Water Quality
True or false:
If you find species that are very sensitive in the water, you know that the water quality must be good. If you don’t find any, it could be a sign of problems.
true
------- plants are plants found in the water and play an important role in their environment. They undergo photosynthesis, which gives the water oxygen. They also provide food and habitat for many fish and animals
Aquatic
How do large bodies of water affect climate?
High heat capacity, absorbs 80-90% greenhouse heating, moderates climate
What is most of the world’s freshwater used for?
agriculture
Water from oceans, lakes, rivers, and soil is heated by the Sun and changes from a liquid into water vapor (a gas) that rises into the air.
There is always a small amount of oxygen dissolved in water. The oxygen is used by plants and fish for respiration (breathing). Oxygen gets into the water (especially moving water) from the air and from green aquatic plants.
Values are best for aquatic life when they’re close to -----%.
100%
If they go above this value, it is a sign of too many plants or an algal bloom (too much algae). This can actually be toxic to fish and living things.
Damaging explosions of algae or a large (50% to 100%) aquatic plant cover. They are often caused by the --------- of water with fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorus). The nutrients in ------ cause the algae population to grow out of control.
Damaging explosions of algae or a large (50% to 100%) aquatic plant cover. They are often caused by the pollution of water with fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphorus). The nutrients in fertilizers cause the algae population to grow out of control.
What happens to stormwater (water that gets washed down
the storm grates on the street)?
It goes directly into Lake Ontario without filtering
What are the main sources of freshwater on earth?
Lakes/rivers, glaciers, soil, biota, air
Plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through tiny openings in their leaves. This process is similar to evaporation but happens in living plants.
Transpiration
Plants growing along the banks of wetlands help improve water quality. Their roots can prevent soil -------, or runoff into the water. The presence of ------ plant species are indicators that the riparian environment (The transition zone from ground to water) has been damaged.
Erosion, invasive
Turbidity is a measure of how unclear water is. When tiny particles of soil or organic matter run off into a body of water, they remain suspended there, making the water appear murky or cloudy. Sewage and industrial wastes also create these “suspended solids.” The more water and the fewer solid particles in the sample, the ------- the turbidity.
Lower turbidity (present in natural wetlands and fast moving water) ---> clearer waters ---> allow for more sunlight to get to plants that need it
3 main sources of water pollution in Canada
Agricultural runoff (pesticides and fertilizer), industrial waste,
domestic sewage
What processes make up the water cycle?
Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, percolation, surface runoff
As water vapor rises, it cools and changes back into tiny liquid droplets or ice crystals. These droplets group together to form clouds.
Condensation
Most fresh and healthy water has a pH level (measure of acidity) between ------- and ------. Water that is unhealthy can be either higher or lower than this range, depending on the contaminants it contains.
6.5 and 8.5
The water temperature of wetlands varies quite a lot. Natural, undisturbed areas tend to have ------ water because the plants along the shore shade the area from sunlight. As water gets warmer, it is not able to hold as much oxygen.
cooler water is better for aquatic life because it can hold more oxygen
What are 3 possible sustainability issues/problems with bottled water?
1. Greenhouse gases from transporting bottles
2. low recycle rate of bottles,
3. Petroleum use and toxic chemical release from bottle manufacture
When cloud droplets become too heavy to stay in the air, they fall to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Precipitation
There are 7 ways to measure water quality. Mention 3 of them
1. Presence of macroinvertebrates
2. pH
3. Dissolved Oxygen
4. Riparian Environment
5. Aquatic Plants
How is climate change affecting freshwater availability and quality?
Changes in precipitation patterns and increased melting of glaciers
What are 3 things that the City of Toronto’s water services does to make the city’s water suitable for drinking?
1. Fluoridation
2. chlorination
3. filtration
Water that does not soak into the ground flows over land into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Runoff