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Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
0
20
SSC.Prelim 43173
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P0025976
Number: 43173
This publication is copyright New South Wales Department of Education and Training (DET), however it may contain
material from other sources which is not owned by DET. We would like to acknowledge the following people and
organisations whose material has been used:
Photographs courtesy of Jane West
Part 1 p 17,
Part 6 p 5
Diagram of structure of a leaf from Messel, H (Chair) (1963) Science for high school students,
University of Sydney
Part 1 p 18
Fold out
Water bug detective guide. Written by Fiona Van Dort (Sydney Water) et al (1998), Sydney
Water and CSIROs Double Helix
Fold out
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Copyright Regulations 1969
WARNING
This material has been reproduced and communicated to you on behalf of the
New South Wales Department of Education and Training
(Centre for Learning Innovation)
pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act).
The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act.
Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the
subject of copyright protection under the Act.
CLI would also like to thank the following people who have contributed to the development of this resource:
Writer(s):
Judy Williams
All reasonable efforts have been made to obtain copyright permissions. All claims will be settled in good faith.
Published by
Centre for Learning Innovation (CLI)
51 Wentworth Rd
Strathfield NSW 2135
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_
Copyright of this material is reserved to the Crown in the right of the State of New South Wales. Reproduction or
transmittal in whole, or in part, other than in accordance with provisions of the Copyright Act, is prohibited without the
written authority of the Centre for Learning Innovation (CLI).
State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training 2008.
Contents
Introduction
ii
Module overview
Welcome to the module, Water for living. This module should take
thirty indicative hours to complete.
Have you ever considered where the water in your home comes from?
Do you know where your bath water goes? Do you think your waste
water has an impact on the river, lake or sea it runs into? During this
module, you will be investigating all of these points as well as the need
to conserve water.
In Part 1 you will learn about the percentage of water in various living
things, the role of water in solutions and some adaptations for water
conservation in plants and animals.
Part 2 reviews the water cycle, introduces surface and ground water
(both artesian and bore) and discusses problems associated with
irrigation in agriculture.
Part 3 investigates fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides and the effects of
household waste water on plant growth.
Part 4 identifies various contaminants in waterways, and describes their
sources and impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Some solutions to water
pollution are discussed.
Part 5 introduces water sustainability, laws surrounding industrial water
waste and the technology involved in water purification. You are asked
to investigate the amount of water your household uses and to suggest
ways water usage can be reduced and why it should be reduced.
Part 6 focuses on your local environment. You are asked to assess the
health of your local waterway, locate possible contaminants in your
catchment and record examples of disasters associated with water.
Be prepared for Water for living to change your attitudes about
water waste and pollution. You may find yourself telling your family
and friends to recycle, fix dripping taps and buy different detergents.
Introduction
iii
Contextual outline
The Earths water budget was essentially fixed as it cooled when gaseous
water condensed and settled on the cooling planet. Free water exists in
liquid form as surface and ground water and it is this water which is
available for living things. It is also in the atmosphere as the main gas
that absorbs back-radiation from the Earth to assist in stabilising the
Earths surface temperatures and climatic conditions.
The terrain and climate determine the amount of water available for an
individual continent. Australia has an arid environment because its water
budget is limited in most areas due to a combination of factors, such as
the Great Dividing Range, which limits rain coming in from the east, the
Papua-New Guinea Highlands, which limit rain entering inland from the
north, and very cold atmospheric and ocean currents coming in from
Antarctica, which limit rain entering Australia from the south.
The NSW river systems have been disturbed by many factors, including
run-off from pastoral systems and the damming and re-routing of others.
There are now limits regulating the discharge permitted into the river
systems and the health of these systems is continuing to improve.
Large areas of land have been set aside as catchment regions for dams
supplying urban environments and experience has shown that care of
these catchments is essential for clean, pollution-free drinking water.
This module increases students understanding of the nature and practice,
the applications and uses of science and the implications of science for
society and he environment.
The contextual outline extract is from the Senior Science Stage 6 Syllabus
Board of Studies NSW, October 2002. The most up-to-date version is to be
found at http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/index.html
iv
Resources
You will need the following equipment to carry out activities and
experiments during the module. In most cases, you should have
most of the items listed around your home. If not, some items can be
made easily, with little expense.
Part 1
Introduction
kitchen scales
oven
oven tray
oven mitt
2 types of fruit
2 types of vegetable
2 types of meat
calculator
teaspoon
salt
sugar
plain flour
bicarbonate of soda
cocoa or Milo
instant coffee
Part 2
coloured pencils
drawing pencil
eraser
atlas of Australia
paper
fertiliser
oil
bleach
shampoo
laundry detergent
scissors
glue
bucket
coloured pencils
vi
coloured pencils
paper
Icons
Introduction
vii
Glossary
The following glossary provides the scientific meaning for many of the
term used in this module, Water for living.
The HSC examiner will expect you to understand the meaning of every
scientific term used. If you find a term that you do not understand, then
look it up in a scientific dictionary or ask your teacher for assistance.
viii
abundance
adaptation
algae
aqueous solution
aquifer
arid
artesian basins
artesian water
assay
atomic weight
bioaccumulation
( = biomagnification)
bioassay
Introduction
biodegradable
bore hole
bore water
catchment
control
controlled experiment
cyanobacteria
dependent variable
derris powder
diffusion
diversity
ecosystem
eutrophication
fertiliser
fixed variables
ground salinity
ground water
half-life
ix
heavy metal
herbicide
hydration
hydro-electricity
hydrological
involving water
independent variable
indicator organisms
inorganic compounds
insoluble
isotopes
leach
macrophyte
nicotine
nitrogen cycle
organic compound
osmosis
permeable
pH
phosphate
phosphorus cycle
Introduction
porous
primary salinity
primary source
quarantine
quassia
reservoir
riparian zone
salt discharge
saturated solution
saturation point
secondary salinity
secondary source
soluble
solute
solvent
species
spring
surface water
trace elements
transpiration
transpiration stream
waterlogging
xi
xii
water pollution
water table
weather
Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
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Sources of water
Chemicals in water
Water pollutants
Water investigations
Plants
Humans at work
Local environment
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................... 2
Water in living things ................................................................. 4
Cells ......................................................................................................4
Water content of living things...............................................................5
Summary................................................................................. 22
Suggested answers................................................................. 25
Exercises Part 1 ................................................................... 29
Introduction
In Part 1, you will learn about the importance of water in living things
and the importance of water as a solvent. You will investigate the
proportion of water in living things as well as plant and animal
adaptations to gain water or reduce water loss.
In this part you will be given opportunities to learn to:
cells
transpiration stream
discuss ways, using examples, that plants reduce water loss, such as:
reduced leaves
discuss ways, using examples, that animals reduce water loss, such as:
nocturnal behaviour
reduced activity
burrowing underground.
Cells
You probably already know that organisms (living things) are made up of
cells and that plant and animal cells are slightly different.
You should refer to the cell diagrams in the Science Resource Book to
remind yourself about the two different types of cells.
One property that plant and animal cells share is that both kinds of cell are
mainly composed of water.
tomato
apple
pumpkin
potato
lettuce
Later in this part you will be able to compare your estimates with those
determined in a laboratory.
Equipment
1
Before you do this experiment at home, think about how you could do it
in a science laboratory. What equipment would you need?
Look at the list below and place a tick beside the pieces you would
choose if you were working in a laboratory.
Bunsen burner
thermometer
desiccator (drying chamber) or oven
electronic balance or kitchen scales
beaker
water
Method
The set of steps, or procedure, you follow in this experiment is the method.
3
Read right through the method before carrying out your experiment.
a) Select two different fruits, two different vegetables and two
different meats. (Try not to use small light foods, such as beans,
peas and blueberries, as these will not register on the scales.)
Record the names of the foods in the results table on page 7.
b) Weigh the fruit, vegetables and meat separately using kitchen
scales. Record the undried weights in the table on page 7.
c) Heat your oven to around 100C. Place the weighed fruits,
vegetables and meats on an oven tray and put it in the oven for
as long as possible. A whole 24 hour period would be ideal, but
10 hours should give you a reasonable result.
If you dont have an oven and the weather is hot and dry, you
could try to dry the food in the sunshine, but be prepared for it
to take a while and remember to protect the food from insects
and other pests.
d) Turn off the oven and allow it to cool. Remove the dried food.
Before you begin the experiment, you need to think about two points.
a) How will you dispose of waste material (that is, the dried food)?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
b) What safety precautions will you take to ensure your own well being?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Check your answers for all the questions about planning your experiment.
Now go ahead and dry your fruits, vegetables and meats. Remember to
record the initial weights of your two fruits, vegetables and meats in the
results table below before placing them in the oven.
Results
Food and
food type
Undried
weight (g)
Dried
weight (g)
Calculations
% weight
of water
You should have found that the dried food weighed less than the
fresh or undried food. Can you explain this observation?
Write your explanation below.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Water content
(%)
Organism
Water content
(%)
jellyfish
98
potato
78
chicken
66
lettuce
95
tomato
92
human
66
cabbage
91
banana
73
apple
84
orange
87
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
chicken
orange
lettuce
potato
apple
cabbage
jellyfish
tomato
banana
human
10
So far, you have found out the percentage weight of water in fruit,
vegetables and meat. By doing an experiment, you have established
first-hand the amount of water in some living things.
2
Think about all the ways you use water. Chances are that a number of
these involve using water to dissolve something. For example, when you
make tea using a teabag and sugar, you are making a solution.
Water in solutions
When a substance dissolves in water, a solution is formed. The water is
called a solvent, and the substance that dissolves is called a solute.
The solute and water together form an aqueous solution.
(The term aqueous means watery or containing water).
solute
(sugar)
solvent
(water)
spoon
solute
dissolved
in solvent
sugar
solution
A sugar solution forms when sugar (the solute) dissolves in water (the solvent).
10
solvent
solute
________________
sugar
__________________
sugar solution (syrup)
tap water
11
You will be watching to see how the independent variable affects another
variable in your experiment. The variable that changes is called the
dependent variable because it depends on the independent variable.
In a fair experiment, you need to force all the possible dependent
variables to be the same, or constant, except the one you are studying.
So for this experiment to be a fair test, you need to keep everything the
same except the substance you are trying to dissolve. This means that
you need to use the same amount of water each time, have the water at
the same temperature and use the same amount of each substance to be
tested. That way, the substance being used as a solute will be the only
thing that affects the amount of substance that dissolves.
Now think about how you will dispose (get rid) of the solutions that you
make during this activity. Will you pour them down the sink (which is
not a good idea if you have a septic waste system), or could you dispose
of them in a more environmentally friendly way? For example, could
you tip them onto a grassed area or a garden bed?
Method
1
Use one cup (250 mL) of clean water for each test. Mark the level of
water on your glass, for example with a piece of sticky tape or a
rubber band around the glass, so that the volume of water is the same
for each substance tested.
Results
Use the words solute and soluble to complete the headings of the table.
What is the solvent in each test? ________
Sol____
Substance tested
12
Is it sol____
in water?
yes/no/partially
Sol____
Substance tested
salt
bicarbonate of soda
sugar
Milo/cocoa
plain flour
instant coffee
Is it sol____
in water?
yes/no/partially
Conclusion
State which substances dissolved in water, which did not and
which partially dissolved.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
13
sunlight
chlorophyll
glucose + oxygen
As you can see from this equation, water is an essential ingredient in the
manufacture of plant food. Once made, food needs to be transported to
all parts of the plant and this occurs in solution, with water as the solvent
and glucose, which is a type of sugar, as the solute.
Explain why is it important for humans to have a regular intake of water.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
14
Like you, a plant needs water in its cells for cells to operate normally.
(Cells must operate normally for the whole plant to function properly.)
A plant also uses water to carry dissolved substances to all its parts.
higher concentration of
solute (dissolved substance)
but lower concentration
of water inside cell
15
Water moves up through the plant stem to the leaves through fine tubes called
xylem vessels. There are also fine tubes called phloem vessels that can carry
water with dissolved sugar from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
flower
leaf
water in air
root
water in soil
The transpiration stream. Arrows show the movement of water through a plant.
If there is not enough water in the soil available to the plant, it will droop,
or become flaccid. Water cannot move into the plant and substances cannot
be carried around. There is not enough water to keep cells in their shape or
for the plant to carry out photosynthesis. Eventually the plant will die.
Why do plants need an adequate supply of water?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Check your answer.
16
Conservation of water
Youve seen how important water is for living things. Most organisms
(especially ones in salt water and on land) have to save, or conserve,
water so that they always have enough water for their needs.
flattened
succulent
stem
spines
Needle-like leaves.
Photograph: Jane West
17
epidermis
cuticle
palisade
mesophyll
layer
spongy
mesophyll
stomate
air space
xylem
phloem
cell wall
vascular bundle
Structure of a leaf.
Source: Messel, H. (Chair). 1963. Science for High School Students.
University of Sydney, Sydney.
The cuticle in this diagram is very thin. Some plants develop a very
thick cuticle to reduce the amount of water that can be lost.
The stomates are the holes on the underside of the leaf in the diagram.
Some plants reduce water loss by having smaller stomates or
fewer stomates. Some grasses such as spinifex can roll their leaves
so that the stomates are more protected from water loss.
Many plants drop their leaves to reduce water loss. Fewer leaves means
less transpiration so water is conserved. You only need to think of your
own garden to find plants that do this when stressed by lack of water.
(Dont confuse this with deciduous trees that lose their leaves in winter
as a method of conserving energy.)
18
As you have already seen, water is drawn into the plant from the
surrounding soil by the root system. However, this is often difficult,
especially if there is little soil and little water available in the soil.
Different types of plants have developed different root systems in order
to solve this problem.
1
thick cuticles
19
20
lying in the shade rather than in the sunshine; for example, kangaroos
reduced activity during the day; for example, birds and kangaroos
waxy, waterproof skin; for example, the Thorny Devil, Moloch horridus
excretion of uric acid rather than urine; for example, desert lizards
and birds. (Urea is a nitrogenous body waste that is normally
removed in a watery solution called urine. Birds, some reptiles and
insects can excrete nitrogenous wastes as insoluble uric acid. The
uric acid is combined with faeces in the form of a paste or pellets.
This involves little water loss.)
Adaptation
owl
nocturnal
hopping
mouse
wombat
possum
kangaroo
lizard
21
Summary
Use the clues to fill in the words in the puzzle on the following page.
The central column of the puzzle asks a question.
1
The process by which water moves into the root cells of a plant
10 Wombats have this adaptation to reduce heat gain and water loss
11 A day-time adaptation of kangaroos to minimise water loss
12 A substance that dissolves in a solvent
13 The water content of the human body
14 An adaptation to reduce water loss during the day by being active at night
15 The almost insoluble substance excreted instead of urine by some
animals to reduce water loss
16 Organisms rely on water to __________ dissolved materials
thoughout the organism.
17 A food type with a lower percentage of water than vegetables
18 Sugar is __________ in water.
19 An adaptation kangaroos have to minimise water loss through their skin
20 This can grow shallow or deep to maximise water intake for plants
21 A mixture of a solvent and a dissolved solute
22 A food substance that partially dissolves in cold water
22
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Suggested answers
beaker
These are the best things to use because they enable you to hold the
food safely (beaker), to measure its weight accurately (electronic
balance) and to heat it slowly without burning (desiccator).
2
Kitchen scales, an oven and an oven tray are required to carry out
this experiment in your kitchen at home.
a) You could eat the food, compost it, feed it to pets or place it in
the garbage.
b) Use oven mitts when using the oven to prevent burns.
Handle the foods only when cool.
Did you say that the heating/drying process has removed a large
amount of water through the process of evaporation?
The difference in weight is due to the evaporation of water from the
foods.
25
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
chicken
orange
lettuce
potato
apple
cabbage
jellyfish
tomato
banana
human
10
Youll learn more about these answers as you progress through this module.
Water in solutions
1
2
solvent
water
+
+
solute
sugar
solution
sugar solution (syrup)
26
there is extra water to wash wastes from the body (in urine) and
for sweating.
27
Adaptation
hopping
mouse
concentrated urine
wombat
burrowing underground
possum
nocturnal
kangaroo
fur
lizard
Summary
W
E
T
S
T
I
4
11
13
R
X
16
18
21
10
12
E
N
14
15
17
19
20
22
Water comes from rain, rivers, lakes, the ocean, artesian basins,
the underground water table, condensation, snow, ice caps and more!
28
Exercises - Part 1
Name: _________________________________
Exercise 1.1
1
Why do you think that fruits, vegetables and meats have different
water contents?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
29
Compare the water contents of the fruits, vegetables and meats from
your experiment with the known values of similar foods on page 8.
Did your fruits, vegetables and meats have similar water contents?
If not, try to explain the differences in terms of your experimental
procedure.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
30
Exercise 1.2
Research some adaptations that reduce water loss in three plants.
What features of plants will you look at?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
How will you protect yourself and your environment during the activity?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Make your observations and complete this table about the adaptations of
the plants you study.
Plant
Adaptation(s)
31
Exercise 1.3
You will now research some more examples of animal adaptations
for water conservation. Choose three terrestrial (land-living) animals;
try to select ones that live in different places from each other.
Make sure you use different animals and adaptations from the ones
you were given in this part.
Choose a method of research to complete this exercise.
Internet
CD-ROM
biology text
observing animals
library research
encyclopedia
ask others
other
Animal
Adaptation(s)
Where did you find your information? Refer to the Science Resource Book
for information about how to list your references.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
32
Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
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Sources of water
Chemicals in water
Water pollutants
Water investigations
Plants
Humans at work
Local environment
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................... 2
Water in nature.......................................................................... 4
The water cycle ....................................................................................4
Types of water ......................................................................................6
Introduction
This part of Water for living will enable you to understand the
importance of water to planet Earth in general and also specifically to
different ecosystems in Australia. To do this, you will need to study the
water cycle and the different forms of water that are involved in it.
In this part you will be given opportunities to learn to:
bore water
artesian water
dams
rivers
lakes
wetlands
cave environments
Water in nature
b) Sun orange
c)
trees green
f)
ice melts
ne
s ol a
rgy
SUN
re
water stored
as solid (ice)
CLOUDS
LANDMASS
snow
snow
run-off
lake
evaporation
glacier
ev
ap
or
at
io
n
tra
ns
pir
ati
on
MOUNTAINS
tributary
lake
lake
water stored as liquid
(water droplets)
or solid (ice)
percolation
OCEAN
GROUND WATER
Now draw a flow chart including the following terms in the order they appear
in the water cycle: ground water, evaporation, percolation and precipitation.
Types of water
Naturally occurring water is broadly divided into two main types:
surface water, such as oceans, rivers and dams. This water occurs
on the surface of Earth and is easy for people to access. It includes
both salt and fresh water
Surface water
Surface water includes any water that is on the surface of Earth.
Here are some of the different types of surface water.
Underline the ones that you could see near where you live.
dams
lakes
oceans
rivers
wetlands*
Ground water
Ground water includes any water that is beneath Earths surface.
Water can be found in underground rivers and pools in cave systems,
for example, in the Jenolan Caves or in the caves and sinkholes across
the Nullabor Plain. Ground water also includes water that flows or is
pumped to the surface; for example, from springs and in bore holes.
Are you aware of any ground water in your local area? What is it?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Water can also be stored under the ground in rocks. For example,
think of the rock called sandstone. There are many small spaces between
the grains of sand that make up sandstone. Water can fill these spaces.
Rocks that can store water are called porous rocks. Other rocks do not
store water but water can pass through them. These rocks are called
permeable rocks.
Rocks that are both porous and permeable are termed aquifers (from the
Latin word aqua meaning water).
water table
lake
wetland
river
Desert
Basin
Great
Australian
Basin
North
West
Basin
Perth
Basin
Eucla Basin
Murray
Basin
N
kilometres
W
S
Gippsland
Basin
All living things need water to survive. And they need specific minimum
amounts of water to remain healthy. This is particularly obvious in an
arid country such as Australia, where the availability of water is a main
controller of the types and number of living things found in an area.
Water can be available in different ways. There is ground and surface
water, as you considered previously. You need to consider rain as a type
of surface water, and also consider the surface run-off that even light rain
can generate.
Areas of good, consistent rainfall, or an area where a spring flows
continually, have very different ecosystems from arid areas. Arid areas
are inhabited by plants and animals with special methods of water
conservation such as the ones you investigated in Part 1.
Types of ecosystems
An ecosystem is the community, or group, of organisms living within an
area that interact with each other and with non-living things in that area.
Vegetation is one part of an ecosystem.
The plants present in an area will influence the kinds of animals and other
organisms that live there. That is why ecosystems are often identified
using the name of the main plant present.
10
mangrove mudflat
with mangroves, reeds,
fish, crabs, clams
rainforest
with beech, ferns,
lyrebirds, leeches
coastal scrubland
with mulga, mallee,
wallabies, parrots, beetles
desert
with grasses, saltbush,
hopping mice, snakes, lizards
alpine grassland
with heath, snow gums,
sedges, wombats
In the diagram above, you can see that there are different kinds of
organisms in different ecosystems.
Compare abundance and diversity in desert and rainforest ecosystems.
1
11
The Northern Territory is generally hot and arid, but Kings Canyon
is a small area where rainforest occurs. This happens because the
vegetation takes advantage of a local water source, which is a river.
Complete the table below about these atypical (not common) ecosystems.
Atypical
ecosystem
location
What ecosystem
would you
expect here?
What ecosystem
actually occurs?
What is the
water supply for
the ecosystem?
Kings Canyon
Mantaranka Pool
Created ecosystems
Mantaranka Pool can occur in a desert due to artesian water that flows to
the surface under its own pressure from underground reserves. This is a
natural example of an atypical Australian ecosystem.
People are able to create atypical ecosystems by supplying water to
an area. For example, bore water can be pumped to the surface from an
aquifer below. As soon as plants are established, other organisms appear
too, such as insects and birds. A whole complex ecosystem can be
created and supported by bore water.
12
Artesian water and, more commonly, bore water can be used for farming.
For example, most ground water can be used to water stock.
pump driven or
wind driven
bore water
bore
water table
ground water in an aquifer
Using ground water for stock.
Depending on the salt content, ground water may also be used to irrigate
crops. For example, some cotton crops in north-west of NSW are
irrigated with ground water. Ground water provides a great opportunity
for crop production, and hence income opportunity, from an area that
would otherwise be unable to sustain such plant growth.
In some areas, ground water is suitable for human use. Many households
in areas with little fresh water use underground water for household
utilities such as toilet flushing, showering and washing clothes.
In Australia, ground water is generally not suitable as drinking water for
humans. This is due to the high level of salt in the rocks the water is
passing through. This is a problem in Australia, but is does not necessarily
occur elsewhere. For example, in Orange County in the United States,
an extensive aquifer provides drinking water for over two million people.
Use the space below to draw simple diagrams showing how ground water
is used. For example, a glass could represent drinking water and a plant
could represent crop irrigation.
13
Ground water is not the only water resource that humans use.
People also divert surface water, such as rivers, lakes and wetlands, to
supply the needs of cities and farming land.
For example, rice growing in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area is
irrigated by water taken from western river systems. This takes water
away from more western areas of NSW and South Australia.
Similar problems can occur when land holders upstream on a river use
large amounts of water. As a result, the river flow downstream is
considerably reduced, causing a lack of water in those parts of the river.
This can be a serious problem for many natural ecosystems, which rely
on high water quality, and ebb and flow, for reproduction and diversity.
People have recognised that using surface and ground water supplies can
create long-term problems for Australian agriculture and for natural
ecosystems. Laws have been enacted to try to limit the damage that
people are causing. For example:
You will learn more about water use regulations later in this part.
14
15
Water quality
You have learnt about different types of water and seen how important
water is in the maintenance of all Australian environments. But it is not just
the amount of water that is important. It is also the quality of the water.
Water quality can be changed in many ways. For example, when a river
stops flowing (because people have taken too much water from it),
the levels of oxygen dissolved in the water usually drop. This can kill
plants and animals and poison the water.
Many factors that affect water quality are thought about under the general
term of water pollution. Water pollution is the name given to any form of
adulteration or making unclean of a water source or body of water. This
could be disposal of industrial waste into a river, allowing sewage to enter a
river or ocean, or allowing rubbish like chip packets or plastic bags to enter
the storm water system. No doubt you can think of many other examples.
Try these questions.
1
What effects do you think water pollution has on organisms that rely
on that water to survive? Write a brief general answer.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
16
How does soil affect water? Large quantities of water are stored in rocks
and soil. Water often moves through soil as it enters and leaves surface
and ground water reservoirs. Thus, soil can influence the quality and
availability of water.
In this section, you will learn about two important types of soils
saline soils and acid sulfate soils and consider how water affects
poorly draining soils.
Underline causes and effects of these different soil conditions as you read
pages 17 to 23. You will use the information in exercises at the end of this
section.
Saline soils
Ground salinity (sometimes called soil salinity) refers to high levels of
salt within the soil. The salt involved is largely sodium chloride (the
same as sea salt and table salt) but also includes some calcium and
magnesium salts.
There are two types of soil salinity: primary (naturally occurring) and
secondary (resulting from human activity). In this section you will only
consider primary soil salinity. There is an example of secondary soil
salinity on pages 21 to 22 of this part.
Soil salinity causes saline soils. What is saline soil?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Check your answer.
17
18
o
sal cean
tw
ate
r
r
ate
w
sh
fre uifer
q
a
water table
Obviously, bores that draw up ground water can increase salt intrusion.
This means that human water use can increase soil salinisation that
results from salt water intrusions.
19
Acid sulfate soils often occur in low-lying areas. Drainage from these
areas tends to flow into rivers and estuaries, where the acid leachate can
harm fish populations. Diseases such as red spot in whiting can occur,
as well as massive fish kills. This occurs in many of the north coast
rivers of NSW; for example, the Tweed, Macleay and Richmond Rivers.
Massive fish kills have also been documented in the Clarence River.
Run-off from acid sulfate soils is a documented problem in areas such as
Rum Jungle (NT), Mt Lyell (Tas), Mt Morgan (Qld), Captains Flat and
Sunny Corner (NSW).
For this activity, you need an atlas that shows major Australian rivers and
towns. Find the places (listed above) affected by acid sulfate soils.
Mark them on the following map. (If you do not have an atlas, can others
help you to locate these sites?)
20
Secondary soil salination, with lumps of dry salt (salt discharge) appearing on
the surface of soil in the Riverina, NSW. Salty areas are mostly bare of plants
and other organisms.
Photograph: Julie Haeusler
21
normally. Waterlogging means that there is very little air available in the
soil for root cells to use. Prolonged waterlogging will kill plants.
Added to this is the problem of secondary soil salination. Water from
rainfall and irrigation percolates down the soil profile. As the water table
rises, the salts present in the soil dissolve and move towards the surface
with the water table. Salt discharge is the term used to identify when the
saline, or salty, water comes right up to the surface.
When plant roots come into contact with salt, they find it difficult to
draw in water from the soil. They show signs of water stress and
eventually die due to dehydration.
1
Check your answers. Add any ideas that you did not think of.
The construction of proper drainage may reduce waterlogging but it may
lead to other problems. For example, what could happen if the farmer
uses fertilisers to increase soil fertility?
If excess fertiliser is used and there is run-off of excess water from
irrigation, dissolved fertiliser could be leached by the water into local
rivers or stream systems. This could cause pollution of local waterways
or the water could carry the fertiliser into the ground water system, thus
polluting ground water.
Farmers seek to avoid these pollution risks by testing soil to determine
the exact amount of an appropriate fertiliser needed for the crop or
pasture. They may even have plant tissue tested to find out exactly how
22
Here is another problem that could develop due to irrigation. Think about
what might happen if a lot of ground water is taken out of a reservoir,
high up in the aquifer. This could lower the water table and other users
will need to drill deeper into the aquifer to access the water that is left.
If, over a period of time, more water is consistently withdrawn from the
aquifer than enters the aquifer to re-charge it, ground subsidence can occur,
causing the land to become unusable. Water use regulation has been
introduced to try to ensure that water resources are shared and protected.
3
23
Water regulations
24
Planning NSW
NSW Agriculture
NSW Fisheries
You can access information about some of these bodies using links at:
http://www.lmpc.edu.au/Science
25
state soils
policy
state trees
policy
wetlands
management
policy
estuary
management
policy
wild and
scenic rivers
policy
river
recreation
policy
state rivers
and estuaries
policy
stream
management
policy
riparian
policy
environmental
sand and
flow
gravel extraction
policy
policy
state
groundwater
policy
riverine
plains
policy
water
quality
policy
26
List six state or local policies that are involved in total catchment
management.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
27
Summary
28
Appendix
Darwin
Innisfail
Alice
Springs
barren
desert
spinifex
grass
mulga
scrub
spinifex grass
barren
desert
mulga scrub
salt bush
mulga
grasslands and
grassy woodland
desert vegetation
multi-stemmed Eucalypt
woodland scrub (mallee)
300
600
rainforest
kilometres
other forest
abundant
average
little
Mean average rainfall.
29
30
Suggested answers
evaporation
percolation
groundwater
Ground water
artesian water
(water that has risen by itself
from underground because
of water pressure)
water table
porous and permeable rock
underground water is called ground water
31
a) No
b) Underground water does not necessarily rise to the surface
above. Stored water is not available unless the water table is
high or there is a spring or bore.
Types of ecosystems
1
What ecosystem
would you
expect here?
What ecosystem
actually occurs?
What is the
water supply for
the ecosystem?
Kings Canyon
desert
rainforest
river
Mantaranka Pool
desert
rainforest
spring
32
Ground water is available from springs and bores. (In some areas
where the water table is high, ground water moves into surface
reservoirs such as rivers, lakes and wetlands.)
Water quality
1
The water pollution occurred because sewage was released into the
water at Port Stephens. This was permitted to occur because, at that
time, there were not laws to prevent it.
Saline soils
Saline soil is soil that has a higher concentration of salt than normal.
Rum Jungle
Mount Morgan
Tweed River
Richmond River
Clarence River
Macleay River
N
0 kilometres 500
Captains Flat
E
W
S
Mt Lyell
33
Water regulations
34
Some goals for water reform in NSW (for MDBMC) are to better
share the available water, to enhance support to the rural water sector
and to reshape how water management is delivered in NSW.
Some policies to manage catchment areas are the state soils policy,
state trees policy, state rivers and estuary policy, water quality
policy, riparian policy and stream management policy.
Exercises - Part 2
Name: _________________________________
Exercise 2.1
Using the information in the text you have just read, draw lines to match
the following water terms with the appropriate explanations.
artesian water
river
water table
dam
underground lake
bore water
lake
wetland
aquifer
35
Exercise 2.2
In this activity you are going to learn about the types of water in your local area
and present this information on a map.
You may need to use secondary sources to find the types of water in your area.
Secondary sources are books, maps or even other people. They give you
information that has been found or discovered by someone else.
If you know your area very well and you are familiar with the types of water
in your area, then you may not need to use secondary sources. If you rely on
your own observations or discoveries, then this is called primary information
and you are a primary source.
If you are not familiar with your local area, where will you look for information?
There are a number of places you can try. Local libraries usually have a
considerable amount of local information and librarians are trained to help you
to find what you need. Local councils, particularly in country areas, are also
a good source of local information. In smaller communities there are often
older people who know their area extremely well and may be able to help you.
The NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation is based in Sydney
and has regional offices throughout the state. They can be contacted by mail
or phone (check your phone book). If you have Internet access, you can find
information at their website from a link at:
http://www.lmpc.edu.au/Science
You might also like to look at the Streamwatch or Waterwatch sites as these
organisations also have regional offices. There are eighteen Catchment
Management Boards throughout NSW, which can also help you to locate
information about local water.
How big is my local area?
That really depends on where you are, how well you know your area and
how much information is available. You need to remember that this activity
is to be sent to your teacher and is not a major assessment activity. You
shouldnt spend more than three hours in total to complete this exercise.
If you live in an area where there is little for you to report, you may need
to think on a large scale and indicate your nearest river, stream or dam.
Even a trickle of water can be shown on your map. You may be lucky
enough to have a bore or dam close to home.
36
an estimate of scale
a key to indicate how you have shown the different types of water on
your map; this can be based on different colours or on different
forms of shading and hatching
This is to be your map, so you need to draw it, not trace it from a
commercial map. Some people would call this a 'mud map'. It is an
approximate map for your area.
How big does your map need to be?
This is something that you can decide. You may choose to draw your
map on a normal A4 sheet of paper, or you may wish to use larger paper
or cardboard. You decide on the size and the complexity of your map.
Once you have collected your information about the different types of
water in your area, go ahead and draw your map. Remember, this is your
map, not an artistic masterpiece, so be realistic in what you expect to
achieve.
Use you own paper for this activity.
Unless your teacher has asked you not to send in your map, include it
along with the other exercises from Part 2. However, if you send in your
map, it would be a good idea to keep a copy as you may need to refer to
it when completing Part 6 of this module.
37
Exercise 2.3
Summarise the cause, effect and management of the following
water issues. You can use information from Part 2 or locate your own
secondary sources.
1
38
Exercise 2.4
You need to use information and ideas from throughout Part 2 to
complete this exercise. You might like to plan it on the bottom half of
this page before you present your answer on the next page.
The discussion topic is:
discuss the impact of continued access to different types of surface and
ground water on the number and range of living things in an area.
A discussion means that you must identify issues and provide points or
evidence for and/or against these issues.
Look back through Part 2 to find issues about how organisms in natural
and created environments are affected by the availability of water.
Then look for issues about how organisms are affected when water
availability changes. And does it make a difference if the available water
is surface water or ground water?
Present your answer on the following page.
39
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Exercise 2.5
Find out which bodies or government departments are responsible for
your local water, what their responsibilities are and what geographical
area they are responsible for.
The answers should be brief. You may have this information from your
research in Exercise 2.2 when you made a map of water in your local area.
If you don't have this information, your local council, local library or
local water provider would be a good place to start.
Your area: ________________________________________________
The government bodies responsible for water quality:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Source of information:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
40
Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
0
20
er
b
to T S
c
O EN
g
in D M
t
a
r EN
o
p
or AM
c
n
Sources of water
Chemicals in water
Water pollutants
Water investigations
Plants
Humans at work
Local environment
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................... 2
Fertilisers................................................................................... 4
What are fertilisers? .............................................................................4
Fertiliser and plant growth ...................................................................6
Fertiliser use in Australia....................................................................10
Herbicides ............................................................................... 12
What are herbicides? .........................................................................12
Problems with herbicides ...................................................................13
Pesticides................................................................................ 14
What are pesticides?..........................................................................14
Pesticides and safety .........................................................................17
Summary................................................................................. 23
Suggested answers................................................................. 25
Exercises Part 3 ................................................................... 27
Introduction
In Part 3, you will learn about some chemicals that are used on plants,
both on a commercial scale and in the average garden. These chemicals
are applied to help plants grow and develop to produce food, flowers or
foliage for decoration or plant material for some other purpose.
Different chemicals have different purposes but the ones used on plants
can be broadly classified into three groups: fertilisers, herbicides and
pesticides. You will learn about each of these groups of chemicals and
how they may impact on water systems.
You will plan and conduct an experiment to find out how fertilisers affect
plant growth. Youll also use first-hand investigations to learn more
about household wastes that dissolve in water and how household wastes
in water influence the growth and health of plants.
In this part you will be given opportunities to learn to:
define the terms fertiliser, herbicide and pesticide and explain, using
examples, why each is used in the Australian context
oils
detergents
insoluble materials
sewage.
plan, choose equipment and resources for, and perform a first hand
investigation to determine the effect of various concentrations of
fertiliser on plant growth.
Fertilisers
organic fertilisers, which are animal products that are usually made
from treated waste materials, such as animal faeces. They are
natural complex chemicals
Natural
fertilisers
Commercial
fertilisers
Chemical composition
dolomite
MgCO3
gypsum
CaSO4.2H2O
phosphate
PO4 3-
sulfate of ammonia
(NH 4)2SO4
urea
(NH2)2 CO
single superphosphate
triple superphosphate
sulfate of potash
K2 SO4
basic slag
Name the different chemical elements, important to plant growth, that are
found in fertilisers.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Check your answers.
The growth rate of the plants will be the dependent variable. (This is the
variable you observe to see if it depends on the independent variable.)
There will be other conditions (or variables) that you will keep constant
for your experiment. These variables could affect your results if you did
not keep them the same. These variables can be called controlled or
fixed variables.
List some fixed variables below.
(These are conditions that you will keep the same.)
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Check your answers.
The time required will be influenced by the season when you carry out
the experiment. Some grow more rapidly in hot weather while others
prefer cold.
Step 6: Where will you carry out your experiment?
If you are using plants in containers you need to find an area that is:
not too cold; otherwise the whole process will be too slow
protected from wind; otherwise you will lose water due to evaporation
How will you dispose of any excess fertiliser solution and the plants
when you finish the experiment? Since fertiliser is used to make
plants grow, what effect will it have on the area you use for
disposal?
Practical report
Aim
To determine the effect of various concentrations of fertiliser on plant
growth
Method
Set up the plants with different concentrations of fertiliser (including one
control). The fertiliser concentrations tested are:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Turn to Exercise 3.1 at the back of this part to record your results and
conclusions for this experiment.
10
b) rainfall is low.
11
Herbicides
12
translocated herbicides absorbed into plant, and kill from the inside
residual herbicides applied to the soil and remain in the soil to kill
plants as they germinate.
Make a list of herbicides and record any safety warnings that appear on
the packaging of these. You may need to visit a supermarket, plant
nursery or agricultural supplier.
Note: You are not being asked to buy these herbicides, only to extract
information from their labels.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
13
Pesticides
Pesticides are another group of common chemicals that have the potential
to enter and pollute Earths water resources.
Pesticide labels clearly state the organisms that they target. But there are
other ways to classify pesticides.
14
Biological pesticides
These are often referred to as natural pesticides. Probably the best
known of this group is the chemical pyrethrin, which is extracted from
the pyrethrum daisy. This is very safe and effective to use, but also very
expensive to produce. Pyrethrin is now produced synthetically and has
been used as a selling point for some household insect sprays.
Other methods of controlling pests are sometimes called biological
pesticides, even though they do not directly involve chemicals.
Here are two examples.
Inorganic pesticides
When the elements hydrogen (H), oxygen (O) and carbon (C) combine,
they form compounds that are called organic compounds. This term was
originally used to mean the chemicals common to organisms.
(The pesticides on page 16 are also examples of organic compounds.)
All other chemical compounds are referred to as inorganic compounds.
Inorganic pesticides include:
15
Organochlorines
Because organic molecules are very similar to those in living things,
they are readily absorbed by organisms. The addition of chlorine to
organic molecules can make them poisonous. These two factors make
many organochlorines suitable as pesticides.
Probably the best known organochlorine is DDT.
The name DDT is an abbreviation of the old
chemical name for this compound:
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.
Cl
Cl
H
C
Cl
Cl
Cl
Organophosphates
All of these pesticides are based on phosphorus (P) which is joined to
either sulfur (S) or oxygen (O) at two sites, one using a double bond and
the other a single bond, and to two water-attracting groups. The waterattracting groups make them easily absorbed by organisms. Once in the
organism the organophosphate breaks down producing a part which
interferes with operation of the nervous system.
Nitrogenous pesticides
These pesticides contain the element nitrogen (N),
usually with a structure based on carbamic acid.
They are moderately toxic poisons and work in a
similar way to organophosphate insecticides on
the operation of an insects nervous system.
16
H O C N H
O H
Structure of carbamic acid.
What did you learn about pests or pesticides from this experience?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
17
18
Complete the following tasks. You may need to think back to Part 1 of this
module, where you drew a map of water in your area.
1
Find out about some other ways to prevent these chemicals from
entering the local water system.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
19
Household chemicals
Fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides are not the only substances that can
impact on water. Have you ever thought about the range of chemicals
that go down the sink?
Look at the list of common household chemicals below and place a tick
beside those that are used in your household.
laundry detergent
dishwasher detergent
car washing detergent
soap
shampoo
toothpaste
toilet cleaners
disinfectant
bleach
bathroom cleaners
window cleaner
chemical drain cleaners
car engine oil
cooking oil
furniture polish or furniture oil
kitchen detergent
20
Household wastes
Here are some short activities to get you thinking about household waste
in water.
Aim
To observe the effectiveness of water as a solvent for different substances
Equipment
You will need:
a small clear glass jar with a lid; for example, a jam jar,
Vegemite jar or baby food jar
a tablespoon of: oil (such as cooking oil, castor oil, baby oil,
engine oil), bleach, shampoo, laundry detergent.
Method
1
Add oil.
Results
Record your observations in the table below.
Substance tested
21
Conclusion
From your observations, what effect do you think large amounts of these
wastes would have on the water system?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Look at the labels on the containers of bleach, laundry detergent and oil.
Do they give any information or recommendation regarding safe
disposal, safe use or accidental poisoning? List any relevant information
you found.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Does this information change in any way your thoughts on the use and
disposal of these chemicals? Explain.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Think about what else goes down the sink, down the toilet or into the
storm water system. List some of them below.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Did you list food scraps, tissues, cottonwool balls, sewage, pet faeces,
urine, garden rubbish such as grass scraps and flower petals, bird
droppings, pet food scraps and more as well?
Think about what goes down the drain when you shower or bathe
especially when you are really dirty, wash a load of really dirty clothes or
you wash up for a family after a roast dinner! Ugh! You wouldnt
dream of drinking or washing in that waste water would you, but where
have you sent it, and where will it ultimately end up? Think back to the
water cycle, and consider the problems that arise from thousands of
households contributing their waste water to the system.
22
Summary
List fifteen words which prompt you to think about things you learnt
in this part.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Quickly look through this part again and record another five things
you learnt.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Write down three ideas introduced in this part that you do not
entirely understand.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
23
24
Suggested answers
Australian soils are nutrient depleted through old age and repeated
cropping. Fertilisers are needed to provide elements that plants need
for good growth that are not available in the soil.
a) T
b) F
c) T
d) T
e) F (There are few nutrients remaining, not no nutrients.)
25
26
Exercises - Part 3
Name: _________________________________
Exercise 3.1
1
27
Write your conclusion. (It should match the aim on page 9.)
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
28
Exercise 3.2
You have been learning about why fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
are used in Australia. You have also considered how these are used
safely so that non-targeted organisms are unaffected, and how they can
be prevented from entering surface and ground water reserves.
For each group of chemicals (fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides):
a)
write a definition
d) describe any safety precautions that are necessary during its use.
(You can refer to general safety instructions that you have learnt
from packaging or other procedures that you think are important.)
Fertilisers
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Pesticides
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
29
Herbicides
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
solid, insoluble materials which people put into toilets rather than a
bathroom bin.
Select a suitable Internet web site and report on the release of sewage and
two different types of household substances and their impact on water
systems. You can use the two examples above or any other substances of
concern. If you use the Sydney Water site note that there is a search
option available in the top right hand corner of the home (opening) page.
Web site used: _____________________________________________
30
a) Report on sewage
31
Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
0
0
2
er
b
to T S
c
O EN
g
in D M
t
a
r EN
o
o rp A M
c
n
Sources of water
Chemicals in water
Water pollutants
Water investigations
Plants
Humans at work
Local environment
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................... 2
Nutrient pollution ....................................................................... 4
Phosphates...........................................................................................4
Nitrates..................................................................................................6
Algal blooms .........................................................................................8
Appendices ............................................................................. 29
Suggested answers................................................................. 33
Exercises Part 4 ................................................................... 39
Introduction
phosphates
nitrates
accumulated sediment
bioaccumulation.
Nutrient pollution
Phosphates
Phosphates occur naturally in rocks and soil. Normally these are fairly
insoluble and only small amounts dissolve in water and can be taken up
by plants.
Phosphates are particularly important for plant growth (which is why
they are used as fertilisers). They form part of the structure of genes and
are involved in energy transfer within cells. Animals also need
phosphates and they obtain them in the food they eat. Animal wastes,
such as faeces, and the decaying bodies of dead organisms return
phosphates to soil and to waterways.
In soil and waterways, soluble phosphates can react to form insoluble
phosphates, and so the amount of phosphorus available to plants remains
low but adequate.
And so phosphorus is used over and over in natural systems. The cycling
of phosphorus is called the phosphorus cycle. Part of that cycle,
that relates to the cycling of phosphates only, can be called the
phosphate cycle.
Human activity can interfere with the phosphate cycle within ecosystems,
particularly within water systems. Look at the examples in the following
diagram.
fertilisers added
to crops
organic
phosphate
erosion
of soils
household
detergents
phosphate
in water
phosphate
in soil
Consider the four ways shown that people add extra phosphates to
waterways. Try to think of an example for each way that you may be
contributing phosphates to water systems.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Check your answers.
Read the labels and list their names in the appropriate columns of
the following table.
Detergents containing
phosphates
Nitrates
Nitrates are very soluble in water. They are readily formed in soil and
waterways and can be directly taken up and used by plants.
Plants need the nitrogen in nitrates to make proteins, including proteins
needed for cell structures, DNA, hormones and enzymes. Animals
obtain the nitrogen they need by eating protein from plants and other
animals. Animal wastes, especially urine (which contains nitrogen-rich
urea), and the decaying bodies of dead organisms return nitrates to soil
and to waterways.
And so nitrogen is used over and over in natural systems; this makes up
the nitrogen cycle.
lightning
nitric acid
HNO3
nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in soil
and root nodules
of legumes
nitrates
NO3
denitrifying
bacteria
plant
death
nitrifying
bacteria
nitrites
NO2
ammonium
salts NH4+
decomposition by
bacteria and fungi
ammonia gas
in soil NH3
The nitrogen cycle. Nitrifying bacteria convert nitrogen compounds in soil into
nitrate ions while denitrifying bacteria change nitrate ions to nitrogen gas.
Use information in the nitrogen cycle diagram above to help you to answer
these questions.
1
What are the two ways that nitrates are taken out of the soil?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
What are the four ways that nitrogen (in different chemical forms)
enters the soil?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Why do growing meat crops (such as sheep and cattle), pet faeces
dropped on paths and roadways, and overflowing sewerage systems
all contribute to high nitrate levels?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Algal blooms
You have learnt about ways that phosphates and nitrates occur naturally
in ecosystems. You have also identified ways that humans contribute to
these levels. The most obvious effects of phosphate and nitrate pollution
occur when they are carried into water systems.
As you know, phosphates and nitrates promote plant growth, but
unfortunately these nutrients are not selective and promote the growth
of all plants with which they come in contact.
Algae are found in most water systems. They show a remarkable
increase in growth when only a small amount of fertiliser is used.
(You should have found this is your experiment on fertilisers.)
When an excess of phosphates and nitrates enters the water system,
an algal bloom may occur. This means that the populations of algae and
cyanobacteria become huge, covering the surface of the waterway and
often clogging water below the surface.
Because there are so many algae and cyanobacteria, there is a sudden drop
in the amount of oxygen available for other organisms, so they die. The
algae and cyanobacteria may also die, turning the waterway into a large
rotting mass, with very high concentrations of nutrients still present.
eutrophication
(excess nutrients
in water, especially
nitrogen and
phosphorus)
algal bloom
algae and cyanobacteria
grow prolifically
algae
death of ecosystem
dissolved oxygen
used up by algae and
cyanobacteria, and then
by other bacteria that
rot away the many
dead organisms
cyanobacteria
You have probably read newspaper articles and seen items on the
TV news about problems that algal blooms have caused in rivers
and dams. At times in the recent past, algal blooms have even affected
large parts of Australias river systems, including the Murray-Darling
River system.
The main triggers of algal blooms continue to be excessive
concentrations of fertilisers in run-off, and sewage discharges into
waterways. These are forms of pollution that can and should be avoided.
Algal blooms and the presence of toxic cyanobacteria have been a problem
in a number of NSW waterways. Use Internet access to use a search engine
such as www.ask.com or www.google.com to gather information about algal
blooms in the Darling River and at least one other NSW waterway.
Concentrate on identifying causes and impacts of the algal blooms.
Organise a summary of your information in the table below
NSW waterway
Cause
Impact
Darling river
Turn to Exercise 4.1 to describe the causes and impacts of algal blooms.
Lead
Lead was common in the environment through the use of lead plumbing,
leaded petrol, lead fumes from metal smelting and the use of lead as a
colour pigment in older paints. Lead continues to be used in storage
batteries, cable coverings, crystal glass and ammunition, and in the
manufacture of special metal alloys (mixtures) and insecticides.
Lead is readily absorbed and may cause mental retardation and problems
with the nervous system. It is especially damaging for young children.
10
Mercury
Mercury is easily absorbed through the skin. Mercury poisoning affects
the central nervous system, resulting in lack of coordination, slurred
speech and mental degeneration.
Mercury absorption has been a problem among workers who filled
thermometers. Today many thermometers use a coloured alcohol
solution, as is found in a garden thermometer. Thermometers used for
more accurate readings still use mercury.
In 1953 and 1964, mercury poisoning occurred in Minamata Bay, Japan.
A chemical company released a mercury compound into the bay, and
the mercury became concentrated in fish living in the polluted water.
People who ate the fish became very ill and some died.
Mercury continues to be used in electrical switching, for making
batteries, in advertising signs and to make pesticides.
Chemical
symbol
Uses
Impact on humans
Hg
Pb
11
You may not mind if a shark is poisoned, but you occupy the same place in
the food chain as a shark! Bioaccumulation means that the concentrations
and poisonous effects of heavy metals are magnified in food chains.
Seemingly small amounts of pollution with heavy metals can cause large
problems within ecosystems and for humans.
12
What will happen to water that enters the landfill, either as rain or
as moving ground water? What will happen to any liquids that are
generated in the landfill, for example, from the breakdown of
food wastes?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
13
Think about what goes into your garbage bin. Then make a list of
substances that youd expect to end up in a rubbish tip.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Think about how these substances will break down while in contact
with water and air in the tip. What chemicals will they form?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
14
What impact do you think that leaching from a tip would have on
aquatic ecosystems?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
15
The processes that humans use can also lead to water pollution.
Youll consider how human activity changes water flow and leads to the
accumulation of sediments in this section
Accumulated sediments
Put simply, sediments are soil, sand and gravel that settle to the bottom
in water. All natural water systems involve the movement of sediment,
but human activities can change the way that sediments move, and so
alter aquatic ecosystems.
Dams
For example, dams are built across creeks and rivers, to catch and store
water for human use. But sediments are carried with the water, and over
time, the dams gradually fill up with soil, sand and gravel. (If you have
visited an old weir or seen a dry dam, you will have some idea about the
amount of sediment that can clog a dam.)
Sediment in a dam is a problem for people because it means less water
can be stored. But it is also a problem for ecosystems downstream from
the dam. If the dam did not exist, these sediments would have been
carried along by the water and deposited somewhere else.
Sediments are needed in natural waterways to build banks and deltas.
They replace material that is washed away during times of heavy rain or
flood. Sediments also bring nutrients for the plants along the waterway.
By causing sediments to accumulate, dams prevent the movement of
sediments down waterways, and so change ecosystems further down the
creek or river.
16
Erosion
Another problem for aquatic ecosystems occurs because too much sediment
is forced into waterways. Land clearing for mining, roads and agriculture
can greatly increase the erosion of soil. This sediment is carried into
streams and rivers.
Compare the two diagrams below.
17
There are many things that we can do, individually and as a nation,
to reduce water pollution. Youll consider some examples in this section.
One of the first things that must be done is to find out if pollution is
occurring. This requires testing of water quality.
18
Bioassays
Complete the tasks below. You can use information from the Internet sites
you have visited, or information from Appendix 1.
1
19
nutrien
t run off
nutri
ent le
aching
waterway
Nutrients are able to leach away or run off without a riparian zone.
nutrient ru
n off
ut
waterway
rie
nt
le
aching
20
Fifty years ago, swamps and marshes were considered a waste of space.
They were often used as garbage dumps and turned into recreational
space. More recently, the value of wetlands (swamps and marshes) has
been recognised. They are now valued and protected; it some places,
wetlands are being rebuilt in areas that were previously cleared.
Wetlands are very effective in removing pollutants from waterways.
Even heavy metals may be safely processed out of water systems during
the slow movement of water across a wetland.
21
There are a number of other plant extracts which contain chemicals that
kill or repel insects. These 'natural chemicals' act immediately and do not
have long residual periods. They do not adversely effect the ecosystem
(only the pest against which they are used) and have no long-term
detrimental effects. They are not easily transferred from the area of
application to the water system and even if they were, they are dangerous
only to the target species. Here are some examples of natural chemicals.
Melia, or the white cedar tree, has leaves that produce effective
insecticides and fungicides.
Natural chemicals have been very successfully used in the past; they are
also popular again with organic farmers and green gardeners.
The CSIRO is working on an new, natural insecticide based on insect
hormones. They are testing chemicals that can stop insects from
moulting, or losing their exoskeletons. If they cant moult, they cant
keep growing, and die. By identifying chemicals that target specific
hormones, new insecticides can be developed to kill specific insects.
22
The table below contains the answers to ten questions. The questions are
in Appendix 2. Cut apart the questions and match them with their answers.
Then glue the questions into place in the table as a summary.
Questions
Answers
interspersing a crop with
another plant, which deters
insect pests
marigold, pyrethrum daisies
and garlic
nicotine
derris dust
DDT
23
24
Advantages of
alternatives
(points in favour)
Disadvantages of
alternatives
(points against)
Cost
Ease of use
Effectiveness of
strategy
25
To help you to complete the table, think about what you have seen, or
heard about being, discarded at home into wastewater outlets or outside.
Place of
pollution
Form of pollution
kitchen
bathroom
laundry
garden/outside
26
27
28
Appendices
Appendix 1: Bioassays
Bioassays are tests to measure the quantity of organisms or substances
from organisms in samples. Some bioassays use organisms in tests for
other substances.
29
30
31
32
Suggested answers
Phosphates
Here are some examples:
erosion of soils
mining
hosing of paths
household detergents
33
Nitrates
1
uptake by plants
denitrifying bacteria.
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Animals grown for meat crops, pets and humans produce large
amounts of urine and faeces; these wastes are rich in nitrates that
cause water pollution if they run off or leach into waterways.
Chemical
symbol
Uses
Impact on humans
mercury
Hg
accurate thermometers;
electrical switching; in
batteries; in advertising
signs; in pesticides
lead
Pb
34
Here are some common items put into the bin: glass, food wastes,
plastics, metals, timber products, paints, spray cans, disposable
nappies and paper products. (Some of these should be recycled!)
Rubbish will break down metals from rusted cans and disposable
batteries, organic chemicals from paints, extra nutrients from food
wastes and paper products, hazardous chemicals from some plastics,
chemicals from disposed oils and cleaning products and more.
Erosion
Accumulated sediments have caused major changes in this ecosystem:
organisms attached to rocks have been scoured from rocks on the bottom
by sand washing past; hiding and resting places for organisms are buried;
almost all organisms are eliminated; clay in suspension prevents light
penetrating, preventing photosynthesis.
Bioassays
1
Nutrient agar plates are contacted with the water being tested. The
plates are then sealed and incubated to determine if any bacteria (for
example, E. coli) are present in the water. If the bacteria are present,
they will grow colonies that are seen as spots on the agar plate.
Algal growth can be measured by examining water samples under a
microscope. (Algal growth can also be used as a test to measure the
concentration of metals in water.)
35
nothing to prevent dissolved materials, leaves and soil from entering the
river and polluting the water.
36
Questions
Answers
nicotine
quassia
derris dust
DDT
Advantages of
alternatives
(points in favour)
Disadvantages of
alternatives
(points against)
Cost
Ease of use
Effectiveness of
strategy
Risk of pollution
Availability of
fertiliser
37
38
Place of
pollution
Form of pollution
kitchen
waste water
(detergents, oil,
chemicals) and
garbage waste
bathroom
waste water
containing
shampoo,
conditioner, soap
and toilet water
laundry
detergent water,
chemical dyes
garden/outside
herbicides,
pesticides,
fungicides,
fertilisers, paints,
turps, over-watering
of garden
Exercises - Part 4
Name: _________________________________
Exercise 4.1
1
Identify the conditions under which algal blooms may occur in the
rivers of NSW, and briefly state how each condition contributes to
algal blooms.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
39
Exercise 4.2
Complete the following table.
Type of
chemical
Use(s)
phosphates
nitrates
heavy metals
Exercise 4.3
Circle the letter of the most correct answer for each question below.
1
40
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
b)
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
41
Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
0
0
2
er
b
to T S
c
O EN
g
in D M
t
a
r EN
o
o rp A M
c
n
Sources of water
Chemicals in water
Water pollutants
Water investigations
Plants
Humans at work
Local environment
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................... 2
Water usage.............................................................................. 3
Household water use ...........................................................................3
Processing water....................................................................... 8
Collecting and treating clean water .....................................................8
Treating waste water..........................................................................13
Introduction
In this part, you will learn about the use of technology for the purification
and treatment of water. You will be suggesting plans to reduce water
pollution and to achieve water sustainability.
In this part you will be given opportunities to learn to:
explain how water quality in one area can impact on the water
quality in other areas.
Water usage
Have you ever wondered how much water you use each day? What is
the first contact you have with water each day? Do you use the toilet and
have a shower and wash your clothes? Do you drink tap water through
the day?
In the following activity, youll investigate how much water your
household uses in some activities.
toilet flush
shower
washing machine cycle
Now that you have estimated the water used in each of these
household functions, you need to find out how much you actually use for
at least one of these activities. How will you do this? Think about it!
For at least one way you use water listed below, briefly describe how you
could measure the amount of water used. (This is really designing your
experiment.) Keep your method as simple as possible, and state how you
will dispose of any water collected.
Two things to remember are:
you are not actually measuring the water yet, just working out a
method that will allow you to measure the water at a later time.
Toilet flush
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Shower
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Did you keep the method of measuring the amount of water used
as simple as possible?
Compare your methods of estimating water usage with the ones below,
and alter your plans if necessary.
Toilet flush
You might know the capacity of your toilet cistern, especially if it is a
new one. If not, you could measure the volume it uses on your water
meter (see details below under the heading Washing machine).
Shower
1
Using a large bucket to collect the water, turn on the shower and run
the water for ten seconds. (You will need to time this carefully.)
Multiply the time from step 4 by the output of water per minute from
step 3.
Use the collected water for something else, such as watering the
garden, or add it to the water in the washing machine.
Washing machine
Unless you have recently researched washing machines, you probably
have no any idea about the amount of water they use per cycle. You
could use the following method that relies on water passing through your
water meter.
1
Subtract the initial reading (step 1) from the final reading (step 3) to
calculate the water used. Kilolitres are the units your water meter
uses. One kilolitre equals one thousand litres.
Calculations
toilet flush
shower
washing machine cycle
Were you surprised at the amount of water that was used during different
activities in your home?
Now consider the number of people in your household. This will have a
considerable impact on the amount of water used daily in your
household. To find the daily water usage for your household, you need
to count how often each of those activities takes place per day and
multiply the total for each activity by the volume of water used.
Draw up and complete a table to show your estimates of daily household
water use for toileting, showering, and washing clothes.
You should also consider and estimate other types of water usage in your
household, such as dishwashing, garden watering, car washing, dog
washing, pool maintenance and any others that you can think of.
Make a list, with your estimates.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
How much total water (average) does your household use per day?
_____________________________________________________
Of this amount, how much goes down the sink as waste water?
_____________________________________________________
How much water (average) does each person in your household use?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
There is an easier way to estimate your daily water usage, and that is to
use your last water bill! (If you dont have one, your teacher may
provide a copy of one for you to use.) Turn to Exercise 5.1 to report
the water usage of your home.
Processing water
Catchment areas
A catchment area is a region, often associated with a dam or waterway,
from which water drains into a waterway. If the area is to collect clean
water it should be kept as free as possible of human activity that could
pollute the water.
Lake Burragorang is the main storage area for water for Sydney.
Shade the lake dark blue.
Use a light blue pencil to trace along each of the rivers that carries water
into Lake Burragorang. (Watch out on the Wingecarribee River!)
Rain (and snow) that falls is carried in creeks and run-off into the rivers
and down into the lake. To show this catchment area more clearly,
shade over it using a green pencil. (It is the darker area on the map.)
The water in the catchment area and in Lake Burragorang is held back
by a large dam called Warragamba Dam. Locate this dam on the map
and circle it in red.
10
15
20
Kilometres
Lithgow
ve
Windsor
Coxs
pe n River
a
Ri
Grose
Blackheath
Penrith
Orchard
Hills WFP
Na
iver
Katoomba
Parramatta
SYDNEY
wm
Ko
Georges
Campbelltown
LAKE
BURRAGORANG
Picton
Nat i
ta
Cataract
Dam
iv
er
Win
ge
ar
ribee River
nd
Wo
ll
Moss Vale
i
lly
Ri
ve
r
ve
Ri
Woronora
Dam
Napean
Dam
Wollongong
Cordeux
Dam
Mittagong
Crookwell
Wo
ron
ora
River
er
un
g R
iv
Warragamba
Wallacia
Dam
Liverpool
Avon
Dam
Wingecarribee
Reservoir
Kiama
Fitzroy Falls
Reservoir
Marulan
Nowra
S
ho
av
e
n
al
Mu
lwa
ree
Ri v
er
Tallowa Dam
Goulburn
ver
LAKE
GEORGE
CANBERRA
Ulladulla
Define, in your own words, the meaning of the term, catchment area.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Check your answer.
Catchment management
Water catchment areas need to be managed by government bodies to
ensure that the water collected is clean and safe. One of the main
problems with managing catchment areas is that one local council can be
responsible for areas within a number of catchments, and one catchment
can be divided between a number of local councils. This division of
responsibility makes management of water resources very difficult indeed.
For example, land clearing in the upper part of a catchment can cause
salinity and increase sediment in water downstream. Overuse of river
water from the upper reaches, or sections, of a river may leave little clean
water for use downstream. And pollutants entering the water system
through run-off will be carried into areas of the catchments that are
managed by other authorities, further down the river.
Since activities in one part of the catchment can influence or impact on
other parts of the catchment, water resource management requires a
coordinated approach by local councils, and state and federal
governments, so that clean useable water is available for all.
If you havent already done so, check out the water management
information on the Caring for our natural resources webpages of the
NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation website. You can also
use the Internet to find information about the management practices of your
local council or water supplier/manager.
You will need to find your own Internet address for your local council,
but you can access the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation
using a link at:
http://www.lmpc.edu.au/Science
10
Caption _______________________________________________________
Turn to Exercise 5.2 for a hands-on activity to better understand the links
between water and air.
11
Purification
techniques
Representative drawing
screening for
objects such as
fish, twigs and
weeds
filtering through
sand to remove
fine particles from
the water
addition of
fluoride for
dental health
addition of
chlorine to kill
micro-organisms
12
Storm water
Storm water is the water that runs off roads and land surfaces
after rainfall, or when people wash cars and hose paths. This water
enters the nearest local receiving body of water with little or
minimal treatment.
Sewage
Sewage is the waste that is discharged from households and
industries. It includes water from toilets, baths and showers,
washing machines, dishwashers and kitchen sinks, and all industrial
processes. It is illegal to discharge sewage of any form into the
storm water system. (Sewage enters the sewerage system, which is a
pattern of interconnected pipes that remove sewage.)
13
14
Detecting pollutants
Advances in technology have had a considerable impact on pollution.
It is now possible to detect very small traces of pollutants and to identify
their source using technology. This is important in identifying pollutants
and the few companies or industries that knowingly cause environmental
damage.
The technology used can be simple or highly sophisticated. An example
of a relatively simple form of technology is a data logger with various
probes, each one measuring the levels of different pollution indicators,
such as dissolved oxygen, pH, chloride ions and temperature.
Sophisticated technology includes all aspects of water analysis (see the
information about assays in Part 4), culminating in the use of the
mass spectrometer.
A mass spectrometer is used to identify specific chemicals that are
present. Having identified the chemicals present and the likely substance
involved, its source can be traced. Mass spectrometers are extremely
sensitive. (How sensitive? On one occasion, water samples being tested
were found to have higher than normal levels of iron. On investigation,
it was found that the technician taking the specimens used hairspray.
The metal solder used in the hairspray can was contributing to the
inaccurate readings of iron in the water samples. Needless to say, the
person in question no longer uses hairspray.)
Aerial photography and even LANDSAT (satellite) photographs can be
used to identify and monitor large-scale pollution. For example,
sediment washing from a river into the ocean or a lake after heavy
rainfall can be detected. This method is also used to detect illegal water
storage and illegal water use for irrigation.
15
Technology
mass
spectrometer
satellite imagery
and aerial
photography
How might they change the accepted limits set for water pollution?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Have you found out about any new techniques being used to detect
pollution? If so what are the techniques and what do they detect?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
16
Removing pollutants
Throughout Part 5, you have learnt about technologies used to remove
pollutants from water. You should have found out about the latest
technologies in the information you have collected from your local
council or water supplier/manager.
What latest technologies to remove pollutants have you learnt about?
What do they do?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Turn to Exercise 5.3 to describe and discuss one of the technologies you
have learned about in this part. Then complete Exercise 5.4 about causes of
water pollution and ways that water pollution can be reduced.
17
Summary
The following words should prompt you to recall information in this part.
Next to each of the terms, briefly write information that comes to mind
with regards to water.
18
technology ____________________________________________
catchment area__________________________________________
channelling ____________________________________________
evaporation ____________________________________________
Appendix
19
Another method is dissipation of the water. This spreads water out over
a large area so the overall effect of dissolved chemicals is much reduced.
20
Suggested answers
Catchment areas
Catchment area means the region that collects water and transfers it into
a river, stream or lake.
21
Detecting pollutants
1
22
Technology
mass
spectrometer
satellite imagery
and aerial
photography
Exercises - Part 5
Exercise 5.1
If it is available, look at the last water bill for your household. If a bill is
not available, or if your home does not have a water meter, contact your
teacher for a copy of a bill or for an alternative activity.
Your water bill should show you the average amount of water used per
day in that billing period, usually over three months. It should also show
the average daily water use for the same period of the previous year, and
also in the previous billing period. This allows you to see any change in
water use and to look for a reason for it.
Notice the units used to record water used. For example, Sydney Water
records water use in kilolitres (a kilolitre is a thousand litres), which has
the symbol kL. Larger amounts of water are recorded in megalitres, or
units of one million litres. This is abbreviated to ML (not to be confused
with mL, or millilitres, which is how you would measure a dose of
medicine, or a volume of milk or soft drink).
Complete either A (using a water bill) OR B (using a water meter)
below. Then answer the questions on the next page.
A: Water bill and daily water usage
a) Water usage: ______________________________________
b) Period of time for water usage: ________________________
c) How many days in that period of time? (Show your working.)
_________________________________________________
d) Divide the water usage by the number of days to find the average
amount of water your household uses each day. (Show working.)
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
23
Questions
1
Of this amount, how much water goes down the sink to become
waste water?
______________________________________________________
How much water (average) does each person in your household use?
(Divide your daily usage by the number of people in your household.)
______________________________________________________
24
Exercise 5.2
This is a simple activity to demonstrate links between water and air.
You will taste solutions in this activity, so use clean kitchen equipment.
Mix two teaspoons of salt into a glass of water. Divide the water equally
between two identical glasses and mark the water level in each with a
label or a felt pen. Cover one glass (Glass A) with plastic wrap.
Leave the glasses in a warm place for several days.
Draw labelled diagrams to show what has happened in the two glasses.
Glass A
Glass B
Taste the solution in each glass. Which glass contains the saltier solution?
_________________________________________________________
25
Exercise 5.3
In Part 5, you have considered many technologies.
1
26
Exercise 5.4
Use resources that you have collected throughout Part 5 and information
from this booklet to complete this exercise. (Your teacher may also have
provided you with additional pamphlets, for example from Sydney Water.)
1
Explain how water quality in one area can impact on the water
quality in other areas.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
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27
Senior Science
Preliminary Course
Stage 6
0
20
er
b
to T S
c
O EN
g
in D M
t
a
r EN
o
p
or AM
c
n
Sources of water
Chemicals in water
Water pollutants
Water investigations
Plants
Humans at work
Local environment
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................... 2
Water pollution disasters ........................................................... 3
Water investigations .................................................................. 5
Indicator organisms..............................................................................5
Your local waterway .............................................................................9
Summary................................................................................. 10
Appendix ................................................................................. 15
Suggested answers................................................................. 17
Exercises Part 6 ................................................................... 19
Bibliography ............................................................................ 29
Water investigations
Introduction
identify a local catchment area and the sources of water feeding into
this catchment
describe the types of tests that are used to monitor and assess local
water quality.
Throughout this module, you have been thinking about the importance
of water for living, and the consequences of human misuse of water
resources. Youve considered some of the disasters, or possible
disasters, associated with water pollution.
In this section you will gather, process and present information from the
Internet. This activity can be called a WebQuest because you will be
using the world wide web to answer questions. The activity involves
identifying major disasters involving water pollution that have occurred
in various parts of the world.
Try to match the locality and type of significant water pollution disaster. All
of these water pollution disasters have occurred in the last 50 years and have
received world-wide media attention.
Place the letter for the water pollution disaster after the number for its locality
in the answer column. The first one has been done as an example.
Locality
Answer
column
1c
4 Bangladesh
Water investigations
Water investigations
Indicator organisms
Organisms whose presence gives information about the environment are
called indicator organisms. The presence of some particular organisms
indicates a healthy aquatic environment, whilst the presence of others
suggests an unhealthy or polluted aquatic environment.
Macrophytes
Macrophytes are very good
indicators of water quality.
Macrophytes are water plants
that can be seen with the naked
eye. They grow in different
water depths and may be
wholly or partially submerged,
and rooted or free floating.
The photograph shows an
example of a macrophyte.
Water investigations
are a starting point for food chains in the aquatic environment, so all
animals in the aquatic environment rely on them in some way
provide shelter from predators, sunlight and fast flowing water for
some aquatic animals, such as frogs
Water investigations
Aquatic macroinvertebrates
These are 'water bugs', animals with no backbone, that can be seen with
the naked eye. The variety of aquatic macroinvertebrates is huge, with
each type having its own preferred environment. The fold-out pages at
the back of this part display macroinvertebrates. You will be using the
fold-out pages to carry out a study in your local waterway in Exercise
6.4.
Macroinvertebrates are the primary consumers in the different food
chains that are based on the macrophytes. Worms, dragonflies, yabbies,
snails, bugs and beetles all provide food for other aquatic animals that are
further up the food chain, such as frogs, fish and birds.
The presence or absence of specific macroinvertebrates can indicate
clean or polluted water.
Explain the following terms in your own words.
1
macrophytes
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macroinvertebrates
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indicator organisms
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Exercise 6.6: evaluating the impacts of water quality in one area of your
local catchment on other areas.
Water investigations
Summary
The following is a sample test on Water for living. Use your own paper to
answer the questions. Answers are provided for the multiple choice only
to encourage you to search for the longer answers throughout the module.
Part A: Multiple choice. Choose the most correct answer.
1
10
SUN
er
gy
Sola
n
re
water stored as
(ice)
CLOUDS
LANDMASS
water stored as liquids
(water droplets)
Snow
Glacier
ev
ap
or
tra
n
at
io
n
sp
ira
tio
n
MOUNTAINS
Run off
Lake
evaporation
Snow
Tributary
Lake
Lake
water stored as liquid
or solids (ice sheets)
(water droplets)
Percolation
OCEAN
GROUNDWATER
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12
14 Which governing body oversees the water that enters the homes of
Sydney residents?
(A) the local council
(B) Warragamba Dam
(C) Sydney Water
(D) the Total Catchment Management Authority
15 Acid rain can occur due to:
(A) carbon dioxide combining with sulfur dioxide
(B) water vapour combining with sulfur dioxide
(C) surface water combining with carbon dioxide
(D) none of the above.
Check your answers.
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14
Appendix
Apparatus
dropper
3 beakers
pH paper
water sample
measuring cylinder
Bunsen burner
tripod
wire gauze
filter funnel
filter paper
electronic scales
Method
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Results
16
Test
Observation
dissolved oxygen
pH
insoluble solids
soluble solids
chloride
phosphate
Suggested answers
Locality
Answer
column
1c
2f
3e
4 Bangladesh
4a
5f
6d
Aquatic macroinvertebrates
1
Macrophytes are water plants that can be seen with the naked eye.
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Summary
18
11 D
12 D
13 D
14 C
10 D
15 B
Exercises - Part 6
Name: _________________________________
It is essential that you read through Exercises 6.1 to 6.6 before you
begin your investigations of a local waterway.
Exercise 6.1
You will construct a map of your local catchment, identifying:
You will recall that in Part 2 of this module you investigated the types of
water in your local environment, and drew a map to show these. You may
find it helpful to look again at that map. Some of the information required
for this activity will be contained in your previous map.
You may need to access other sources of information to complete this
activity. Some sources to keep in mind are the NSW Department of
Land and Water Conservation, your local council and library, Landcare
and your local water provider.
Your map
Tick off each feature as you include it in your map.
the extent (area) of your local catchment that is, the total area that
ultimately drains into your local water source
the main sources of water that feed into the catchment, with streams
and rivers clearly named
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any large bodies of water that occur in the catchment (If you wish to
mark stock dams, you can do so, but you may find there are too
many to consider.)
Why not have fun with this task? If you are unsure of industries in your
local area that may contribute to pollution, or the location of the
sewerage works, talk to community members.
Refer to maps of your area to understand where your water comes from
and the landscape of those areas. Make some draft maps before your
final map so that you can correctly place landmarks, labels, the scale and
a legend, or key.
Use coloured pencils. Make the map as large as you want; however, it
must be posted. Dont forget to include everything in the above list
in your final map. Use your own paper and have fun!
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Exercise 6.2
On your map you have indicated possible sources of water contamination.
Complete a summary about three of these contamination sources using the
headings below.
a)
Contamination source
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Type of contamination
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Why contamination occurs
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How the problem could be rectified
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b) Contamination source
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Type of contamination
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Why contamination occurs
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c)
Contamination source
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Type of contamination
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Why contamination occurs
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How the problem could be rectified
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Exercise 6.3
You are about to assess the health of your local waterway by examining
the indicator organisms present. You need to sample the water for
macroinvertebrates at the site you marked on your map.
You will find identification charts for indicator organisms as fold-out pages
at the back of this part. They will help you to identify macroinvertebrate
organisms in your local waterway or water body. The material in the
fold-out pages is kindly provided by Sydney Water Streamwatch.
Information in the fold-out pages also includes which macroinverebrates
are very tolerant to pollution and which are not. If your sample site has
many macroinvertebrates that are not tolerant to pollution, your water
source is healthy. If your samples show a large number of pollutiontolerant macroinvertebrates only, your water source is not healthy.
1
Choose equipment or resources that you will need to carry your research.
Apart from the equipment needed to catch/see/identify macroorganisms,
what else will you need? (Protective clothing and footwear, hat,
sunscreen, plastic/rubber gloves?)
2
Plan what you will do. What safety precautions will you take? Who will
you take with you? Are there any particular hazards that need to be
addressed in your plan? When will you carry out this activity? How will
you record your findings? How will you collect the macroinvertebrates?
How will you keep the macroinvertebrates still (without damaging them)
to count and identify them?
3
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How will you tally the species as you identify them? How will you
record your results so they are useful? Will you identify each as
pollution-tolerant or not?
4
How will you present your results? Use the space below to prepare a
structure to record your results.
Now carry out your investigation and record your findings. (If you have
access to a school laboratory, also collect a sample of water to test in
Exercise 6.5.)
5
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Exercise 6.4
In previous parts, you have learnt about chemical tests that are performed
to ensure the purity and safety of drinking water. Use information from
your local water provider, or your local council, to answer the following
questions. (If you use tank water, answer for water in the closest town.)
What chemical tests are used to monitor and assess the quality of
your local water?
Why is each chemical test carried out? (A table might be useful here.)
What treatment is applied to your local water to make it drinkable?
The following page has been left blank for you to present your findings.
It is suggested you make a draft of your answers below before making
the final draft on the following page.
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Exercise 6.5
If you have access to water testing chemicals, and a teacher to instruct
and supervise you, test the chemical purity of your local water.
Send your aim, apparatus, method, results and conclusion, recorded on
your own paper, to your teacher. You may refer to the report in the
Appendix as a guide.
If not, use the water test results in the Appendix to complete the tasks
below.
1
dissolved oxygen
pH
soluble solids
insoluble solids
chloride
phosphate
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Exercise 6.6
Using examples from your local catchment, and the map you created in
Exercise 6.1, explain how water quality in one area can impact on the
water quality in other areas. Refer to your map in your explanation.
Your answer to this part should be at least half a page in length.
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Bibliography
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Name: ________________________
Location: ______________________
We need your input! Can you please complete this short evaluation to
provide us with information about this module. This information will
help us to improve the design of these materials for future publications.
1
Did you find the information in the module clear and easy to
understand?
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Which sort of learning activity did you enjoy the most? Why?
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Did you complete the module within 30 hours? (Please indicate the
approximate length of time spent on the module.)
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Please return this information to your teacher, who will pass it along to
the materials developers at OTEN DE.