Temperature and Water Quality

1. Temperature and Water Quality

2. Environmental Impact The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration referred to temperature as a “catalyst, depressant, activator, restrictor, stimulator, controller, and killer. It is also one of the most important and influential water quality characteristics to life in water.”

3. Water temperature and water quality The water temperature of water is very important for water quality. Temperature influences include: -amount of oxygen that can be dissolved in water -rate of photosynthesis by algae and larger aquatic plants -metabolic rates of aquatic organisms -sensitivity of organisms to toxic wastes, parasites and diseases

4. Thermal pollution • The excessive raising of water temperature above normal seasonal ranges in streams, lakes, estuaries, or coastal ocean water as the result of discharge of hot effluents, frequently from the discharge of cooling waters from industrial processes, and particularly from thermal generating plants.

5. Impact on organisms As temperature rises, the rate of photosynthesis and plant growth increases. This also increases the rate of oxygen. Most fish do not like a sudden increase in the temperature of water. Short term fluctuations appear to cause reduced reproduction. Metabolic rates also increase with temperature increases.