Over the past week in Ms. Brandsma’s science 9 class, expert scientists Noah, Braden, and myself (We are actually just students), have been conducting experiments on the water quality of two water bodies in Port Coquitlam. The Coquitlam River and Oxbow Pond are both located within less than a kilometre away from Gates park. Despite this, one is a clean-looking fast-flowing river, and the other looks to be more of a disgusting swamp. However, looks can be deceiving. The information we took from our tests consists of temperature tests, chemical analysis’s and the presence of aquatic invertebrates. The information from these three tests will help us determine the water quality of both Oxbow Pond, and Coquitlam River.
The first test we conducted on each of the water bodies was temperature. By finding the temperature, we can find whether the water is in good condition for fish and other aquatic animals. Water temperature can help us determine whether or not the water is in good condition because water that is too warm has a higher fish disease risk and different types of fish. Colder water temperatures result in a lower risk of fish disease and the type of fish we have here. Colder water also tends to have more dissolved oxygen than warm water which helps aquatic life survive. We took three different tests in three different spots for both bodies of water to find the temperature of each. All of our tests resulted in us coming to the conclusion that both bodies of water have a colder temperature which means that temperature wise, they are quite healthy. The Coquitlam River had an average temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, and the Oxbow Pond had an average temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, both falling into the cold category of water temperature (5-13 degrees Celsius).
Chemical analysis’s are a big help in determining whether or not a body of water has good water quality. At both Oxbow Pond, and Coquitlam River, my friends and I performed five different chemical analysis’s. The first was a test on pH levels or how acidic the water is. Pure water has a pH level of 7. The lower the number, the more acidic, and the higher the number (up to 14), the more alkaline. Most aquatic animals prefer a pH level from 6 to 8.5. The water at both bodies of water we tested fit in between 6 and 8.5 but weren’t quite pure. Oxbow pond had a pH level of 6.5, and Coquitlam River 6.3. Therefore, both are healthy enough for aquatic animals as for as there pH level.
The second and third chemical analysis we conducted was Nitrate and Nitrite levels. Nitrates are found in water from things such as fertilizer runoff, sewage treatment plants, manure runoff, and exhaust from vehicles. Nitrates in small amounts can’t do much but Nitrites are different. Nitrites do not last long as they are usually quickly converted into Nitrates by bacteria. Nitrites can create a serious illness called brown blood disease in fish. This can also affect babies especially when under three months of age which causes a condition known as blue baby disease. The Nitrate levels were 3.3 ppm (parts per million) in the Coquitlam River. However in Oxbow Pond, the Nitrate levels were 13.3 ppm. Although the Nitrite levels were a lot closer in fact, our tests showed that both Pond and River had a Nitrite level of 0.3 ppm. As for Nitrites, Oxbow Pond and Coquitlam River have suitable levels as there is a limit of 1 ppm on drinking water and both bodies of water fit under that.
The fourth chemical analysis we did was testing the hardness of the water. The hardness of water refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium particles in the water. Hard water is safe for human consumption, however it can damage household items such as shower heads and pipes. Hard water is also safe for aquatic animals, the only part of water hardness that can harm organisms and animals is when it suddenly changes from soft to hard or the other way around. The hardness of water in the Coquitlam River and Oxbow Pond are both quite similar, Oxbow pond having 40 ppm and Coquitlam River having 33.3 ppm. Both bodies of water have soft water so we can say that both are healthy based on the tests we performed as we did not measure changes in the hardness.
The last chemical analysis we conducted was testing carbonate levels. Carbonate in water is what changes the hardness. The more carbonate in the water, the harder the water is. The Coquitlam River has a lower carbonate level than Oxbow Pond which matches its hardness. The Coquitlam River had a carbonate level of 10 ppm where Oxbow Pond had a higher level of 50 ppm which also matches its slightly harder water. Despite the levels of carbonate being higher in Oxbow Pond, it still has soft water. Both Pond and River have relatively low carbonate levels which matches their soft water, therefore the bodies of water have healthy carbonate levels.
The final test we conducted to determine the water quality of the Coquitlam River and Oxbow Pond was finding invertebrates in these bodies of water to see what types were there. This helps because different invertebrates need different conditions to survive, and are more tolerable of pollution than others. The invertebrates that we found in the Coquitlam River consisted in Mayfly nymphs (scraper), Stonefly nymphs (shredder), Water Striders, Midge larva, and Dragonfly nymph (predator). Both Stonefly nymph and Mayfly nymph are found in good quality water as they are pollution sensitive. The Dragonfly nymph is somewhat pollution tolerant. The Midge larva can be found in any quality of water. Water skimmers aren’t as good an indicator as the other invertebrates as it doesn’t depend as much on the water (lives on surface). Taking the information that these five invertebrates give us, we can say that the Coquitlam River has good water quality. Although there are organisms living in the river that are pollution tolerant, this just means that they could be in any type of water. As for the invertebrates more sensitive to pollution, they wouldn’t be found in polluted water.
The invertebrates found in Oxbow Pond were definitely different. The only one that existed in both was the Dragonfly nymph. Besides that there was also the Riffle beetle, Damselfly, and Leech. The Riffle beetle is found in good quality water as it is sensitive to pollution. The Dragonfly nymph, as said before, is somewhat pollution tolerant as well as the Damselfly. The leech can be found in any quality of water, being pollution tolerant. Despite the smaller amount of pollution tolerant invertebrates, we can still say that Oxbow Pond has good water quality as the Riffle beetle wouldn’t be able to live there if it was polluted.
Finally, to determine whether Oxbow Pond, and Coquitlam River have good water quality, we add up the each of the results from the three tests we conducted. The results show that even though Oxbow Pond might look a little like a swamp, it still has good water quality, maybe even as good as the Coquitlam River. All in all, both bodies of water have good water quality despite their different looks, and are not polluted.
Reflection: I thought this project was a fun way to look at the water quality of water bodies near where we live. My class and I got to learn how to test chemical analysis’s, locate invertebrates in the water and see what this meant for the quality of water the said tests were performed in. We got to work outside for four days and it was a project I would definitely suggest for my teacher to continue assigning and would also encourage other teachers to try it out as well.
