Experiment #5

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) by the Winkler Method

Group # 3
Enrico Ayson, Michael Jee Concha, and Erick John Tumacole

DATA AND RESULTS

A. Standardization of Sodium Thiosulfate Solution
Primary Standard Used: _______________
Formula Mass of Primary Standard: _______________
Percent Purity of Primary Standard: _______________
Trials 1 2 3

Weight of Potassium dichromate (g) 0.0306 g

Final Reading Na2S2O3 (ml) 25 ml 24.8 ml 28.5 ml

Initial Reading Na2S2O3 (ml) 0.1ml 0.0 ml 0.0 ml

Volume Na2S2O3 (ml) 24.9 ml 24.8 ml 28.5 ml

Molarity of Na2S2O3 0.0251 M 0.0252 M 0.0219 M

Average Molarity of Na2S2O3 0.0241 M

B. Sample Analysis
Source of Water Sample: Pond (AS Garden)

Trials 1 2 3

Volume of samples used for 100 ml 100 ml 100 ml

titration (ml)

Final volume Na2S2O3 (ml) 3.3 ml 6.4 ml 11.2 ml

Initial volume Na2S2O3 (ml) 0.0 ml 3.3 ml 6.4 ml

Net volume Na2S2O3 (ml) 3.3 ml 3.1 ml 4.8 ml

mg O2 in sample 6.3624 mg/L 5.9768 mg/L 9.2544 mg/L

Average mg O2 in sample 7.1979 mg/L

% O2 in sample 6.3624 x 10-3 % 5.9768 x 10-3 % 9.2544x10-3%

Average % O2 in sample 7.1979 x 10-3 %

DISCUSSION
Water is found almost anywhere within the planet, and where you find water, there is life.
This is because water is essential for life (Why Is Water So Essential for Life? n.d.). Water has so
many uses. For Instance, humans use water for hydration, through drinking water. Humans also use
water for hygienic purposes, through showers. Other organisms also have their own use of water.
Aquatic organisms use water as their habitat. It is estimated that around 50 - 80% of all life on earth
are found in aquatic environments, specifically, the oceans (MarineBio, 2019).

The aforementioned three were examples of uses of water. However, the use of water goes
beyond the said three. There are many processes that require water. Each process that require the use
of water have their own set of characteristics and parameters. The characteristics and parameters refer
to water quality. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines water quality as a term used here to
express the suitability of water to sustain various uses or processes (Bartram and Ballance, 1996). One
of the most common parameters checked with regards to water quality is dissolved oxygen (Sarasota
County Water Atlas, n.d.). It is defined as a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in water, or the
amount of oxygen available for aquatic organisms (n.d.).

In the experiment, the students used the Winkler Method to determine the amount of dissolved
oxygen in the water sample obtained from the pond within the UPV CAS Garden. Sources say that the
winkler method is a technique used to measure dissolved oxygen in freshwater systems (Dissolved
Oxygen by the Winkler Method, 2018). Given the fact that the sample was from a freshwater pond
makes the winkler method the appropriate method for the test. Studies also state that the percent error
of the Winkler Method in calculating the amount of dissolved oxygen is at 0.1%. This further cements
the use of the said method for the experiment (Carpenter, n.d.).

Sources suggest that a dissolved oxygen concentration which is less than 3 mg/l can be so
stressful that it could be fatal for fish in the area. From 3mg/l to 5mg/l fish can tolerate the levels,
however they will be living in stressful conditions. Concentrations at 6 mg/l would be able to support
reproduction or spawning of the fish species living in the area. A concentration of 7 mg/l would
support the growth of the fish, and a concentration greater than 9 mg/l would be able to support
multiple fish populations (Oram, n.d.). The first sample had a dissolved oxygen concentration which
is at 6.3624 mg/l. The said concentration would be enough to support the reproduction of the fish. The
second sample had a concentration of 5.9768 mg/l or roughly 6 mg/l, again, a concentration that
would not give stressful living conditions for the fish in the pond. The third sample had a dissolved
oxygen concentration of 9.2544 mg/l. Quite high compared to the previous two samples. This may be
attributed to the algae collected in the sample. The students noticed more algae collected in the third
sample compared to the previous two. Sources suggest that a safe amount of algae could help increase
oxygen levels through photosynthesis (AquaPlant, n.d.). The said concentration would support
abundant populations of fish. However, since the samples were all collected from one pond, it would
be more comprehensive to check the average dissolved oxygen concentration of the three samples.
The average is at 7.1979 mg/l, a level that supports the growth of the fish around.

The fish within the pond are probably relatives of carp. Carp require a minimum of 5 mg/l of
dissolved oxygen to survive (Dissolved Oxygen, n.d.). Thus the average amount of oxygen in the said
pond meets the demand for the population to survive. The relatively good amount of dissolved oxygen
in the source may be due to the presence of Hydrilla and algae. Given the relatively small amounts
present in the pond, it may have increased the oxygen concentration through photosynthesis.
However, the number of Hydrilla and algae must be constantly checked, because just like algae, if
numbers are too many, they can decrease oxygen concentrations (Mitchell & Sheehy, 2000)
REFERENCES

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/dissolved-

oxygen-and-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects.

AquaPlant. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://aquaplant.tamu.edu/faq/dissolved-oxygen/.

Bartram J. & Balance R. (1996) Water Quality Monitoring - A Practical Guide to the Design and
Implementation of Freshwater Quality Studies and Monitoring Programmes. United Nations
Environment Programme and the World Health Organization

Carpenter J. (n.d.) The Accuracy of the Winkler Method for Dissolved Oxygen Analysis.
The John Hopkins University

Dissolved Oxygen. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-

measurements/parameters/water-quality/dissolved-oxygen/.

Dissolved Oxygen by the Winkler Method. (2018, January 30). Retrieved from
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MarineBio. (2019). Home. Retrieved from https://marinebio.org/creatures/facts/.

Mitchell P. & Sheehy J. (2000) Discussion: opportunities for redesigning rice photosynthesis.
Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092834200080021X

Oram, B. (n.d.). Mr. Brian Oram, PG. Retrieved from https://water-research.net/index.php/dissovled-

oxygen-in-water.

Sarasota County Water Atlas. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.sarasota.wateratlas.usf.edu/shared/learnmore.asp?toolsection=lm_dissolvedox.

Why Is Water So Essential for Life? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/52332-why-

is-water-needed-for-life.html.