Current Theme: Natural System
	BASIN Water Quality Terminology developed by Sheila Murphy

Water quality parameters provide important information about the health of a water body. These parameters are used to find out if the quality of water is good enough for drinking water, recreation, irrigation, and aquatic life. But what do the parameters really mean? How are they measured? What natural and man-made factors affect them? This page provides a brief summary of what each water quality parameter means, and also links to more extensive information.

Alkalinity Ammonia Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Fecal Coliform Bacteria Flow Hardness Nitrate Nitrite

pH Phosphorus Specific Conductance Temperature Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Total Dissolvded Solids (TDS) Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Turbidity References

Alkalinity refers to how well a water body can neutralize acids. Alkalinity measures the amount of alkaline compounds in water, such as carbonates (CO ₃ ^2- ), bicarbonates (HCO ₃ ^- ), and hydroxides (OH ^- ). These compounds are natural buffers that can remove excess hydrogen ions that have been added from sources such as acid rain or acid mine drainage. Alkalinity mitigates or relieves metals toxicity by using available HCO ₃ ^- and CO ₃ ^2- to take metals out of solution, thus making it unavailable to fish. Alkalinity is affected by the geology of the watershed; watersheds containing limestone will have a higher alkalinity than watersheds where granite is predominant.
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Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water. DO is a very important indicator of a water body's ability to support aquatic life. Fish "breathe" by absorbing dissolved oxygen through their gills. Oxygen enters the water by absorption directly from the atmosphere or by aquatic plant and algae photosynthesis. Oxygen is removed from the water by respiration and decomposition of organic matter. The amount of DO in water depends on several factors, including temperature (the colder the water, the more oxygen can be dissolved); the volume and velocity of water flowing in the water body; and the amount of organisms using oxygen for respiration. The amount of oxygen dissolved in water is expressed as a concentration, in milligrams per liter (mg/l) of water. Human activities that affect DO levels include the removal of riparian vegetation, runoff from roads, and sewage discharge.
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Fecal Coliform Bacteria are present in the feces and intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals, and can enter water bodies from human and animal waste. If a large number of fecal coliform bacteria (over 200 colonies/100 ml of water sample) are found in water, it is possible that pathogenic (disease- or illness-causing) organisms are also present in the water. Pathogens are typically present in such small amounts it is impractical monitor them directly. High concentrations of the bacteria in water may be caused by septic tank failure, poor pasture and animal keeping practices, pet waste, and urban runoff.
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Flow is the volume of water moving past a point in a unit of time. Two things make up flow: the volume of water in the stream, and the velocity of the water moving past a given point. Flow affects the concentration of dissolved oxygen, natural substances, and pollutants in a water body. Flow is measured in units of cubic feet per second (cfs).

Hardness generally refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium in water. In household use, these cations (ions with a charge greater than +1) can prevent soap from sudsing and leave behind a white scum in bathtubs. In the aquatic environment, calcium and magnesium help keep fish from absorbing metals, such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium, into their bloodstream through their gills. Therefore, the harder the water, the less easy it is for toxic metals to absorb onto gills.
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Nitrogen is required by all organisms for the basic processes of life to make proteins, to grow, and to reproduce. Nitrogen is very common and found in many forms in the environment. Inorganic forms include nitrate (NO ₃ ) , nitrite (NO ₂ ) , ammonia (NH ₃ ) , and nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) . Organic nitrogen is found in the cells of all living things and is a component of proteins, peptides, and amino acids. Excessive concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia can be harmful to humans and wildlife. High levels of nitrate, along with phosphate, can overstimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae, resulting in high dissolved oxygen consumption, causing death of fish and other aquatic organisms. This process is called eutrophication. Nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia enter waterways from lawn fertilizer run-off, leaking septic tanks, animal wastes, industrial waste waters, sanitary landfills and discharges from car exhausts.
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pH measures hydrogen concentration in water and is presented on a scale from 0 to 14. A solution with a pH value of 7 is neutral; a solution with a pH value less than 7 is acidic; a solution with a pH value greater than 7 is basic. Natural waters usually have a pH between 6 and 9. The scale is negatively logarithmic, so each whole number (reading downward) is ten times the preceding one (for example, pH 5.5 is 100 times as acidic as pH 7.5). The pH of natural waters can be made acidic or basic by human activities such as acid mine drainage and emissions from coal-burning power plants and heavy automobile traffic.
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Phosphorus is a nutrient required by all organisms for the basic processes of life. Phosphorus is a natural element found in rocks, soils and organic material. Its concentrations in clean waters is generally very low; however, phosphorus is used extensively in fertilizer and other chemicals, so it can be found in higher concentrations in areas of human activity. Phosphorus is generally found as phosphate (PO ₄ ^-3 ). High levels of phosphate, along with nitrate, can overstimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae, resulting in high dissolved oxygen consumption, causing death of fish and other aquatic organisms. The primary sources of phosphates to surface water are detergents, fertilizers, and natural mineral deposits.
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Specific Conductance is a measure of how well water can pass an electrical current. It is an indirect measure of the presence of inorganic dissolved solids, such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, phosphate, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. These substances conduct electricity because they are negatively or positively charged when dissolved in water. The concentration of dissolved solids, or the conductivity, is affected by the bedrock and soil in the watershed. It is also affected by human influences. For example, agricultural runoff can raise conductivity because of the presence of phosphate and nitrate.
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Temperature of water is a very important factor for aquatic life. It controls the rate of metabolic and reproductive activities. Most aquatic organisms are "cold-blooded," which means they can not control their own body temperatures. Their body temperatures become the temperature of the water around them. Cold-blooded organisms are adapted to a specific temperature range. If water temperatures vary too much, metabolic activities can malfunction. Temperature also affects the concentration of dissolved oxygen and can influence the activity of bacteria in a water body.
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Total Organic Carbon (TOC): Organic matter plays a major role in aquatic systems. It affects biogeochemical processes, nutrient cycling, biological availability,chemical transport and interactions. It also has direct implications in the planning of wastewater treatment and drinking water treatment. Organic matter content is typically measured as total organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon, which are essential components of the carbon cycle.
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"Total solids" refers to matter suspended or dissolved in water or wastewater, and is related to both specific conductance and turbidity. Total Solids includes both total suspended solids (TSS) , the portion of total solids retained by a filter, and total dissolved solids (TDS) , the portion that passes through a filter. High levels of TDS or TSS can cause health problems for aquatic life.
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Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water- the cloudier the water, the greater the turbidity. Turbidity in water is caused by suspended matter such as clay, silt, and organic matter and by plankton and other microscopic organisms that interfere with the passage of light through the water. Turbidity is closely related to total suspended solids (TSS), but also includes plankton and other organisms. Turbidity itself is not a major health concern, but high turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. It also may indicate the presence of microbes. High turbidity can be caused by soil erosion, urban runoff, and high flow rates.
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