- Conducting the test: An E-coli test kit was used. In this test, a sample of river water was taken, which produced several purple colored "dots". These dots were counted to measure the amount of E-coli bacteria in the water.
- Testing: The amount of fecal coliform in the water. Fecal coliform is a bacteria that exists in organic waste.
- Importance: The presence of fecal coliform in the water is an indication of organic waste that can carry disease. E-Coli tests cannot tell us how much organic waste is in a body of water, but it can indicate the presence of organic waste.
- Natural Occurrence: Fecal coliform can occur in water naturally through animal waste that is carried by runoff from the watershed to the water.
- Human Impact: Humans can increase the amount of fecal coliform in a water source by dumping sewage into the water and creating manure lagoons (concentrated holdings of animal waste) that may leak into the water. Additionally, deforestation reduces the lands ability to absorb water and leads to increased runoff.
- Data: Our data revealed a Q-Value of 48/100, which is very poor. This indicates that there was definitely a presence of organic waste in the water.
- Explanation of Results: The most likely explanation for the very low Q-Value is the low water level of the river. A very low water level increases the concentration of any present bacteria. As a result, the E-Coli tests revealed a greater amount of fecal coliform present than would have been found had the water levels been higher at the time of the test.