MEASURING WATER QUALITY

Methods and Instruments

Raymond RaLonde
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory
Program

WHAT TO MEASURE?
Weather
Often measured with water quality
Air Temp
Cloud cover

Weather station data

Precipitation
Air Pressure
Snow
Conductivity
Conductivity

Photography
Of monitoring locations
Habitat evaluation

WATER COLLECTION

vANdORN$125.00

TEMPERATURE MONITORING
Thermometers
Calibration thermometer
Nothing replaces a
good thermometer
Accuracy 0.1oo

Max/Min
Always handy

Electronic recording
YSI temperature probe
Require calibration

TEMPERATURE RECORDERS
Electronic thermometers
Suppliers

Radio shack, Hannah,

Aquatic Ecosystems
Waterproof
Record Max/Min
Extension cords for outside
Cost $15.00
-60.00
$15.00-60.00
Accuracy 1ooC
Calibrate with thermometer

TEMPERATURE RECORDERS
Temperature data loggers
Hanna
Hobo logger
Set timing
-days)
timing period
period (sec
(sec-days)

Set
Set for
for every
every 66 hours
hours
Deploy
Deploy at
at top
top of
of lantern
lantern net
net to
to
account
account for
for tide
tide and
and solar
solar influences
influences

21,580 measurements
Accuracy 0.02oo
Logger cost $110.00 each
Infrared
Infrared base station $60.00

Boxcar Pro for Readout

One
-timer purchase
One-timer
purchase $95.00
Export data to Excel

HOBO DATA LOGGER

DEPLOYMENT

HOBO DATA LOGGER

Readout

TYPES OF SUSPENDED SOLIDS

Organic Volatile (burn to ash)
Organic material was once living (e.g. plants)
Closer to the surface

Inorganic (Does not burn to ash)

Example (finely ground rock)
Deeper in the water (heavier than organics)
Colloidal Stays in suspension May need a flocculent
to settle the solids
Settleable Settles with time

TURBIDITY IS NOT AS SIMPLE

AS IT MAY SEEM
Need to consider the objectives of the
measurement
Difference in particle composition
Organic or inorganic
Setteable or suspended

Degree of precision required for the monitoring

project
Monitoring or litigation requirement

TURBIDITY TESTING METHODS

Turbidity measures the actual quality and
quantity of suspended solids in the water
JTU (Jackson Turbidity Units)
Measurement of transmission of light

NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units)

Measurement of dispersal of light

Secchi Disk
Measurement of light penetration

Settling cones
Heavy inorganic solids

JTU and NTU

Transmission vs. Dispersion

JTU

Light
receiver

Light

NTU

Light
receiver

Light

Water sample

Water sample

TURBIDITY METERS
Required for accurate
measurement
Required for
regulatory purpose

$700.00

$2,775.00

SETTLEABLE SOLIDS AND

THE SECCHI DISK
SIMPLICITY AT ITS BEST
Secchi disk
Settling Cones

Water
Water surface
surface

Lower the secchi

into the water until
it disappears

One hour
Measure
Measure
the
the volume
volume

Record apparent color

Yellow
Yellow

Gray
Gray

Blue
Blue

Green
Green

CONDUCTIVITY
Ionic content of water Charged particles
Ca++, Cu++, Hg++, Mg++

Measured by ability of water to carry an electrical

current
The reverse of resistance
Higher ionic content the better the conductance
Expressed as microhms
/cm of conductance
microhms/cm
Related to pH - Generally high conductivity
means higher pH

CONDUCTIVITY
Directly related to (TDS)
total dissolved solids

Moderate levels
improve productivity
Ease osmoregulatory
stress at higher
conductivity

TDS mg/L

Ca
Ca,, Mg, Na, K, CO33,
SO44, Cl

160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0

100

200

Conductivity

300

CONDUCTIVITY
Hannah conductivity, PH, TDS meter, Redox
Conductivity in relation to total dissolved solids
Coastal S.E. Alaska low
Interior streams relatively high
Seawater very high

$129.00

Dissolved solids and salinity

Less then 1000 mg/L - Freshwater
1,000-3,000 mg/L - Slightly saline
3,000-10,000 mg/L - Moderately saline
10,000-35,000 mg/l - Very saline (Ocean concentrations)

SALINITY
Ocean concentration ~ 36 ppt
Affected by temperature and pressure
Warmer and deeper water more saline

Salinity nearshore affected by freshwater,

Estuaries vary from 00-36
-36 ppt
Measure salinity to aid in locating source of
pollution
Tolerance to high and low salinities vary by
species

SALINITY RECORDERS
Hydrometers
Least expensive
$30.00 to 100.00
Compensate for
temperature

Accuracy 1.5 ppt

SALINITY RECORDERS
Conductivity meters
Expensive
Hundreds to thousands
Adjust for temperature

YSI Meter salinity meters

Expensive ($800.00 +)
Easy to use
Record temperature also
Record at different depths

SALINITY RECORDERS
Refractometers

Very simple to use

Portable
Ask for temperature
compensation model
$45.00
-$205.00
$45.00-$205.00

CHLORIDE
Generally very low is
freshwater (ave 8.3
ppm)
Primarily component in
salt water (19.3 ppt)

$33.00/40
$33.00/40 tests
tests

$74.00/100
$74.00/100 tests
tests

19,300 ppm

Test strips (30-600

ppm)
Titration (drop by drop
5-200 ppm)
Colorimeter (0 to 20
ppm)

$900.00
$900.00

pH
Measure of hydrogen
power
Often referred to as
Acidic or Alkaline

Living organisms must

function with narrow
range of pH
6.5-8.5

pH = -log H++
pH scale 1-14
Lemon juice -2
Orange juice-3
Sodium
bicarbonate-8
Ammonia-10

WHAT DOES PH MEAN

WITH THE NORMAL RANGE MEAN?
Higher pH makes ammonia compounds
more toxic
Lower pH enable dissolving of heavy metals
if present in the water
Higher pH increase respiratory efficiency
Lower pH generally indicated lower mineral
concentrations (TDS)
Ph affects rates of biochemical reactions

PARITIONING Low pH
High pH
Low particulate organic
TRIANGLE
High particulate organic
matter concentration
matter concentration
High suspended
SUSPENDED
sediment load
SEDIMENT
Water circulation high PHASE

Low suspended
DISSOLVED sediment load
IN WATER High dissolved organic
matter concentration

BOTTOM
SEDIMENT

High pH
High particulate organic
matter concentration

WHAT ARE THE METALS?

Abundant metals e.g. aluminum, iron

Rare metals mercury, cadmium, silver
Trace metals micronutients
micronutients copper,
zinc, chromium

SOURCES

Chemical weathering
Runoff sediments
Atmospheric deposition
Chemicals antifouling agents, metal from
pipes
Oxidation of acid sulfate soils
Mining and land disturbance
Waste discharge

DISSOLVED METALS
PREDOMINATE WITH
Low pH
Solubility of metal hydroxides (Ca(OH)2, Mg(OH)2,
Fe(OH)2, Al(OH)3) increase as pH drops
Adsorption capacity on solid surfaces
H+ from the acid competes with metals for attachment
sites on organic molecules

Low particulate matter

High levels of dissolved organic matter

METAL PARTITIONING
Partitioning refers to the transfer of metal
(including contaminants such as heavy
metals) between different phases and
biological components (benthos and
plankton) in natural waters.
Soluble Most bioavailable
Suspended Bonded in some form
Settlable In the sediment

TYPES OF METAL
PARTITIONING
Adsorption Adherence of a substance to
another in which is contacts
Most common process since metals have an
attraction for iron, particulate organic matter and clays

Complexation Complex bonding process

where ions or molecules bond to a central
charged particle, usually a metal.
Remain in solution

Precipitation - A chemical reaction where a

soluble substance become heavy enough to
settle out (precipitate)

ORGANIC ADSORPTION
Metal adheres directly to a
clay or organic particle
Heavy it sinks
May stay in solution

Zn

Cu

Clay particle

Zn
Cu Cu

Zn

ORGANIC MATERIAL EFFECT

% Copper
Copper attached
attached
%

120
120
Deep
Deep
Surface
Surface

100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
00
00

11

22

33

44

55

66

%
% Carbon
Carbon (Organic
(Organic material)
material)

77

ALASKAN TESTING
RESULTS
Mercury

Some concern about bioaccumulation

in spawning and rearing streams
over time.
(Alaska Dept Environmental Conservation)

SUMMARY
Testing of heavy metals requires
laboratory services
Proper sampling is essential
The affects of pH and salinity cause by
freshwater influences are profound
Heavy metals are cumulative, must look at
the long term
Organism tolerance and bioaccumulation
are extremely variable by species

NITROGENOUS COMPOUNDS
Ammonia (NH33) Byproduct of protein digestion
with deamination of amino acids in the protein
Directly lethal to aquatic organisms

Nitrite (NO33) Nitrosomonas bacteria and oxygen

Generally in small quantitie
Nitrate (NO44)- Nitrobacter and oxygen more
abundant than nitrite or ammonia if oxygen is
available

THE END
The end of this program is the beginning of
planning
You project may encompass part, all, or
other measurements that presented here
We are here to provide personal advice and
additional information in the presentations to
follow
Do not expect to get a QAPP finished here,
but you will have the basics to followup