2.1 - Water Quality

Question 1

Governments set water quality guidelines for five categories of water use. What are these?

Answer 1

human drinking water
recreation such as swimming
livestock drinking water
Irrigation
protection of aquatic life

Question 2

List four different groups of invertebrates that can be found in freshwater systems.

Answer 2

Snails 2. Clams 3. Mollusks 4. Crayfish …frogs, mussels, stonefly, caddisfly, mayfly, water penny

Question 3

Identify five chemicals that are regularly monitored in aquatic systems

Answer 3

1. Dissolved oxygen 2. Plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus 3. Acidity
2. Pesticides 5. Heavy metals 6. Salts such as sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate

Question 4

What effect does spring acid shock have on aquatic organisms?

Answer 4

Acid can be stored in the snow. When snow melts, it melts into aquatic systems. This can change the pH of the lake/river/spring drastically and will affect the organism living there

Question 5

Identify an invertebrate family that would probably be among the first to die if the pH of its habitat decreased.

Answer 5

Snails 2. Clams 3. Mollusks 4. Crayfish …frogs, mussels, stonefly, caddisfly, mayfly, water penny