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Nitrates
nother important element that we analyzed was the amount of Nitrates found in the water. Nitrates, a form of the element Nitrogen, are crucial for all living plants and animals because they build up proteins. Nitrates, similar to phosphates, are a limiting factor, but nitrates are more abundant than phosphates.
A
Nitrates are commonly found in the form of Nitrogen in the atmosphere. Nitrogen makes up 79% of the air we breathe. However, most animals are unable to use the atmosphere nitrogen because they cannot take in and absorb N2. As a result, certain bacterias, including
rhizobium and cyanobacteria, are crucial in the nitrogen cycle for organisms because they are able to fix N2 into ammonia or nitrate. Most plants are able to take in nitrate and ammonia, so they are able to consume it from the bacteria leaching onto their roots. Then, land or aquatic organisms are able to obtain nitrogen by consuming the plants and passing nitrates on through the food chain. Decomposition can also pass on nitrates due to certain decomposers breaking the dead tissue down and passing the nitrates into the soil. Additionally, nitrates can occur through lightning. Lightning is able to separate N2 and O2 or combine them in a way that plants can use.
Humans have played a major role in the levels of nitrates found in surface and groundwater. One of the major sources from humans is sewage. Inadequately treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants can be released into the very water we drink. Poorly functioning septic systems and unsanitary sewage connections are also main contributors to the sewage source. Another major source of nitrates that humans have impacted is the runoff of fertilizers, feedlots, and barnyards. Nitrates are very abundant in fertilizer, and the fertilizer can runoff into rivers or streams and contaminate those water sources. Nitrates found in feedlots and barnyards can also runoff into rivers and streams or can leach through the soil and contaminate the groundwater.
A Quality
Value of
97!
When our class tested for nitrates in the Chicago River, we found 0 ppm in the water. 0 ppm gave us a Q value (quality value) of 97. As explained earlier, a Q value between 90-100 indicates extremely clean and unpolluted water. Therefore, we were very impressed with our results. Usually, any body of water that has less than 1 ppm of nitrates means that the water is basically unpolluted. If the ppm is above 10, then the water is not safe for drinking. Our results showed that our water was very safe for organisms living in it and thriving. People or animals are also able to consume the water if necessary.
We got the results we did due to the fact that there is probably little fertilizer or sewage sources near the water. The area we tested in the Chicago River is in a forest preserve that probably doesn’t use fertilizer on the nearby plants or grass. Fertilizer wouldn’t be used since it could dangerous to the water and organisms living in it since it isn’t natural to the environment or the specific ecosystem. Additionally, since our part of the river was in a sheltered area, it is probably unlikely that human sewage was being dumped into the water by a nearby source. These factors helped contribute to the extremely low amount of nitrates found in the water that made it an excellent home for organisms to thrive.
We tested the amount of nitrates found in the water by using a nitrate testing kit. The kit contained a small beaker for water and several snappers. We obtained around 20 mL of the river water in our beaker. Then, we put the snapper in the beaker and snapped the tip off to get water into the glass of the snapper. We shook it for around 5 minutes till the color was settled. We then compared to a chart of colors that indicated the amount of nitrates that were present in ppm. Our color was most similar to the 0 ppm picture. Therefore, we concluded that there were 0 ppm in the water.
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