Nahant

Bermuda

Data

Salt water has so many possible nutrient compounds within it, that it may be impossible to tell which ones caused the reactions.  The COD test was performed using a dichromate reagent.  Any nutrient that has a lower reaction potential than dichromate, can in fact reduce it, causing the reaction.  It doesn't necessarily have to be effluent of any kind.  Just a few examples of what can do this, and are commonly found in seawater are Copper, Mercury, Iron, Magnesium, Nickel, phosphates, sulfates, and some species of Manganese and Nitrogen.  Out of these, I tested for Iron, Copper, and phosphates.  These three did show up in trace amounts, giving some insight into what may have triggered the reaction. 

One thing is certain however.  It is unlikely that the main component was an organic compound that caused the reaction.  This is because the color changed immediately after I put the samples in the ampoule containing the reagent.  This means there had to be something that could react readily with the dichromate, and not organic compounds which take time to break down. 

Assumptions:

Though the chemical evaluations didn't provide any indication of water quality, it is possible to make some assumptions based on visible observations, and the types of organisms living in each location.  For example, Walsingham Pond, Bermuda, contains several species that cannot tolerate any fluxes in pollution levels.  Some of these include sponges, Cassiopeia jellyfish, green turtles, and tunicates.  Due to the presence of these organisms, one can assume that the water quality there must be exceptional.  There are other clues that can help with the investigation. 

By observing the surroundings of the collection sites, one can obtain valuable information about what affects the water.  BBSR, Bermuda is located on a high traffic channel, and has an ocean going vessel of its own.  It should also be noticed that some of the channel on which it is located is paved under.  All of these conditions lead to the assumption that the water quality in this location may not be the healthiest. 

Using these measures, the determination of the other sites' water quality can be assumed.  Comparing the data for the protected ocean, exposed ocean pipe, and exposed ocean at Nahant for both times collected, it can be assumed that the protected side does have slightly better water quality than the exposed side.  This is due to the simple fact that more of the effluent from Boston Harbor reached the exposed side in slightly greater volumes, than it made it to the protected side. 

St. George in Bermuda can be assumed to have fairly poor water quality because of the high tourist traffic, and the cruise ship traffic.  It also is one of the points that have a pipe that pumps the raw sewage directly into the ocean.

Finally, John Smith's Bay is a hard area to read.  There is a wide variety of organisms living on the reefs and in the rocky intertidal, but some of the corals are damaged.  It is not a high traffic area, but a fair share of residents and tourists visit there.  I cannot make any substantial assumptions about the water quality in this location, and it would be beneficial to perform some more tests to reach some kind of conclusion. 

What Can Be Done About Water Quality Issues?

It is possible to improve the quality of our oceans and freshwater resources worldwide.  But how?  One option is to go a physically clean up areas that have high litter and pollution concentrations.  This is a great idea, but it will take a large amount of people power, and maybe machine power to get everything out of the water.  This process also takes money, which many nations and corporations are not willing to spend.  However, it is necessary to fight through these obstacles, and work towards cleaner water.

Another method, which is a long term approach to improving water quality, is education.  By educating not only the youth of the world, but it's adults as well, it is possible to promote sustainable use and treatment of our water.  By increasing knowledge of the problems, new and creative solutions can be formulated, and unsustainable practices changed.  An example of this happening now is found within the Bermudian school systems' curriculum.  “Bermuda’s natural history and importance of proper waste management techniques to continue environmentally clean natural resources are now included as subjects taught in local schools," (Env. Aware).

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