Nitrates

1
Nitrates

• Carly Thomas
• Abbey Woods
• Maureen Nesbit

2
Introduction

• Used to measure the concentration of nitrate ions
  in a water/soil sample.
• Helps to see if the body of water has a diverse
  population. (Enough oxygen in water?)
• Animal feces, agricultural run off- Decaying
  matter, industrial waste.

3
Chemical/Physical

• Formulas
• -NO3 (Nitrate Ions)
• -NO3N (Nitrogen that is in the form of
  Nitrate.)

• More sources
• Water returned to streams
• Automobile and industrial wastewater
• Fertilizer.

4
Interactions

• Drinking water can cause a potentially fatal
  disease in infants called methemoglobinemia
  called Blue-baby Syndrome (Nitrate converts
  hemoglobin into a form that can no longer
  translate oxygen.)
• Condition in lakes eutrophication- excessive
  growth of aquatic plants and algae

5
Expectations

• Nitrate levels in freshwater- range of 0.1 to 4
  mg/L
• Unpolluted waters levels below 1mg/L
• Effluent of some sewage treatment plants levels
  in excess of 20 mg/L
• 344 USGA sites in USA
• - 80 reported nitrate levels less than 1 mg/L.
• -16 range of 1-3 mg/L
• -4 greater than 3 mg/L

6
Expectations cont.

• Percentage of various sites reporting greater
  than 1 mg/L of nitrate were range land lt5,
  Forest land10, Agricultural land4

7
Past Data

• Normal levels of Nitrate are .1-4mg/L
• Both sites 2mg/L was found
• Not a great amount of decaying matter of feces in
  the water.

Nitrates
8
Methodology

• Start with 5mL of fish water
• Add 1 Nitrate test tab
• Cap and mix until tablet has disintegrated
• Add 2 Test tab
• Cap again, mix and then wait 5 min
• Compare
• To high so we diluted with distilled
• Look for certain colors that determine the level
  of nitrates in water.
• Water 25- 160PPM

9
Equipment and Safety

• Materials
• Distilled water
• Test tube/stopper
• Aquarium water
• Nitrate test tab 1 and 2
• Pipette
• Charts

• After working with nitrate waste, poor in a
  specific location (not the sink)

10
Concerns for Reliability

• One of our tests was off the scale
• Depending upon the water quality, test results
  differ
• We had to dilute some of the water

11
How to strengthen?

• Test different types of water and soil
• Compare with a number of groups from first hour
• Replicate

12
Results

• Fish water 1 Off the charts
• Soil 1 trace of Nitrogen
• Soil 2 (ph) 8.0ph- Slightly basic
• Fish water 2- (nitrate in water) To dark so I
  had to dilute 25 160ppm

13
QUESTIONS?

• What are nitrate test used to measure?
• What are two examples of nitrates?
• What should you do with the nitrogen waste when
  finished?
• What are three materials used in our project?
• How do infants get Blue-baby syndrome?