The Global Water Sampling Project

1. The Global Water Sampling Project By: Vanessa Banuelos Felisha Tolentino John Lisowski Riley Amos Ella Sinise Aj Noel

2. What is the Global Water Sampling Project? • The GSWP is a fresh water-testing project performed by high school & middle school students across the world from India, Romania, Italy & the United States comparing and contrasting water quality data they have collected from their local fresh water reservoir. • Each school collects date for seven weeks and the posts their results on a ceise website to compare data. • The purpose of this project is to see and test the physical and chemical water qualities and ones local fresh water source and to see how similar or different this data is with other water sites across the globe.

3. Purpose Statements • To evaluate the quality of the water in the LA River based on its interaction with chemical substances and organisms. • To come across the relationships among the data collected by all project participants.

4. Participants of the GWSP • Notre Dame High School, California • Spokane Valley High School, Washington • Eastern Area High School, Pennsylvania • Hempfield Education For Life Program, Pennsylvania • International School of Florence, Italy • Rukmini Devi Public School, India • High School DECEBAL, Constanta Romania

5. The Participants from Notre Dame Ms. Kramer’s 10th Grade Biology Class

6. Dates of GWSP Process The Global Water Sampling Project was done September 12, 2007 to November 3, 2007

7. History of LA River • Starting point - Joining of the Bell Creek and Calabasas Wash (southwestern part if San Fernando Valley) Sources: San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains Major Tributaries: Brown’s Canyon Wash, Aliso Canyon Wash, Tujunga Was, Western Burbank Channel, Verdugo Wash, Arroyo Seco, Rio Hondo & Compton Creek • Flow - East through the San Fernando Valley to city of Burbank, where it turns south and southeast, through the Santa Monica Mountains and the Verdugo Mountains. - This flow is known as the Glendale Narrows. • Main water supplies - Sewage - Industrial discharges - Runoff from urban cities • Uses - Before: act as a flood control channel - Now: living space for the homeless with graffiti along its walls • Pace of River - June to October = little or no flow - November to May = floods cause property damage and death

9. Causes of Pollution - Shopping carts - Oil - Old tires - Radiators - Transmission fluids - Appliances Plants - Willow Trees - Coastal Live Oak - Spiny Clotbur - Gourds - Common sunflower • Animals • - Canadian Geese - Kingfishers Red Tailed-Hawks - California Newt • - White Egrets • Invertebrates - Black Fly Larvae - Leaches • - Midge Larvae

10. Hypothesis • Notre Dame’s Hypothesis for the Global Water Sampling Project was that the pH, nitrogen, temperature, and phosphate levels at the Los Angeles River will be suitable for sustaining life.

11. Procedure • We tested for temperature, phosphates, pH, and nitrates • Each procedure was alike • We recorded date twice a week • For temperature, the person testing put a thermometer in the water. Then, he/she would wait and record temperature in degrees Celsius • For pH, Nitrate & Phosphate, A sample of water was needed. Once he/she put some sample in a test tube, color indications were dropped in test tube. Then he/she would wait 1-10 minutes. After waiting, he/she would compare to other colors that designate pH, Nitrate & Phosphate levels • With all the comparisons finished, tester would have to record readings and share data with the class.

12. Students Recording Data at Los Angeles River at Balboa Park

13. Data

14. Quantative Analysis

18. Qualitative Analysis • Nitrates, Phosphates, pH & Temperature can affect water quality because they all have a direct affect on the water. • Factors such as air temperature, air quality, and natural events may have affected the results of our data collections because all of these factors affect the water we were testing. • The Nitrate data collected by Notre Dame High School was not like the nitrate collections made by the other schools.

19. More Qualitative Analysis • When comparing the Phosphate values collected from the Los Angeles River with the data collected from the other schools’ test sites, the results were not similar. • The average water temperature for the Los Angeles River was 24oC • The pH readings that we got were similar to the readings of the other school’s testing at a river.

20. Conclusion • Our hypothesis stated that pH, nitrogen, temperature and phosphate levels at the Los Angles River will be suitable for sustaining life. Our hypothesis was correct. • For pH the normal range of stream water is between 6 & 8. At the Los Angeles River, the average was 7.9 • Nitrogen was needed in our test site for organisms because nitrogen compounds are basic building block in animal biology. Our Nitrogen levels were normal meaning, organisms could survive. • Our average temperature of 24.25 degrees Celsius was in range.

21. Cont. Conclusion • Our phosphate level is within the range and was 1ppm. • Our data was different compared to other global water quality tests, but makes sense because temperature change frequently can vary place to place. • If we were to participate in this project next year, we would make sure to get all of the data recorded each time we went to test. We would also want to test different areas at our site to see any differences. • We are very happy with our results and glad this project was able to teach us so much about our own Los Angeles River

22. Acknowledgements • Ms. Kramer for providing us with guidelines for the construction of the project as well as leading our class to our participation in the GWSP. • Vanessa Banuelos for providing the pictures from the field trip • Written Report Group for supplying our information in the final format