate them leading to an effect to life in water. A number of items develop in water bodies ranging from algal, other water plants, and living things that survive in the water environment. The other living things include fish, turtles and even humans that consume the water or use it for their constant domestic needs. The sensitive nature of algae to pollutants indicates a good signing to the various personnel on the extent to which the water is affected. The aquatic ecosystem provides a vital component in monitoring the water quality extent (Bruun, June 2012). The nutrient needs of the plant, its production rate that has proven very rapid, and the short cycle in which it grows provides it with the ability to identify the quality of the water and the need to improve it. The Algae plant responds rapidly to the varying water changes allowing for an easy assessment of the condition of the water bodies. These provide for the studies on water pollution that allow one to learn the extent to which pollution has affected the water body. A clear example indicates the acid-forming chemicals, which have played a major role in checking the pH levels of the water bodies. The composition of the metal components in the water as expelled in them by the industries relates the level of effect that the water will have on the development of algae. The study aims at detailing the water quality and effects that the pollutants specifically phosphorous and nitrogen have on the water bodies (Kemp, 2008). Based on this, the objectives of the study include the following: Develop an understanding of the effects that phosphorous and nitrogen has on the development of algae in the water. The study aims at proving that the effects that these provide in the water bodies include excessive growth of algae. Understanding the effects of acid rain on water organisms The absorbing of the nutrients and their effect on the growth of algae From these, the main objective of the study is developed that covers the study of the components of water pollutants that yield to a growth effect to water organisms and the growth of algae. The study will provide literature on the different effects of nitrogen on the water organisms and algae in particular. These will provide a basic ground for the experiment backed by the hypothesis that will improve the results to provide a positive approach to the war on water pollutants. The hypothesis of the study covers the following. The increase in nitrogen pollutants in the water bodies creates an impact on the growth of algae on the positive. Phosphorous growth and increase in it on the water bodies creates an impact on the growth of algae. It increases the growth and algae component in the water bodies. The concentration of acid rain water too influences the growth of algae in the water bodies. The general hypothesis is that algae grow further on the absorption of phosphorous, nitrogen and the composition of acid water in the rain. Based on this, the growth can be controlled by the control of the components of nitrogen, phosphorous and acid in rainwater. These reduce because of pollution. The experimental design provides the researcher with a simplified approach to the study that allows the accumulation of knowledge. The study contributes to the improvement of the understanding of the effects of pollution and provides for a base on which policies may be developed o influence the improvement of the water bodies and hence environment. The environmental experiment provided for ease on the collection of data that allowed for the improvement of the study and the approach towards the success rate of the experiment. The experiment approach identifies the materials necessary earlier hence providing the aspect of saving resources. An earlier identification of the needs to the research provides the researcher with the approach that saves resources and provides an easy development of the procedure of development of the experiment and the successful step by stem approach to it. Through the experiment, the study revealed the absorption rates of algae to the phosphorous and nitrogen components with the acid from rainwater too. These provided an approach that guided the researcher on reporting the results that indicated the effect that the three components have on the plant. Methods The method applied in the study was experimental and the data was collected using this method leading to a clear and more scientific approach to researching the subject matter. Experimental research involves the division of the subjects randomly into one group for easy treatment and group control (Slutz, & Hess, 2015). The group provides an easy approach to the experiment and allows for the uniformity approach to research. The use of a group of items considered and setting up of a control experiment provides the measure on which the study is evaluated to check on its effect. The results and the relationship between the actual group and the control group provide the answers to the study. These provide the positives to experimental approach to research. The method allows for the identification of materials employed for the study such as the cuvettes, tubes, spectrophotometer, tissue wipe and distilled water. The materials coordinated provided the approach necessary for the study and allowed for the improvement of the results. Selection of materials for the experiment depends entirely on the type of experiment and the size of the samples needed for the successful study. The bigger the items under study or the more complex they seem the more sophisticated the materials needed to examine them and apply them in the experiment. The ease of the items studied and their applicability in a lab setting provides for the need of simple material that would still yield positive results. The data collected relates to the absorption rates of algae in relation to phosphorus, nitrogen and acid in rainwater. These components in the water environment in which they grow provide the necessary measure of the effect that the components will have on the plant. The data on the absorption and the rate of growth as the effect would lead to a justification of the results of the study and the answering of the hypothesis developed or proving them leading to a positive impact on the study. Providing these details allows the researcher to easily conduct the research and provide relevant results applicable to the war on environmental preservation. The data collected will undergo analysis through various approaches. The data analysis applied involves the determination of the requisite standards that the research or experiment aims at attaining. Each field of study has standards that need meeting to provide a positive impact to research. In analyzing the data, the different audiences that utilize the data require to have the various standards maintained to respect the results of the experiment. Innovations employed will prove efficient based on the approach and the effects that they have on the data. Approaching the results provides the need to consider various means of approaching the study such as graphs and tables through which the results prove easy to analyze and provide a position to the audience that lifts their understanding of the aspects involved in the experiment. The approach provides a pictorial explanation of the results making it easier to provide an analysis. The tables provide an easy approach to organizing the data for the audience to understand it. Through these, the audience easily understands the trends applicable and their effect on the study. The graphs and tables to provide a statistical test to the study results that allow for the consideration of the historical content or experiments on the same subject (Kohler & Kreuter, 2005). These provide an easy understanding of the contents of the field. In this study, the tables will provide an initial approach to result treatment followed by a composition graph that will relate the different results. The graphs will include for a control test and that of the actual results of the experiment. These will provide an easy analysis of the results to provide viable results that the researchers may rely on to identify the process of the pollutants effect on the plant algae. Following these and other approaches will provide the necessary approach to the study that will yield explainable results that the audience to the research will rely on to rely the information. These will also provide an approach to the audience in decision making allowing for the improvement of the approach towards the subject. The beneficiaries of the experiment will have a better understanding of the process and its results hence providing for the improvement in analysis and approach to the quality of water needed and the elimination of pollutants to improve the effect they have on water and living things that use it. The experiment findings indicated through the following table: Absorbance at 450mm Lab Group Control Low Nitrogen High Nitrogen Low Phosphates High Phosphates Low Acid Rain High Acid Rain 1 .084 0.25 0.016 0.050 0.59 0.73 0.52 2 .099 0.83 0.070 0.068 0.125 0.183 0.139 3 .085 0.69 0.068 0.061 0.72 0.031 0.056 4 0.61 0.68 0.08 0.024 0.125 0.102 0.101 5 .08 0.51 0.057 0.051 0.068 0.06 0.51 6 .028 0.35 0.029 0.009 0.042 0.39 0.37 Mean .072 0.055 0.041 0.043 0.19 0.092 0.073 The data above related in a graph provides an approach to data research and analysis that allows the researcher to make a valid conclusion on the research. The graphs developed as below provide an explanation to the study and results obtained. The graph provides the explanation on the various changes in which the experiment relates to explain the occurrence in which the three components nitrogen, phosphates, acid in rain water affect the growth of algae in water. Considering the graph indicating the mean provides a different and easy explanation for the results hence creating an easy interpretation. The graph on mean is as below: These indicate that the plants compared to the other substances easily absorb the high phosphates. High phosphates in the water provide a higher absorption rate compared to nitrogen and acid in rainwater. The composition on phosphates in the water allows the growth of the plants and hence a high composition of the plants in a water body would indicate a high phosphates component. The plants too indicated a high affinity for acid in ran water. This indicate the component in rainwater that the plants find appealing and hence a high absorption rate. Plants that have a high absorption rate for this component indicate to a high pollution component too. Relating these with the control experiment indicates that the composition of these components in a normal circumstance will indicate to that level of absorption that is normal but beyond of which is an abnormal composition. The researchers base on these to make the conclusions on the study. The comparison of these results with the literature component provides the researchers and the audience to which the research results are meant to reach a clear indication of the effect that the absorption of these components by algae provides to their quest of knowledge on the effects of pollution on the water bodies. Through this study, the team understands the need to emphasize the effect that these elements will have to the environment and the living things in it. High phosphate levels stemming from the industrial components provide a contaminating factor to water that is of effect to human populations and other living things. The need to control the rates of pollution and the disposal of wastes will guide improving the level of effect that the environment suffers. The study provides an explanation through an experiment that indicates the growing component of the elements nitrogen, phosphates and acid in rainwater. These need a close study to reveal the growing rates and the proper classification on the components growth in the water bodies for easy control of their effects. Understanding these provides a basis for policy formulation by the different government arms with proper sense of direction and areas to target. The policy development provides the control necessary to improve the water content and ensure that the environmental pollution is streamlined to preserve the water bodies. The results also provide scientific evidence for the effects that the pollutants have on other plants and components of the environment including the air and the people living in it. The effect to plants affects the level of green that translates to poor rainfalls and hence drought. In conclusion, the study provided an indication that algae grow better in environments that have high concentrations of these components nitrogen, phosphates and acid water. The need to ensure that their presence is controlled will result into improved water bodies and hence a reduced effect to other living things that utilize the water from rain and the other developments that need clean water to survive. Through these, the algae component on water will reduce and hence less affected water bodies promoting activities that the world depends on water to sustain including life under water. References Bruun, K. (June 2012). Algae can function as Indicators of Water Pollution. Viewed on March 23, 2015 from http://www.walpa.org/waterline/june-2012/algae-can-function-as-indicators-of-water-pollution/ Kemp, R. L. (2008). Cities and Water: A Handbook for Planning. McFarland. Kohler, U. & Kreuter, F. (2005). Data Analysis Using Stata. Stata Press. Slutz, S. & Hess, L. K. (2015). Data Analysis for Advanced Science Projects. Science Buddies. Viewed on March 23, 2015 from http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/top_research-project_data-analysis.shtml Read More