CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that from grade XI,

AECS Magnolia Maaruti Public School, Bangalore

has satisfactorily completed the project in

Biology on ‘Study of different water samples for ph and the presence of any

living organisms’ in partial fulfillment of the requirements as

prescribed by CBSE in the year 2016-2017.

Signature of the Student Signature of the Teacher

Signature of the Principal Signature of the External

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STUDY OF DIFFERENT WATER SAMPLES FOR PH AND
PRESENCE OF ANY LIVING ORGANISMS
A project report

Submitted by

VIBHA PODDAR

In partial fulfillment of the

CBSE Grade XI

In Biology

At

AECS Magnolia Maaruti Public School

#36/909, Arakere, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore – 560076.

2019 – 2020

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I want to express my sincere thanks for the continuous

encouragement and timely guidance offered by our dear Principal

Dr. Seema Goel . I am also thankful to her for giving me the

opportunity to make the best use of the facilities available in the

campus to carry out our project successfully.

I am highly indebted to Mrs.Nikhila and Mrs.Gayathri

for their tireless supervision, necessary inputs and support

for the project. I would like to express my gratitude to them for kind

Co-operation and encouragement.

Finally, I am grateful to one and all who have directly or indirectly

contributed to the successful completion of this project.

Signature of the Student

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INTRODUCTION

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Not all organisms can be seen with the naked eye. Some of the
organisms that live in water can be seen only with the help of
microscope. These are organisms which are microscopic in nature.

The productivity and the tropic status of a water body are determined
by quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other biologically useful
nutrients. Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that induce plant
growth in standing water bodies, so increased concentrations tend to
result in increased plant growth.

A productive water body has high nutrient concentrations, and has a

very high density of phytoplankton per unit area. These water bodies
have high amounts of nutrients and dissolved oxygen and bear large
number of organisms at different trophic levels.

A water body with a very low density of phytoplankton per unit area
is a non-productive water body. They have fairly transparent waters
with low mineral concentrations and dissolved oxygen and also fewer
tropic levels.

The status of health of a water body can be determined by analyzing

water samples for the number and type of organisms present in it at a
given time. Such assays also help us to find whether a water body is
polluted, as some of the organisms are strong indicators of water
pollution.

The addition of some substances (organic, inorganic, biological or

radiological) or factor (heat), which degrades the quality of water so
that it either becomes health hazard or unfit for use is called water
pollution. Most surface water usually contains small quantities of
suspended particles, organic substances and number of living
organisms (bacteria, protists, fungi, algae, viruses etc). When
concentration of these substances in water increase, the water
becomes polluted and unfit for use. Some other substances pollute
water even at low concentration include poisonous or toxic chemicals
and pathogens.

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The presence of organic waste in water promotes algal growth
resulting in the depletion of oxygen in water. It is called
eutrophication. The latter leads to death of aquatic organisms.

Water pollution due to organic wastes is measured in terms of

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). It is the amount of dissolved
oxygen needed by bacteria to decompose the organic wastes present
in water. Higher BOD of a water indicates presence of
microorganisms in large number due to the presence of higher
concentration of organic matter.

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OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

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To study different water samples for pH and presence of any living
organisms.

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THEORY

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pH is one of the most common water quality tests performed. pH
indicates the sample's acidity but is actually a measurement of the
potential activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in the sample. pH
measurements run on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7.0 considered
neutral. Solutions with a pH below 7.0 are considered acids. Solutions
with a pH above 7.0, up to 14.0 are considered bases. All organisms
are subject to the amount of acidity of stream water and function best.
within a given range.

The pH of a body of water is affected by several factors. One of the

most important factors is the bedrock and soil composition through
which the water moves, both in its bed and as groundwater. Some
rock types such as limestone can, to an extent, neutralize the acid
while others, such as granite, have virtually no effect on pH.

Another factor which affects the pH is the amount of plant growth and
organic material within a body of water. When this material
decomposes carbon dioxide is released. The carbon dioxide combines
with water to form carbonic acid. Although this is a weak acid, large
amounts of it will lower the pH.
A third factor which determines the pH of a body of water is the
dumping of chemicals into the water by individuals, industries, and
communities. Remember - something as "harmless" as shampoo rinse
water is actually a chemical brew and can affect the pH along with
other chemical parameters of water.
A fourth factor which affects pH is the amount of acid precipitation
that falls in the watershed. Acid rain is caused by nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the air combining with water
vapor. These pollutants are primarily from automobile and coal-fired
power plant emissions. Acid rain is responsible for many of our first
order streams becoming acidic
A fifth factor stems from coal mine drainage. Iron sulfide, a mineral
found in and around coal seams, combines with water to form sulfuric
acid. This acid, ferrous oxide (known as "yellow boy"), and huge
quantities of silt are the major pollutants from coal mining. Combined

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with the problem of acid rain, the pH of some stream waters can be
drastically lowered.mnblihblijbiubiubiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubibjjbbhjb
Changes in the pH value of water are important to many organisms.
Most organisms have adapted to life in water of a specific pH and
may die if it changes even slightly. This is especially true of aquatic
macro invertebrates and fish eggs.

Every drop of water in ponds and other water sources is teeming with
such various life forms that it would be difficult for one to even
conceive, unless seen with our own eyes. Besides the various water
body insects we all are familiar with, there are a large number of
microorganisms in pond water.
Water bodies have a wide variety of microbial life. Different levels of
dissolved oxygen and light are present at different depths in the water
body. This leads distinctly different niches from green algae and
Cyanobacteria on the surface to sulphate reducers and methanogens
on the bottom.

Different organisms present in water bodies are:

1) Anabaena
Anabaena is a genus of filamentous Cyanobacteria that exists as
plankton. It is known for its nitrogen fixing abilities, and they form
symbiotic relationships with certain plants, such as the mosquito
fern. They are one of four genera of Cyanobacteria that produce
neurotoxins, which are harmful to local wildlife, as well as farm
animals and pets. Production of these neurotoxins is assumed to be
an input into its symbiotic relationships, protecting the plant from
grazing pressure. Due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen,
they are often used in paddy fields to help fertilise plants.

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2) Rhodospirillum
This spiral shaped oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria can live
both in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. When in the presence
of oxygen, Rhodospirillum can suppress photosynthesis and
become colourless. When in anaerobic conditions, it can
become photosynthesis active by producing
bacteriocholorphylls and carotenoids proteins in its membrane.

Bacteriocholorphylls contains chlorophyll b. This allows

Rhodospirillum to absorb light with longer wavelengths.

Carotenoids help the bacteria gather light energy for

photosynthesis and give this bacterium a purple red colour
when in sunlight.

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3) Chlorobium
Chlorobium (also known as Chlorochromatium) is a genus of
green sulphur bacteria. Chlorobium aggregatum is a species
which exists in a symbiotic relationship with a colourless, non-
photosynthetic bacterium. This species looks like a bundle of
green bacteria, attached to a central rod-like cell which can
move around with a flagellum. The green, outer bacteria use
light to oxidize sulphide into sulphate. The inner cell, which is
not able to perform photosynthesis, reduces the sulphate into
sulphide. These bacteria divide in unison, giving the structure
a multicellular appearance which is highly unusual in bacteria.

Chlorobium species are thought to have played an important

part in mass extinction events on Earth. If the oceans turn
anoxic (due to the shutdown of ocean circulation) then
Chlorobium would be able to out compete other photosynthetic
life. They would produce huge quantities of methane and
hydrogen sulphide which would cause global warming and acid
rain. This would have huge consequences for other oceanic
organisms and also for terrestrial organisms. Evidence for
abundant Chlorobium populations is provided by chemical
fossils found in sediments deposited at the Cretaceous mass
extinction.

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4) Methanogens
This is an extremely large and diverse group of organisms that
include more than just bacteria but archea as well. These
organisms produce methane, which is also known as swamp gas
or natural gas, in anoxic conditions. These autotrophs are also
found at the bottom of ponds where other reduction targets have
be depleted (oxygen, nitrate, sulphate, etc.). Methanogens are
important to the water body’s ecosystem because they remove
excess hydrogen and make use of fermentation products that
have been formed by other forms of anaerobic respiration.

5) Alpha, Beta and Gamma Proteobacteria

This is another large group of bacteria. These negative gram
cells are mostly anaerobic and heterotrophic and contribute a lot
to decomposition of waste suspended in the water and deposited
in the sedimentary floor

Proteobacteria flourish in eutrophic ponds and include

phototrophs, pathogens, and fecal bacterial indicators of
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contaminated water. They can be found suspended in all layers
of the pond.

Fecal indicator bacteria are bacteria used to assess the quality of

a water source. They are not necessarily disease causing but do
have a high correlation with the presence of water-borne disease
causing organisms, such as bacteria, protozoa, amoebas, and
other microbes.

High concentration above a specific limit would indicate that a

body of water is unsafe for contact and consumption due to
waste water consumption.

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Alpha Bacteria
These include most of the phototrophs. Some form symbiotic
relationships with plants. Others are pathogenic and release
toxins that are harmful to other pond organisms and animals if
ingested.

Beta Bacteria
These include many wastewater bacteria important for the
breakdown of sewage and other chemicals. They also play a
vital role for plants by fixing nitrogen to ammonium and to
nitrite.

Gamma Bacteria
They are the groups that are associated with bad water and
sickness such as cholera, salmonella etc. Vibro cholera known
for causing diarrhoea if ingested and infect open wounds in
swimmers. Cholera blooms occur during the summer when
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 temperature and nutrients in the water increases and are known
to survive for more than a year in biofilms

Other than these microorganisms, the more common ones in water

bodies are:
 Protozoa
 Algae
 Hydra
 Rotifers

There are many other organisms besides bacteria that share the water
in water bodies. Many are every day organisms that we would find
anywhere.
Plants such as water lilies, duckweed, grass, and cattail are may be
found present in water. There are molluscs, which includes clams,
snails, and freshwater mussels. There are also insects such as
dragonflies, damselflies, and water scorpions. Worms may also be
found in ponds such as flatworms, leeches, and roundworms. It’s not
surprising to find many amphibians, reptiles, and fish swimming in
the water such as turtles, frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, sunfish,
minnows, bass, and carp in water bodies.
Finally, many birds and mammals travel around ponds and making
contact with the water for feeding and/or shelter purposes. They
include herons, mallard, ducks, muskrats and beavers.

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 SOURCES OF WATER SAMPLES
1)

WATER POND, LOCATION:

2)

3)

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RIVER, LOCATION:
4)
TAP WATER.
LOCATION: JP NAGAR 4TH PHASE, BANGALORE,
KARNATAKA

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EXPERIMENTS

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 EXPERIMENT- 01

AIM: collect water from different water bodies and study them for
pH.

REQUIREMENTS:
1.water samples
2.test tubes - 5
3. pH papers – 1 booklet with pH scale

PROCEDURE:
1. Take different samples of water in different test tubes.
2. Dip a small piece of broad range pH paper in each of the water
samples.
3. Match the colour of the pH paper with the colour scale given on
the pH paper booklet.
4. This gives the pH value.

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 EXPERIMENT – 02

AIM: to study different samples of water for the presence of living

organisms

REQUIREMENTS:
1. Water samples
2. Microscope
3. Glass slide - 4
4. Dropper - 4
5. Methylene blue
6. Spirit lamp

PROCEDURE:
1. Take a clean slide and put a few drops of water separately from
different water samples.
2. Spread the drops to make a thin film on the slide.
3. Allow it to dry.
4. Pass the lower side of the slide through the flame os spirit lamp
two or more times to fix the living organisms present in water
on to the slide.
5. Add a few drops of a methylene blue on the slide.
6. Leave the slide for two minutes.
7. Wash the slide and observe the slide under the microscope

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OBSERVATIONS

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 EXPERIMENT – 01

OBSERVATIONS:

Sr No. Water samples pH

1. Tap water 7.5

2. River water 6

3. Well water 7

4. Pond water 6.5

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 EXPERIMENT – 02

OBSERVATIONS:

Sr No. Water samples Organisms found

1. Tap water None

Algae, Volvox,
2. River water
Mosquito larvae

3. Well water Triceretium

4. Pond water Algae

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OBSERVED MICRO-ORGANISMS

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VOLVOX

ALGAE

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TRICERATIUM

MOSQUITO LARVA

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 RESULT

Water from different water bodies had different pH. There are living
organisms present in different water bodies. Most of the organisms
are microscopic and they can be observes only with the help of a
compound microscope.

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 SCOPES AND LIMITATIONS

For performing this experiment, different water samples must be

collected two or three days prior to the date of the experiment.
Secondly, all the organisms present in the pond cannot be performed
without a microscope.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Freshwater_Lakes#P
hysical_environment

 http://google.co.in

 http://en.wikipedia.org

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