Dissolved Oxygen Rates in Polluted Samples Containing Phosphorus and Nitrogen

Abstract

The study that we are exploring is on the topic of eutrophication and the relationship of higher dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and pollution concentration. We want to support our hypothesis that water with more nitrogen pollution will be more effective at raising DO levels than water with phosphorus particles; we have noticed that nitrogen and phosphorus are often times found in similar areas both commercially and naturally and want to see which is more effective. Many studies have been conducted on eutrophication and the detrimental causes to the ecosystem that it may or may not inflict, but we designed our test specifically to focus on nitrogen and phosphorus in an environment that will allow both to grow independently from one another. We went by this by creating our own “creek” samples by adding phosphorus to one test tube and nitrogen in another; we also added yeast to act as the microorganisms that feed on the pollutants. Our results supported our hypothesis by showing that nitrogen did affect the DO level more than the phosphorus pollution.