pH Levels In Our Water

By Ella Garcia, Julia Heilrayne, Sofia

Martin, and McKa’an Zimmerman
pH Basics (1)

● pH: A measurement of acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

○ Less than 7 is acidic
○ Exactly 7 is neutral
○ Greater than 7 is basic or alkaline.
Cause and Solution (2)

● pH levels can fluctuate daily due to photosynthesis and respiration in the

water. The degree of change depends of the alkalinity of the water.
○ Carbon Dioxide in the water is the most common cause of acidity.

To calculate the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of a solution you need to know the

concentration of hydronium and hydroxyl ions moles per liter (molarity).
PH Effects on Biodiversity (3, 4)

● Organisms grow acclimated to the pH level in their ecosystem

○ If the pH level varies in either direction too much then the organisms will die
● EX: the Ink’s Lake pH level is XXX, if something were to be introduced into
the water that changed the pH level the organisms would react badly to it.
This could disrupt the entire ecosystem and decrease the biodiversity within
it making the organism's ability to adapt to changes, environmentally and
humanly, decrease.
Research and Why
● Inks Lake: 7.236
● Pace Bend: 6.486
● Mansfield Dam: 7.02
All of the pH levels fluctuated but
stayed in about a .3 - 6.50 range
throughout the past 5, 10, and 20
years
● Watch what pollutants you
expose to the water
● Over time the plants and animals
will adapt to new pH level
● We should care because we
should care what we’re putting in
our ecosystem and how we’re
affecting our animal and plant
life
Definitions

● Acidity - the level of acid in substances such as water, soil, or wine.

● Alkalinity - the measure of how basic a substance is.
● pH - a measure of hydrogen ion concentration; a measure of the acidity or
alkalinity of a solution
Sources

1. Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie. "What Is the Definition of pH in Chemistry?"

ThoughtCo. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
2. "PH of Water." Environmental Measurement Systems. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar.
2017.
3. Gh
4. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-ph-in-chemistry-604605
5. http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/amd/links/wildlife3.html
6. http://waterquality.lcra.org/
The End