The Effect of Organic Matter and Nutrients on Oxygen Concentration in Surface Water

Abstract

Dissolved oxygen concentration is a good indication of a body of water’s ability to sustain life. However, each body of water contains different levels of nutrients and organic matter which directly influence the oxygen concentration present in the water. The process of excess eutrophication pollutes nearby surface waters and ultimately results in the depletion in oxygen. In this experiment, we are testing the effect that different nutrients have on pond water when decomposers are added to the samples. By taking different levels of nutrient rich water, we tested the effects of an organic decomposer (yeast) on the concentration of dissolved oxygen after a period of time.