Bio

Possible Biology experiments:

1) Is the level of pH dependent on the level of pollution. pH - Scientists measure **pH** to determine the concentration of hydrogen in the water (The p stands for “potential of” and the H is hydrogen.) pH ranges from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very basic), with 7 being neutral. Most waters range from 6.5 to 8.5. Changes in pH can affect how chemicals dissolve in the water and whether organisms are affected by them. High acidity can be deadly to fish and other aquatic organisms. ([]) 3) How do the abiotic factors affect water pH in the West Lake. 4) Use SDI (SImpson's Diversity Index) to identify how diverse the lake is. 5) Looking at the niche concept - measuring amount of species at each level 6) Nutrients in soil - Emilie //Nutrients// - Just as **nutrients** are critical for you to grow (check out what’s inside a box of cereal—essential nutrients), they are critical to plants and animals. The two major nutrients scientists measure are **nitrogen** and **phosphorus**. The presence of too many nutrients can hurt aquatic organisms by causing lots of algae to grow in the water. Nutrients can also affect pH, water clarity and temperature, and cause water to smell and look bad. 7) Mercury Accumilation in Fish, if there is mercury in the fish we can conclude the water is polluted Is there clear internal damage to fish in West Lake due to pH level of the lake.

Independent variable: sample of water
Dependent variable: pH level Hypothesis: The higher the pH, the more basic it is, hence we can conclude that materials with a basic pH level such as wood (from boats) pollutes the water.

Is there clear internal damage in the fish in West Lake due the pollution.
Look for metal contamination To difficult, dont have the right equipment


 * 3) Is the level of bacteria dependent on the level of pollution.**
 * Take a sample of water from the lake, grow a colony of bacteria. The bigger the colony, the more polluted the lake is.**
 * Compare this to a sample of distilled water, and a sample of tap water.**

[|Identifying fecal coliform bacteria concentrations in lakes] [|E.Coli] [|A study carried out in Ho Tay examining metal contamination in fish] [|General information on sources of pollution in lakes]

Research Question: Compared to Tap water and Distilled water samples, what is the area covered by the bacteria in the West Lake water sample as an indication of the level of pollution.

Hypothesis: Bacteria in the West Lake water samples will cover more area than the Tap water and Distilled water samples as it is exposed to more interference.

Variables: Independent- source of water, Dependent- concentration of bacteria growth, area of bacteria growth covered, size of individual bacteria colonies Controlled- amount of 'water' placed in the pentri dish, size of pentri dish, amount of agar gel,

Observations:


 * The images in the table are not the same size as the angles of photography changed throughout. In reality, they were all the same size.

Lake water samples show a higher average area of bacteria covered, indicating a level of pollution in West Lake.