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Nutrients
Why monitor nutrients?– Plant and algae growth
Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, silica, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper
– Health concerns Reproductive problems Methemoglobinemia in infants
– Global warming Ozone depletion
Nutrients
Eutrophication– High nutrient concentrations stimulate
excessive algal blooms
Nutrients
Phytoplankton blooms– Could cause decrease of SAV– Harmful
Hypoxic
Anoxic
Nutrient Sources
Natural Sources1. Freshwater running over geologic
formations
2. Decomposing organic matter
3. Extraction from the atmosphere
Nutrient Sources
Anthropogenic Sources1. Atmospheric deposition
2. Surface water
3. Groundwater
Nutrient Levels
Water & Wastewater samples– Milligrams per liter
mg/L
– Micrograms per liter μg/L
Air, soils, sludges, & semisolids– Parts per million
ppm
– Parts per billion ppb
Nutrient Levels
Safe Water Drinking Act– Passed in 1974– Maximum Contaminant Levels– National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations
The Different Forms of Nutrients
Determined by environmental conditions
Nitrogen:– Nitrate NO3
-
– Nitrite NO2-
– NO– NO2
– Ammonium NH4+
– Ammonia NH3
– Urea Organic form
NOx
Forms of Phosphorus Phosphorus occurs naturally in rocks
– Weathering releases phosphate ions (PO4
-3)
Inorganic– Orthophosphates– Polyphosphates (Metaphosphates)
Organic phosphate
Forms of Phosphorus Orthophosphates
– Readily available to the biological community
– Typically found in low concentrations in unpolluted waters
H3PO4
H2PO4-
HPO42-
PO43-
Forms of Phosphorus Organic
– Phosphate bound or tied up in plant tissue, waste solids, or other organic material
– When decomposed thru bacterial action, phosphate released and returned to environment
Silica in Water Silicon dioxide
– SiO2 + 2H2O H4SiO4
H4SiO4 (monosilicic acid)
– Three forms:
1. Reactive
2. Colloidal
3. Suspended particles
The Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphate Cycle
Inputs: Riverine = 80% Aeolian
deposition = 7% Dissolution of
seafloor basalts = 7%
Hydrothermal vents = 6%
Turbidity Measure of relative
sample clarity
How much light is scattered by suspended particles
Turbidity Measurements Slow-moving, deep
waters– Secchi disk– Rule of Thumb: light
penetrates 2-3x Secchi depth
Turbidity Measurements Fast-moving,
shallow water– Turbidimeter
(Nephelometer)
– Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU’s)
NC Waters Average NTU’s
– Salt ~ 25 – Fresh ~ 50
http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/
Factors Affecting Turbidity
1. High Flow Rate
2. Soil Erosion
3. Urban Runoff
4. Wastewater & Septic System Effluent
5. Decaying plants & animals
6. Bottom feeding fish
7. Algal blooms
8. Flooding
Sediment AnalysisOgeechee Corer
Sediment Analysis