River Pollution – Problem Solving

A biologist collected water samples from the sites shown in the diagram below. They carried out the “blue
dye test” on the samples collected. The blue dye turns colourless as the level of oxygen present is used up.
The more bacteria in the water the faster the dye will turn colourless.

Town

Direction of Flow
Sewer

RIVER

1 2 3 4 5

Sample site 1 2 3 4 5
Time taken for No change after No change after
30 mins 6 hrs 2 days
dye to fade 7 days 7 days

1. Copy and complete the following table using these words

 very low
 low
 high
 very high

Sample Site No. of bacteria present Oxygen level Degree of pollution

1
2
3
4
5

2. At which site would you expect to find the least number of plants and animals in the river?
3. Explain why you would find few organisms at this site.
4. What do you think is the likely source of the organic pollution in this river?
5. Is there any evidence to suggest that the river recovers from the pollution? Give a reason for your
answer.