- Conducting the test: A phosphate test kit is used. A sample of the river water is combined with a solution, and the color of the resulting solution is compared to a color bar in the test kit to determine the concentration of phosphates.
- Testing: The amount of phosphate in the water in terms of mg/L.
- Importance: If the water contains too much phosphate, there is a possibility of algal blooms that lead to loss of oxygen in the water through eutrophication (see image below). Additionally, phosphates are a sign of nutrient runoff from the watershed. Nutrient runoff could be coming from fertilizers applied to the land. Rainwater carries these fertilizers into the water body.
- Natural Occurrence: Phosphates can be introduced to the water naturally through deposits of natural organic matter, such as animal feces or carcasses.
- Human Impact: Use of chemicals or pesticides on land in the watershed can cause phosphates to be introduced to the water through runoff. Agricultural areas often experience this issue because farmers use fertilizers on fields to improve crop health. Also, waste or sewage that is fed into the water can contain phosphates.
- Data: Our tests showed 0 mg/L of phosphate in the water. This translates into a Q-Value of 97/100, which is very good. This means that the water in our area of study is extremely high quality in terms of the amount of phosphate.
- Explanation of Results: Our tests revealed such a low amount of phosphate because there is very little human involvement in the watershed. For example, the land surrounding the river is not sprayed with any chemicals, and there is no dumping of waste into the water. The natural and clean watershed leaves little chance for phosphates to enter the river through runoff.