02.
03 Water Quality Virtual Lab Worksheet
Student Name:Andrew Dunh amm
Time Estimate: 90 minutes
Pre-Activity Questions:
Use information from the lesson and assessment introduction to answer these questions. Use complete sentences.
1. Describe how scientists make inferences on whether water is polluted or not. Water that's safe to drink should
ideally be clear with no odor or funny taste
2. Imagine that a stream of water becomes heavily polluted over time. Predict how you think the following
properties would change:
● pH rise
● water hardness increases
● nitrate and ammonia levels increase
Data: (make sure to include correct units)
Table 1 – Physical Properties
Non-polluted Industrial Runoff Agricultural Runoff Thermal Pollution
Color
Turbidity
Temperature 20C 21C 22.5C 32C
Table 2 – Chemical Properties
Non-polluted Industrial Runoff Agricultural Runoff Thermal Pollution
pH 7.6 9 8.6 6.6
Hardness 100 400 800 200
Ammonia 0.5 1 2 0.5
Nitrate 0 5 40 0
Dissolved Oxygen 6 5 4 4.5
Table 3 – Stream Diversity
Non-polluted Industrial Runoff Agricultural Runoff Thermal Pollution
Aquatic worm 1 5 4 2
Stonefly 6 0 0 4
Black fly 1 3 4 2
Caddis fly 3 1 0 2
Lung snail 4 2 1 2
Fingernail clam 4 1 0 1
Gill snail 6 0 0 2
Crayfish 3 0 0 0
Carp 3 1 1
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Trout 3 0 1
Total Organisms
Analysis:
Review your data carefully to make inferences about pollution. Answer these questions in complete sentences.
1. Identify the pollution type that caused the most change in stream diversity. Agricultural Runoff
2. Which pollution type caused the greatest change in pH? Did this pollution make the water more acidic or more
basic? Industrial More acidic
3. What effect did thermal pollution have on water hardness? Explain why this occurred.doubled it from the original
because of the heat
4. Which pollution type shows evidence of eutrophication. Explain your reasoning.agricultural runoff cause its
mostly natural
5. Which pollution type resulted in the most hypoxic waters? Support this with evidence from your data.Industrial
6. Which aquatic species were not able to tolerate any of the pollution types in the stream?Crayfish
Making Connections:
Use the lesson content and the results of your lab activity to answer the questions below in complete sentences.
1. Were the pollution sources in the water quality lab point sources or nonpoint sources? Explain your reasoning.no
because they are very general forms of pollution
2. Using what you know about macroinvertebrates, explain why some species increased while others decreased.
some thrive on these algeas and such while others will die
3. Read both questions below. Answer either one of your choice.
a. What effects, besides death, would you expect to see in aquatic species exposed to thermal pollution?
diseases in the fish and low population in general
b. Pick one of the pollution types in the simulation. How would this pollutant affect human health?
4. How can polluted stream waters enter groundwater sources? Be sure to use key terms from the lesson in your
explanation. Contaminants may reach ground water from activities on the land surface, such as releases or spills
from stored industrial wastes
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