Water girl: one teen's science project earns her fame and helps to clean up a polluted river.Growing up in a rural town in Utah, 18-year-old Shannon Babb spends her free time hiking with friends and exploring nearby caves. She has always been fascinated with the outdoors. She remembers years ago hearing on the news that Utah Lake Utah Lake, c.145 sq mi (380 sq km), N central Utah; largest freshwater lake in the state. It drains through the Jordan River to the Great Salt Lake. Utah Lake is what remains of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville. (see map, p. 14) was polluted pol·lute tr.v. pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing, pol·lutes 1. To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter. See Synonyms at contaminate. 2. . "I did some research, and I couldn't find any evidence of the lake being polluted," explains Shannon. To find quantitative, or measurable, evidence, she examined water samples from the lake and three of its tributaries. Her studies showed that one of the rivers flowing into and out of the lake, the Spanish Fork River, was the most polluted. That concerned Shannon, who knew that a polluted river can make a lethal home for fish and other wildlife. Plus, the Spanish Fork River was dumping its dirtied water into Utah Lake, which is habitat for endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. . "The June Sucker The June sucker, Chasmistes liorus, is a critically endangered fish endemic to Utah Lake and the Provo River, where it is now under protection. It is a member of the sucker family Catostomidae, and occurs in sympatry with the benthic Utah sucker Catostomus ardens. is an endangered species of fish that only exists in Utah Lake," says Shannon. She wondered if human activity along the river was to blame for the pollution. WATER FACTORS Shannon began her project by researching which water-quality properties she should test. For example, by measuring the amount of oxygen (O) dissolved in the water, she would learn whether or not fish, such as the June Sucker, could survive there. In general, a polluted river contains less oxygen than a healthy one. Sewage from treatment plants, for instance, can carry organic matter into a river. As that carbon-rich matter breaks down, it consumes oxygen. Too much pollution can deplete de·plete v. 1. To use up something, such as a nutrient. 2. To empty something out, as the body of electrolytes. the water's oxygen. But a measure of dissolved oxygen wouldn't tell her the cause of the pollution. For that, Shannon would measure the concentration of chemicals such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Certain forms of these chemicals come from products that humans use such as farm and lawn fertilizers, as well as from household detergents. Based on her research, Shannon developed a hypothesis, or a possible answer to a scientific question. SHANNON'S HYPOTHESIS Human activity is the major factor that is causing the decline in water quality along the Spanish Fork River. Before getting her feet wet, Shannon needed to choose her sampling spots. To pinpoint where the pollution was coming from and what was causing it, she decided to set up seven sampling sites along the river. "I wasn't sure of where humans were polluting the river. So I set up different test sites," explains Shannon. Then she designed a procedure, or list of steps for her experiment. Below, Shannon shares the steps to a winning procedure. CHECKLIST [check] Decide what materials you need for your experiment. Make a detailed list that includes amounts and measurements. [check] Define your control, or standard against which you will compare your results. Shannon compared her water-quality measurements with the Utah Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and (EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. ) guidelines for cold-water fisheries. [check] Identify your independent variable, or the factor that you change during your experiment. Shannon's independent variable is the sampling site along the river. [check] Determine your dependent variable, or the factor that responds to the change in the independent variable. In Shannon's study, the dependent variable is the level of each water-quality indicator, including the concentration of dissolved oxygen. [check] Keep all other variables constant. The independent variable should be the only changing factor in your experiment. In Shannon's project, the time of day could impact the levels of chemicals in the water. For instance, algae algae (ăl`jē) [plural of Lat. alga=seaweed], a large and diverse group of primarily aquatic plantlike organisms. These organisms were previously classified as a primitive subkingdom of the plant kingdom, the thallophytes (plants that carry out photosynthesis during the day. When these plantlike organisms make food by capturing sunlight to turn carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. and water into sugars, they also release oxygen into the water. So Shannon always took her measurements at the same time of day. [check] Repeat the experiment. Conduct several trials. If you get similar results among your trials, your conclusions will be more reliable. Shannon collected water-quality samples along the Spanish Fork River once a month for six months. PROCEDURE LIST OF MATERIALS * 1 Pair of wading boots * Set of old clothes * Map of Spanish Fork River showing test sites * 1 Dissolved oxygen test kit * Pencil and paper pencil and paper - An archaic information storage and transmission device that works by depositing smears of graphite on bleached wood pulp. More recent developments in paper-based technology include improved "write-once" update devices which use tiny rolling heads similar to mouse * 21 Water-collection tubes * 1 Nitrogen test kit * 1 Phosphorus test kit * 1 Dip net dip net n. A net or wire mesh bag attached to a handle, used especially to scoop fish from water. * 7 Glass jars * 7 Labels for glass jars * Ice chest filled with ice * Tape measure * Species identification books STEPS 1 Wake up at 4 a.m. Put on wading boots and old clothes. Pack field equipment. 2 Head to a test site and collect a tube of water. Use the test kit to analyze the water for dissolved oxygen. Record results. 3 Repeat Step 2 for each site--before sunrise. (Note: When the sun rises, the algae will start to photosynthesize pho·to·syn·the·size v. To synthesize by the process of photosynthesis. and release oxygen. This extra oxygen could throw off the test results.) 4 Return to the first site and collect two tubes of water. Use the chemical test kits to analyze one tube for nitrogen, and the other for phosphorus. Record results. 5 Sweep a dip net through the water in a small area to collect any macro-invertebrates, or animals without a backbone that can be seen without a microscope. Pick out any organisms from the net, and put them into a glass jar. Fill the jar with river water. Label the jar with the site location and time of day. Place the closed jar into an ice chest. "Macro-invertebrates can tell you things that your test kits may not pick up," says Shannon. For instance, water boatman water boatman: see water bug. bugs can live in low-oxygen water, but stonefly stonefly, any insect of the order Plecoptera. North American species, of which there are more than 200, are yellowish, greenish, or brownish in the adult stage and have transparent wings, usually two pairs, but seldom fly. larvae Larvae, in Roman religion Larvae: see lemures. need plenty of oxygen. 6 With a tape measure, find the width of the river at the site. 7 Repeat Steps 4 through 6 for the other six sites. 8 Repeat Steps 1 through 7, once a month for six months. 9 Compile data and reach conclusions. RIVER RESULTS At the end of her study, Shannon found some troubling results. "Every site broke the state EPA standards [for water quality]," says Shannon. She found that humans are to blame. Her data showed high levels of chemicals from fertilizers, sewage, and household detergents. On the bright side, Shannon's river mucking paid off: Her project nabbed first place in the Intel Science Talent Search The Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) is a prestigious research-based science competition in the United States primarily for high school students. The Intel STS is administered by the Science Service, which began the competition in 1942 with Westinghouse; for many years, the , a national competition. Now she is educating students about ways to protect water quality. And she hopes to continue her environmental studies when she enters Utah State University Utah State University, mainly at Logan; coeducational; land-grant and state supported; chartered 1888, opened 1890. It publishes Utah Science, Western Historical Quarterly, and Western American Literary Journal. next year. webextra For more on Shannon's river project, visit: www.amnh.org/ nationalcenter/ youngnaturalistawards/ 2005/Shannon.html MINI LAB: Shannon examines a water sample. Chemicals in the tube turn the sample different colors to indicate the nitrogen level. DYNAMIC DISPLAY After collecting her data, Shannon created charts and graphs for her poster display. Her organizational techniques wowed the judges at the Intel Science Talent Search. Shannon also presented her project poster to the Utah State Water Quality Board. MYSTERY MUD Shannon sorts through the material collected in her dip net, picking out the hidden macro-invertebrates from the mud and grasses. She will store these in an ice chest so she can identify the insects back at home. DIMENSIONS At each sit Shannon collects as much information as possible. For instance, she uses a tape measure to find the width of the river at each site. That will help her figure out how much habitat exists for wildlife such as fish. SORTING BUGS At each site along the river, Shannon collects macro-invertebrates. Since these insects are so tiny, she sometimes needs a pipette pipette /pi·pette/ (pi-pet´) [Fr.] 1. a glass or transparent plastic tube used in measuring or transferring small quantities of liquid or gas. 2. to dispense by means of a pipette. , a tool that is similar to an eyedropper eye·drop·per n. A dropper for administering liquid medicines, especially one for dispensing medications into the eye. , to pick out individual insects. |
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