Purifying WaterQuestion: What is the effect of type of aquatic organism on cleanliness of different water sources?Our independent variable for this experiment is the type of organism and water source. We will be comparing the effect different organisms have on the quality of the water from the East River and Hudson River.When chemical waste from factories are discharged, lots of pollutants go into the water.
New York City is fortunate to have some of the cleanest tap water in the nation because it is purified before it makes its way to people’s homes. However, the water in the Hudson and East River is somewhat polluted. This problem is even worse in other parts of the United States, and the world.The main pollutants of the Hudson River are PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), industrial waste, and putting sewage water in the river. In the past, there weren’t many regulations, and factories were allowed to dump as much waste and sewage water into theWhen natural bodies of water become polluted, some organisms in that area are driven out by the hostile living conditions.
As a result, other animals don’t have the food they need because their prey has left, and their numbers start to shrink. However, some organisms can handle dirty water conditions and even help clean the water. Although we will only use three organisms, we were deciding between four of them.Oysters: Oysters are filter feeders. They eat by taking water in and filtering out the particles and adults can filter up to 5 liters of water per hour.
In addition to plankton becoming trapped in the oyster’s gills, excess algae is trapped as well.Bryozoa: Bryozoa clean water by consuming viruses and harmful bacteria. They are aquatic invertebrates and about 0.5 millimeters long and typically live in colonies. They are filter feeders and get their food using a lophophore.
This means their mouth is lined with tentacles with cilia on them. Most species live in tropical waters, but some live in polar waters, trenches, brackish water, and one kind of bryozoa lives in freshwater.Bulrushes: Bulrushes remove oils, nutrients, bacteria, and more. With the right conditions and lots of sun, these plants can grow over 5 feet tall.Water Lilies: Water lilies purify water by absorbing poisonous metal through its roots. They are able to absorb metals up to 16% of its dry weight. By absorbing nutrients in the water, algae growth is limited.
