Nitrate concentration in Convict and Mearson springs
Introduction
When combined with other nutrients such as phosphorus, carbon, and iron, nitrate becomes a beneficial component in plants’ growth. On the contrary, there is a specific limit that should be used because excess nitrate can quickly destroy crops. Nitrates are also available in rainwater, surface water an also groundwater such as lakes.
The moment this excess amount of nitrates is exposed to the ground, it becomes a pollutant. The nutrient is carried away by the rainwater or even through soil erosion. The runoffs are then deposited into the water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and springs.
Such situations result in loss of oxygen in water, loss of animal species like fish, the disappearance of animal and plant species, and growth of floating algae that pollutes the water making it unfit for human consumption. In areas where human activity is common, the federal government of the United States has launched a monitoring process on the amount of nitrate concentration in water.
It is because when used in excess, the nitrate nutrients lead to chronic illnesses such as the “Blue baby” that is as a result of low levels of oxygen in the body. The disease is common in infants because their system is too fragile to contain small amounts of air, and this can easily cause deaths.
The paper, therefore, focuses on the level of nitrate concentration in Mearson and convict springs between 2006 and 2007 as well as if they comply with the federal restrictions of the United States. It also looks into the absorbance level of nitrates in the springs, and their TON levels to examine whether they can result in any health implications. Nitrate is a very beneficial nutrient in plants growth, but when in excess, it becomes a severe pollutant of the ecosystem.
Method
An amount of nitrate solution was measured using an autopipette and then transferred into a 10ml volumetric flask. Deionised water was then added into the volumetric flask containing the resolution up to the calibration line. The final sample labels and the level of concentration were recorded in the samples table.
The same procedure was then repeated twice, using steps one to three. The concentration used was still the same, and the pipette remained at the previous volume measured. The next [procedure was conducted by the same standard solutions of the prior process but mixed with some reagents to produce dye. The last step was to assess the solution by use of a spectrophotometer and each of the samples recorded in the table.
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Absorbance levels
A random spring sample was selected, and in this case, it was the Convict spring. The solution was either from the duplicate or the reference dye. It was then diluted using a dilution factor from the online table. More samples also were added. Both the reference and the duplicates of cuvette solutions were measured using a spectrophotometer to determine the absorbance levels.
| Experimental samples | Dilutions | Absorbance | concentration/mg l-1NO3−–N |
| Convict spring, May 2006 | 20 | 0.78 | 0.60 |
| Convict spring, June 2006 | 20 | 0. 72 | 0.56 |
| Convict spring, July 2006 | 20 | 0.71 | 0.55 |
Results of the study
Convict spring absorbance from May to September.
May = 0.7796+ 0.7804 = 1.56/2 = 0.78
Jun = 0.7187 + 0.7226 = 1.4413/2 = 0.72065 or 0. 72 (two decimal places)
July = 0.7126 + 0.7119 = 1.4245/2 = 0.71225
August = 0.6772 + 0.6763 = 1.3535/2 = 0. 67675
September = 0.6762 + 0.6764= 1.3526/2 = 0.6763
Mearson Spring absorbance from May to September
May = 0.1531 + 0.1535 = 0.3066/2 =0.1533 or 0.15 (two decimal places)
Jun = 0.1686 + 0.1693 = 0.3379/2 = 0.16895
July = 0.2689 + 0.2689 = 0.5378/2 = 0.2689
August = 0.1846 + 0.1841 = 0.3687/2= 0.18435
September = 0.1690 + 0.1688 = 0.3378/2 = 0.1689
| Convict spring, August 2006 | 20 | 0.68 | 0.54 |
| Convict spring, September 2006 | 20 | 0.68 | 0.54 |
| Mearson Spring, May 2006 | 20 | 0.15 | 0.22 |
| Mearson Spring, June 2006 | 20 | 0.17 | 0.23 |
| Mearson Spring, July 2006 | 20 | 0.27 | 0.29 |
| Mearson Spring, August 2006 | 20 | 0.18 | 0.24 |
| Mearson Spring, September 2006 | 20 | 0.17 | 0.23 |
The average of Convict spring absorbance from May to September
May = 0.7796+ 0.7804 = 1.56/2 = 0.78
Jun = 0.7187 + 0.7226 = 1.4413/2 = 0.72065 or 0. 72 (two decimal places)
July = 0.7126 + 0.7119 = 1.4245/2 = 0.71225
August = 0.6772 + 0.6763 = 1.3535/2 = 0. 67675
September = 0.6762 + 0.6764= 1.3526/2 = 0.6763
The average of Mearson Spring absorbance from May to September
May = 0.1531 + 0.1535 = 0.3066/2 =0.1533 or 0.15 (two decimal places)
Jun = 0.1686 + 0.1693 = 0.3379/2 = 0.16895
July = 0.2689 + 0.2689 = 0.5378/2 = 0.2689
August = 0.1846 + 0.1841 = 0.3687/2= 0.18435
September = 0.1690 + 0.1688 = 0.3378/2 = 0.1689.
| Sample labels | concentration/mg l-1 | Volume of 10.00 mg l-1 (NO3−–N) nitrate stock solution/ml | The volume of calibration standard/ml | Absorbance |
| Sample 01 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 10 | 1.00765 |
| Sample 02 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 10 | 0.1561 |
| Sample 03 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 10 | 0.3128 |
| Sample 04 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 10 | 0.4657 |
| Sample 05 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 10 | 0.6091 |
| Sample 06 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 10 | 0.7356 |
| Sample 07 | 0.70 | 0.70 | 10 | 0.8431 |
| Sample 08 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 10 | 0.9234 |
| Sample 09 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 10 | 0.97375 |
| Sample 10 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 10 | 1.0068 |
In 2008, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) proposed a concentration nutrient of 0.35 milligrams per liter in all water streams, including springs. On the contrary, 36 of 49 springs exceeded these amounts of nitrogen levels that posed a considerable threat to the ecosystem (Pittman, Hatzell, & Oaksford, 2011).
The contamination is said to have been caused by animal and human waste, lousy air and agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers. One of the water bodies is the Convict spring that is located on the southern part of the Suwannee River and has the highest concentration in the state of Florida. The bacterial growth in the cave majorly causes high amounts of nitrate in the spring. The brownish red bacteria spread on sides of the cave those changes to net-like catch food.
Some of the aquatics found in the spring include the Isopods and the crayfish. The situation deprives them of enough oxygen, this leading to most of their deaths.
Discussion and interpretation
The report aimed to analyze the amounts of nitrate in both the surfaces and groundwater in the Convict and Mearson springs under the Water Assessment Regional Network (WARN). It also includes findings of the Nitrogen reduction program that started in 1997. The organization focuses on monitoring any changes in water to reduce nitrate concentrations and identify problems affecting water bodies (Harrington, Maddox, & Hicks, 2010). One of the significant observations is that there has been a delay in the arrival of contaminated water and run runoffs into the streams, and therefore the nitrate concentrations are likely to decline shortly.
According to the report, it is evident that the Convict spring has the highest amounts of nitrate concentration compared to the Mearson spring. The stream is located in a place whereby there are a lot of human activities taking place.
The majority of the springs with the increasing trend of nitrate are located in the lower and middle parts of Suwannee River. In this case, the high amounts of nitrate concentration in the river come from these streams. For a long time now, the District of Florida has been aware of this situation, and to eliminate this problem, it launched the Suwannee river program to help in the reduction of nitrate concentration in the springs (Upchurch, Chen, & Cain, 2007). The government has also imposed agricultural policies on the use of chemicals such as fertilizers. Farmers, in this case, will be expected to use a specific amount of nitrogen that should not exceed the set limits.
Conclusion
The convict spring has the highest level of nitrate concentration in Florida due to human activities, animal waste, and high amounts of runoffs. The waters from the agricultural farms cause most of the pollution in the Suwannee River. The state should, therefore, impose restrictions on the amounts of nitrogen use among all farmers to reduce the nitrate levels in the streams. Secondly, there has been a fluctuating trend in both Convict and Mearson springs. The situation shows that there might be a massive reduction of nitrate levels in about four to five years in the next study. Lastly, most of the studies conducted along the Suwannee River depict a positive trend, and this shows that the nitrate levels will reach the lowest point in the future.
Nitrate concentration in Convict and Mearson springs
Nitrate concentration in Convict and Mearson springs
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