Water Quality

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 Dissolved Oxygen

• What is Dissolved Oxygen?

• Dissolved Oxygen and Aquatic Life
• Where does Dissolved Oxygen Come From?
• Dissolved Oxygen Saturation
Dissolved Oxygen
• Typical Dissolved Oxygen Levels
• Consequences of Unusual Dissolved
Oxygen Levels
• Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification
• Dissolved Oxygen Units of
Measurement
 Dissolved Oxygen

What is Dissolved Oxygen?

• Level of free, non-

compound oxygen
present in the water
or other liquids.
Dissolved Oxygen
• Importance?

 An important parameter in assessing

water quality
 In limnology (the study of lakes), DO
is an essential factor second only to
water itself
DISSOLVED OXYGEN & AQUATIC LIFE

• Necessary to
many forms of life
including fish,
invertebrates,
bacteria and
plants in their
respiration
DISSOLVED OXYGEN & AQUATIC LIFE
 The amount of DO needed varies from
creature to creature
• Bottom feeders, crabs, oysters and
worms need 1-6 mg/L
• Shallow water fish needs 4-15 mg/L
• Bacteria and fungi require DO in
decomposing organic material at the
bottom of the water
 Where does Dissolved
Oxygen come from?
Diffusion from atmosphere Aquatic plants photosynthesis
 Where does Dissolved
Oxygen come from?
• Dissolved oxygen enters • Dissolved oxygen is also
water through the air produced as a waste
• oxygen can slowly diffuse product of photosynthesis
across the water’s surface from phytoplankton, algae,
from the surrounding seaweed and other aquatic
atmosphere, or be mixed in plants
quickly through aeration,
whether natural or man-
made
 Photosynthesis

Light Carbon dioxide

- Can penetrate water, though the -Readily absorbed by
depth that it can reach varies due to water (it’s about 200
dissolved solids and other scattering
times more soluble than
elements present in the water
- Depth affects the wavelengths
oxygen)
available to plants
Photosynthesis

• 6CO2 + 6H2O +light energy→

(C6H12O6) + 6O2

• Oxygen produced as a
byproduct remains dissolved in
water
Dissolved Oxygen Saturation
- in stable body of water with no
stratification, DO will remain at 100 %
air saturation
- aeration speed up the process of
absorbing oxygen and other gasses
from atmosphere until it reaches
equilibrium
Dissolved Oxygen Saturation
- deeper levels of water
often do not have 100% air
saturation equilibrium because
they are not shallow to be
affected by waves and surface
photosynthesis
Dissolved Oxygen Saturation

Depth at
which water
temperature
begins to
decline
What affects Oxygen Solubility?

• Temperature
• Salinity
• Pressure
 What affects
Oxygen Solubility?
Temperature Relationship

• solubility of oxygen
decreases as temperature
increases
 What affects
Oxygen Solubility?
Salinity Relationship

• solubility of oxygen
decreases exponentially
as salt level increases
 What affects
Oxygen Solubility?
Pressure Relationship
• solubility of oxygen increases
as pressure increases

SUPERSATURATION
• water holds more dissolved
oxygen without escaping at
greater hydrostatic pressure
 How can water be
more than 100%
saturated?

Dissolved oxygen often

reaches over 100% air
saturation due to
photosynthesis activity
during the day
 How can water be
more than 100%
saturated?

Supersaturation of water
can be caused by rapid
aeration from a dam.
 Typical Dissolved
Oxygen Levels

In rivers and
streams,
dissolved oxygen
concentrations
are dependent
on temperature.
 Typical Dissolved
Oxygen Levels
Examples of Freshwater
Organisms and Dissolved
Oxygen Requirements
 Typical Dissolved
Oxygen Levels
Examples of Saltwater
Organisms and Dissolved
Oxygen Requirements
 Typical Dissolved
Oxygen Levels
Examples of Saltwater
Organisms and Dissolved
Oxygen Requirements
 Consequences of Unusual
Dissolved Oxygen Levels
Fishkill/Winterkill
• occurs when a large number
of fish in an area of water
die off due to anoxic
• winterkill is a fish kill caused
by prolonged reduction in
dissolved oxygen due to ice
or snow cover on a lake or
pond
 Consequences of Unusual
Dissolved Oxygen Levels
Gas Bubble Disease
• supersaturated water can
cause gas bubble disease in
fish and invertebrates
• significant death rates occur
when dissolved oxygen
remains above 115%-120%
air saturation for a period of
time
 Consequences of Unusual
Dissolved Oxygen Levels
Dead Zone
• an area of water with little
to no dissolved oxygen
present
• usually a result of a
fertilizer-fueled algae and
phytoplankton growth
boom
Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification
• Stratification separates a body of
water into layers
– Lake Stratification
– Ocean Stratification
– Estuary Stratification
Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification

epilimnion, is
exposed to solar
radiation and
contact with the
atmosphere,
keeping it
warmer
Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification

metalimnion,
a transitional
layer that
fluctuates in
thickness and
temperature
Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification

chemoclines mark
the boundary
between oxic and
anoxic water and
salinity gradients
Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification

Hypolimnion a
layer where in the
process of
decomposition
“uses up” all of
the oxygen
Dissolved Oxygen and Water Column
Stratification

monimolimnion
is a hypolimnion
that is deep
enough and is
not mix with the
upper layers
 Ocean Stratification
Stratification

• both horizontal
and vertical
 Ocean Stratification

• littoral, or coastal area tends to be shallow

and tidal with fluctuating dissolved oxygen
levels
• sublittoral, also known as the neritic or
demersal zone, is considered a coastal zone
as well
Ocean Stratification
Ocean Stratification
• mesopelagic, meaning “twilight”
zone, stretches from 200-1000 m
-oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) can
occur in this strata
• OMZ tends to exist around a depth
of 500 m
Ocean Stratification
• aphotic zone(s) have lower dissolved
oxygen levels than the surface water
because photosynthesis does not
occur in this layer but can have
higher levels than the OMZ
• bathypelagic, “midnight” zone exists
between 1000-4000 m
Ocean Stratification
• abyssopelagic the bottom layer of
the ocean which exists below 4000
m
• hadopelagic is the name for the
zone of deep ocean trenches that
open below the abyssal plain, such
as the Mariana Trench
Estuary Stratification
• based on salinity distributions
• can be horizontal, with DO levels dropping
from inland to open ocean, or vertical, with
the fresh, oxygenated river water floating
over the low DO seawater
• pycnocline divides the fresher water from
the salt water, contributing to separate DO
concentrations in each
 Dissolved Oxygen
units

• ppm O2
• μmol O2
– one micromole of oxygen is equal to 0.022391
milligrams
– 100 μmol /L O2 is equal to 2.2 mg/L O2.
 Dissolved Oxygen
units

• Calculation

O2 mg/L = (Measured % DO)*(DO value from chart at

temperature and salinity)
Dissolved Oxygen units
Dissolved Oxygen units
 DO Measurement
Methods
• colorimetric method offers a
basic approximation of
dissolved oxygen
concentrations in a sample
• modern techniques involve
either an electrochemical or
optical sensor
• traditional method is the
Winkler titration
 COLORIMETRIC
METHOD

Indigo carmine method Rhodazine D method

• used for measuring • used to determine very low
dissolved oxygen dissolved oxygen
concentrations between 0.2 concentrations, ppb
and 15 ppm (mg/L) • rhodazine D reagents react
• the deeper the blue, the with dissolved oxygen to
higher the dissolved oxygen form a deep rose-colored
concentration solution
 Sensors

Optical DO sensor
• consists of a semi-
permeable membrane,
sensing element, light-
emitting diode (LED) and
photodetector
 Sensors

Optical DO sensor
• measure the interaction between
oxygen and certain luminescent
dyes. When exposed to blue light,
these dyes become excited
(electrons gaining energy) and
emit light as the electrons return
to to their normal energy state
 Electrochemical
Dissolved Oxygen
Sensors
• called amperometric or • galvanic and polarographic
Clark-type sensors DO sensors use two
• 2 types of electrochemical polarized electrodes, an
DO sensors: galvanic and anode and a cathode, in an
polarographic electrolyte solution
 Modified Winkler
Methods
• The basic steps of measuring dissolved oxygen by the Azide-Winkler
titration method
 pH

• What is pH?
• Acids and Bases
• Alkalinity and pH of water
• pH units of measurement
• Why pH is important?
pH
• Factors that influence the pH of
water
• Typical pH levels
• Unusual levels and consequences
 pH
Power of hydrogen determined by the molar
concentration of hydrogen ions (H+)
 pH

• figure between 0 and 14 • logarithmic scale means

defining how acidic or basic that each number below 7
a body of water is along a is 10 times more acidic than
logarithmic scale the previous number when
counting down
 pH

Acids Bases
• substance that will decrease • substance that will increase
pH when added to pure the pH of water
water • release a hydroxyl ion (OH-)
• release a hydrogen ion (H+) in water (Arrhenius )
as it dissolves in water
(Arrhenius )
 pH

Acids Bases
• Bronsted and Lowry • according to Bronsted and
definition is an acid releases Lowry it accepts a hydrogen
a hydrogen ion or proton ion or proton
(equivalent to H+)
 pH

• Acid-base pairs can

neutralize each other
 pH

Basic or Alkaline Alkaline

• Bronsted-Lowry definition, • comes from alkali, which
basic describes any refers to ionic compounds
substance that reduces the (salts) containing alkali metal
hydrogen ion concentration or alkaline earth metal
and increases the pH of elements that form hydroxide
water ions when dissolved in water
 pH

Basic or
Alkaline
 pH

Alkalinity and the pH of Water

• alkalinity of water or a • a measurement of water’s
solution is the quantitative ability to resist changes in pH
capacity of that solution to • used interchangeably with
buffer or neutralize an acid acid-neutralizing capacity
• pH and alkalinity are directly (ANC)
related when water is at 100%
air saturation
 pH

pH and alkalinity units

• Alkalinity can be reported
as mg/L or microequivalents
per liter (meq/L)
 pH
pH and alkalinity units

• 1 mg/L alkalinity as CaCO3 = 0.01998 meg/L alkalinity

1 mg/L alkalinity as CaCO3 = 0.5995 mg/L alkalinity as CO32-
1 mg/L alkalinity as CaCO3 = 1.2192 mg/L alkalinity as HCO3–
 Why is pH
important? pH
• Human drinkable pH
levels range from 4-11 • pH 6.5-9.5 for
with minimal pipelines
gastrointestinal
irritation

• The
optimum pH
levels for
fish are from
6.5 to 9.0
Factors that Influence the pH of Water

• interactions with surrounding rock

(particularly carbonate forms) and
other materials
• CO2 concentrations
• precipitation (especially acid rain) and
wastewater or mining discharges
Carbon Dioxide and pH
• CO2 is the most common cause of
acidity in water
• carbon dioxide exists in water in a
dissolved state (like oxygen), it can
also react with water to form carbonic
acid
Carbon Dioxide and pH
• CO2 + H2O <=> H2CO3
• H2CO3 can then lose one or both of its
hydrogen ions:
• H2CO3  <=> HCO3– + H+ …. HCO3– <=>
CO32- + H +
Carbon Dioxide and pH
Factors that Influence the pH of Water

• carbonate materials and limestone are

two elements that can buffer pH
changes in water
• pH of rain can also be lowered due to
volcanic ash, sulfate-reducing bacteria
in wetlands, airborne particulates
from wildfires and even lightning
 Factors that
Influence the pH of
Water

• precipitation from the

reaction of water with
nitrogen oxides, sulphur
dioxides, and other acidic
compounds
 Factors that
Influence the pH of
Water

• wastewater discharge that • mining operations

contains detergents and (particularly coal) produce
soap-based products can acid runoff and acidic
cause a water source to groundwater seepage if the
become too basic surrounding soil is poorly
buffered
 Typical pH levels

• recommended pH range for

most fish is between 6.0 and
9.0 with a minimum
alkalinity of 20 mg/L, with
ideal CaCO3 levels between
75 and 200 mg/L
Environmental Considerations

• seawater has a • freshwater

pH around 8.2, lakes, ponds and
though this can streams usually
range between have a pH of 6-8
7.5 to 8.5
depending on its
local salinity
Stratification Considerations
• Differences in pH
levels between
water strata are
due to increased
CO2
 Unusual pH Levels and Consequences

• At high pH
– damage gills and skin of aquatic
organisms and cause death at
levels over 10
 Unusual pH Levels and Consequences

• At low pH
– fish become susceptible to fungal
infections and other physical
damage. It begin to die at pH 4
– solubility of calcium carbonate is
reduced, inhibiting shell growth in
aquatic organisms
 Unusual pH Levels and Consequences

• At low and neutral pH levels,

ammonia combines with water to
produce an ammonium ion:
NH3 + H2O <=> NH4+ + OH–
• at pH levels over 9, the equation
reverses and ammonia is released
into the water
 Alkaline and
Acid Lakes
Soda lakes Acid lakes
• pH level between 9 and 12 • usually develop near
• have high concentrations of volcanoes, where sulfuric
dissolved salts: sodium, acid, hydrogen sulfide,
calcium, magnesium
hydrofluoric acid,
carbonates and bicarbonates
hydrochloric acid and
• minerals often form columns
carbon dioxide can leach
of mineral deposits, known as
tufa columns
into the water