Chem 1036 Expt 7 Dissolved Oxygen in Water - DATA 1
Chem 1036 Expt 7 Dissolved Oxygen in Water - DATA 1
Chem 1036 Expt 7 Dissolved Oxygen in Water - DATA 1
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Chem 1036 Chemistry for Engineers
Experiment #7 [Data Sheet]
Question 1: Is the dissolved oxygen level in the pond adequate for the fishes to thrive? Discuss
the impact of low DO levels of water to aquatic organisms.
Based on the dissolved oxygen level that we get, which is 23.69 mg/L, we can say that it
is adequate for the fishes to thrive in the pond because there is a higher amount of oxygen
content here as compared to those other pond waters in which most of it can hold for about 10
to 12 mg/L of oxygen. Aquatic life is stressed when dissolved oxygen levels in water drop below
5.0 mg/L. The lesser the concentration, the greater the stress. Large fish kills can occur when
oxygen levels fall below 1-2 mg/l over a few hours. Thus, decreasing dissolved oxygen indicates
too many bacteria and waste which is very harmful to aquatic organisms.
Question 2: In a typical aquatic environment, when dissolved organic matter is high, dissolved
oxygen level tends to be low. Explain why this inverse relationship occurs.
Since the organic matter is high, there will be a low dissolved oxygen level because
microorganisms decompose organic materials such as large algal blooms. Their decomposition
process requires them to consume a lot of dissolved oxygen. Thus, this results from having a
lower level of dissolved oxygen. When the organic matter increases, there will be an increase in
oxygen demand. Also, if there is more food that is organic waste available for the bacteria, then
there will be a lot of bacteria that will grow and will use more oxygen for them to survive. Due
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Chem 1036 Chemistry for Engineers
Experiment #7 [Data Sheet]
to this, the dissolved oxygen will tend to drop because of a lack of oxygen supply there, which
will affect and harm the survival rate of the aquatic organisms.
Question 3: What are other factors that affect the level of dissolved oxygen in water? Briefly
explain the relationship of these factors to the dissolved oxygen in water?
There are other factors that affect the level of dissolved oxygen in the water, including
the water temperature, the number of dissolved salts present in the water (salinity), and
atmospheric pressure. The solubility of oxygen decreases as temperature increases. This
implies that the warmer the surface of the water has less dissolved oxygen, while cooler water
has more dissolved oxygen. Also, the dissolved oxygen decreases if there is a high level of salt.
Lastly, if there is a high pressure, there is also high dissolved oxygen. Water at lower altitudes
has more dissolved oxygen than water at high altitudes.
Question 4: What can be done to alleviate (increase) the dissolved oxygen level in our rivers
and lakes?
Simple agitation or aeration can increase dissolved oxygen levels enough to avoid
problems. Levels can also be increased by infusing air or, more specifically, pure oxygen, but
only to saturation. Given that cooler water can hold more oxygen, paying strict attention to
temperature can also help. Aside from wind and wave action, adding plants to water and
exposing it to pure oxygen all contribute to an increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen.
Conclusion:
Determining the average molarity of thiosulfate needs us to add those trials 1, 2, and 3
in Table A and divide them by three. After doing that, we got an average amount of 0.0252
mol/L. Thus, our first objective, which is to determine the average molarity of thiosulfate, is
met. The reason why we need to calculate the average morality of the thiosulfate is for us to
determine how much of it needs to be used before we will proceed with titrating the sample.
The computed value of 23.5 ml of the total volume of thiosulfate used is critical in attaining
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Chem 1036 Chemistry for Engineers
Experiment #7 [Data Sheet]
objective two as it is used in determining the DO present using the given formula. As a result,
23.69 mg/L of oxygen was dissolved. Reflecting on the experiment we had, objective three is
met since the data clearly show the positive effect of dissolved oxygen as it sustains the quality
of life of organisms living in that aquatic environment by having a sufficient DO level. Also, I
have learned that a negative impact of dissolved oxygen only occurs when the DO levels do not
meet the essential requirements, resulting in an oxygen-deficient environment that negatively
impacts the health of aquatic life.
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