Hypothesis
I hypothesized waters of a lower pH to show negative effects on the Diatoms, maybe they will be damaged or perhaps less prevalent. As the water climbed more towards a pH of 7 I expect a higher community of diatoms to appear and also more variations in their species. The reasoning for my expectations is the effects pollution has on any living creature. Lower pH areas can be achieved typically due to man made creations such as coalmines or factories. The additions of these substances are not natural to the environment, intern I do not expect diatoms to be physically prepared for the more harmful chemicals added to the environment. Of course, when the pH finally reaches close to 7 the world around it is more survivable and clean. You can see this trend of survivability in many environments, for instance in Ranipet India water can sting you due to the high amount of hexavalent chromium found in it. This is very effective towards the amount of people in the area and the survivability of people who intake this water.
A lower pH will lead to more damaged Diatoms, or even a lack of the organisms.
A higher pH will lead to a flurry of diatoms.
Overall
Preparations for Study
Before going out to do my actual experiment I had to get in touch with two people who could help me with their understand of both environmental science and microorganisms. Bill Reichert, the Watershed Maintenance Technician and Flood Recovery Manager at Schuylkill Conservation District, helped pick out streams around Schuylkill County which were a varied in their impact from the environment. Some would be farther away from the public, while others would be directly near or next to active industries. After finding my locations I needed to find a way to identify the diatoms. I had many books at my disposal, but I needed an expert who understood what to look for to discern different diatoms. Marina Potapova, an ecologist and taxonomist who works for Diatoms of the United States, has a skill for identifying diatoms. Once my samples were collected I made sure to send them to her asking what she could find. Overall, I had my bases covered all in both having my locations and information ready for my project.
Materials
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15 test tubes (five for each stream)
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5 Trays to catch the algae material I scrub off the rocks for each stream
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Microscope (400x or greater)
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Slides
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Slip covers
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5 Toothbrushes
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pH strips
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Ice for keeping the test tubes cool
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Cooler for sustaining the environment around test tubes
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Journal (keep track of findings)
My Plan
My process was simple, I was going to go to four streams across Schuylkill County and take two samples from each stream. This did not go smoothly given that the first time I went out to the streams to collect the samples it was not done adequately. I had to go back out and redo the sampling in order to have clearer and more concise result. Afterwards, I took the different samples back the Water Works and studied them under a microscope. I took note on my findings and began to compare the different areas with one another.
Method for collecting Diatoms
Method for Studying Samples
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Take sample from container with pipette.
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Put five drops of sample onto slide.
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Cover water with slip to protect the lens of the microscope from water damage.
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Place under microscope
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Observe the microorganisms
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Take videos and pictures
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Remove slide
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Dispose of slide properly (sink, trash, etc.)
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Get new slide and pipette and restart as many times as you need.
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Procure a rock from the water, with a smooth top facing up into the stream.
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Place rock in tray.
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Scrub the biofilm off the smooth part of the rock.
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Wash remaing film off with river/stream water through pipette into tray.
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Pour residue into container
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Place container into cooler
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Repeat as many times as you need more samples, use a new toothbrush, tray, and container for each sample.
