Presentation Type
Poster
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Monica Gray, Physics and Engineering Science
Major
Engineering Science
Presentation Abstract
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are different chemical forms of nitrogen that can enter surface waters through pollutants carried by rainwater runoff. The main source of nitrogen pollution comes from agricultural fertilizers and manure. When this excess nitrogen along with other chemicals in the fertilizer infiltrate the aquatic ecosystem, the water quality deteriorates and causes death to the organisms living in it. Eutrophication can occur, which is the overgrowth of plant matter and algae. This process depletes the dissolved oxygen supply, which is essential for cellular respiration in many aquatic wildlife species. Between October 11, 2013 and November 16, 2020, 247 nitrogen samples were taken from a body of water located on highway 544W in Conway, SC. The average amount of total nitrogen reported was 0.546 mg/L which is below the EPA(2000) water quality standard of 0.87 mg/L, meaning the water was not considered contaminated with respect to nitrogen.
Location
Virtual Poster Session 2
Start Date
22-4-2021 4:30 PM
End Date
22-4-2021 6:30 PM
Recommended Citation
Burdette, Savannah, "Nitrogen Pollution in Surface Water on Highway 544W: How This Impacts the Health and Safety of the Waccamaw River" (2021). Undergraduate Research Competition. 98.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2021/fullconference/98
Nitrogen Pollution in Surface Water on Highway 544W: How This Impacts the Health and Safety of the Waccamaw River
Virtual Poster Session 2
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are different chemical forms of nitrogen that can enter surface waters through pollutants carried by rainwater runoff. The main source of nitrogen pollution comes from agricultural fertilizers and manure. When this excess nitrogen along with other chemicals in the fertilizer infiltrate the aquatic ecosystem, the water quality deteriorates and causes death to the organisms living in it. Eutrophication can occur, which is the overgrowth of plant matter and algae. This process depletes the dissolved oxygen supply, which is essential for cellular respiration in many aquatic wildlife species. Between October 11, 2013 and November 16, 2020, 247 nitrogen samples were taken from a body of water located on highway 544W in Conway, SC. The average amount of total nitrogen reported was 0.546 mg/L which is below the EPA(2000) water quality standard of 0.87 mg/L, meaning the water was not considered contaminated with respect to nitrogen.