ACTIVITY 1
PEA SOUP PONDS: ALGAE INVESTIGATION & ANALYSIS
FOR WATER QUALITY
Introduction
In this activity, students learn how water can be polluted by algal blooms. They
grow algae with different concentrations of fertilizer or nutrients and analyze their results
as environmental engineers working to protect a local water resource.
Engineering Connection
Engineers strive to create situations in which water is usable by humans or other
living organisms, including plant and animal life. Algae is one method in which engineers
can determine the relative health of a water source. For example, a pond with high
concentrations of algae will have low oxygen levels. Engineers would test and monitor
this water source to ensure that the algae levels return to normal levels, creating a safe
habitat for its consumers. Effective pollution control strategies or water treatment
technologies would be employed to return the water to its normal condition.
Objectives
•
Determine the effects of fertilizers on algae growth.
•
Discuss how algae can become a problem for stream habitats and engineered
processes if too much of it grows in a stream or pond.
•
Mathematically represent algae growth in the form of a graph and chart.
•
Develop a basic engineering presentation to explain the results of their algae
investigation and what course of action could be taken next.
Discussion
Please present your answers at the Explanatory Notes section of the Personal Activity
Sheet.
1. Did different groups have similar findings?
2. Are there any dead algae on the bottom of their jars? If yes, what will eventually
happen to the algae? Would this be good or bad for animals living in the water?
How would this affect a wastewater treatment plant?
3. Are there any practices that you have seen that could contribute to this problem?
Are there actions that you could take that would improve the situation? How might
engineers solve this problem?
PERSONAL ACTIVITY SHEET
Title: PEA SOUP PONDS: ALGAE INVESTIGATION & ANALYSIS FOR WATER QUALITY
Date: Novermber 26, 2023
Location of Activity: Legazpi City
Time Started: 10:00 AM
Time Finished: 11:00 AM
Equipment/Instruments/Materials Used:
•
4 baby food jars or Petri dishes
•
Hot tap water that has been aged for one day
•
1 eyedropper
•
Algal culture (from a biological supplier or scraped from a local fish tank)
•
Commercially packaged plant fertilizer pellets or loose fertilizer (any type of
commercial plant food may be substituted)
•
Artificial light source, preferably fluorescent
•
4 2-3" strips of masking tape or wax pencil
Group Name: Group KMJS
Designation of Members:
• Cernechez, Kristine Marie P.
• Emraca, Alessandra Nicole
• Lavilla, Hazel Ann C.
• Nabor, Marjorie
• Serafica, Joan
• Udaundo, Christine
Observations
Pea Soup Ponds Activity
Algae Growth Chart
Instructions:
Record algae growth observations below.
Fertilizer
Concentration
Zero Concentration
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
No noticeable
difference in algae
growth.
There were no
observable
changes or
discernible algal
growth.
There were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
No noticeable
difference in
algae growth.
No noticeable
difference in
algae growth.
Low Concentration
No noticeable
difference in algae
growth.
There were no
observable
changes or
discernible algal
growth.
Moderate
Concentration
No noticeable
difference in algae
growth.
There were no
observable
changes or
discernible algal
growth.
High Concentration
No noticeable
difference in algae
growth.
There were no
observable
changes or
discernible algal
growth.
Fertilizer
Concentration
Zero Concentration
Low Concentration
Moderate Concentration
High Concentration
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in algal
growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in
algal growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in
algal growth.
There are
minimal visual
difference in
water but still,
there were no
observable
changes in
algal growth.
Growth Compared to Control Jar After One Week
Less
Same
More
Despite our expectations, after one week, there were no observable changes or
discernible algal growth in any of the jars.
In our experiment investigating the impact of fertilizer concentrations on algae growth, an unexpected outcome
occurred due to the unintentionally use of dead algae instead of live algae. This unintentional substitution led to a
lack of observable changes in algal growth over the one-week period. However, we can still provide a theoretical
expected outcome based on the intended conditions.
Here’s our anticipated outcome for the impact of fertilizer concentration on algae growth.
Fertilizer
Concentration
Growth Compared to Control Jar After One Week
Less
Same
More
Low Concentration
--
--
Moderate Concentration
--
--
After one week, there
would be slightly
increased algae growth
in this jar compared to
the zero concentration
jar.
After one week, the
algae would have more
robust development
High Concentration
--
--
compared to both the
zero and low
concentration jars.
After one week, there
would be a dense and
extensive algae
coverage, surpassing
the growth observed In
the moderate
concentration jar and
further outpacing the
low and zero
concentration jars.
Explanatory Notes :
In our experiment, our main objective was to investigate how plant fertilizer affects
the growth of algae in water. We hypothesized that the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus,
commonly found in plant fertilizers, would enhance the proliferation of algae, as these
nutrients are essential elements for algal development.
However, we encountered an unforeseen challenge during our experiment. While
preparing our samples, we unintentionally made a mistake and used dead algae instead of
live ones. This substitution had a significant impact on our results.
The deceased state of the algae had a profound effect on the outcome of our study.
Since dead organisms cannot utilize nutrients for growth and development, the introduced
concentrations of fertilizer became ineffective in stimulating any discernible growth.
Consequently, we did not observe any noticeable changes in the algae specimens across
all of the jars.
This unexpected error taught us a valuable lesson about the importance of precision
and accuracy in scientific research. The use of dead algae has underscored the
importance of confirming the viability of organisms before initiating experiments.
Recommendation/Conclusion:
Engineers often look at algae and small organisms to help determine the health of a
river, lake or pond. Green algae are often called plants because they are green like plants
and carry out photosynthesis, but under most classification schemes, they are neither
plants nor animals but are protists — an organism that is microscopic and shares traits with
both plants and animals. When dissolved nutrients — such as nitrogen and phosphorus,
found in fertilizers and waste products — are added to a lake, algae can reproduce very
quickly because they have plenty to “eat.” The lake turns greenish, and the water situation
is called an algae bloom.
(https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_enveng_lesson02_activity1#comments)
Our experiment showed that the expected impact of fertilizer on algae growth did
not occur due to the unintentionally use of dead algae. The deceased organisms did not
respond to the fertilizer concentrations, however, the theoretical expectation remains that
live algae would likely grow in response to the nutrient supply.
The impact of dead algae on animals living in the water can be both good and bad.
Dead algae can lead to a decrease in oxygen levels in the water where it is too low for
aquatic animals to survive. In these areas, fish and other organisms may experience
suffocation or be forced to migrate. However, dead algae can also provide a food source
for certain organisms. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break down the dead
algae, releasing nutrients into the water. This can benefit detritivores and filter-feeding
organisms that feed on these decomposers and detritus.
Excessive nutrient inputs, improper waste disposal, and deforestation can contribute
to the enrichment of nutrients which leads to the problems of excessive algae growth. To
improve the situation, agricultural farmers should adopt responsible fertilizer application
practices to reduce nutrient runoff from agricultural activities. Disposing of organic waste,
such as sewage and agricultural waste in a proper disposal and support conservation
efforts can also help mitigate nutrient runoff.
On the engineering front, engineers can contribute to solving this problem through
various approaches such as implementing effective water management strategies,
designing effective wastewater treatment systems, constructing artificial wetlands, and
promoting sustainable agriculture practices. These practices can help in reducing the
amount of pollutants and excess nutrients entering water bodies. These practices and
engineering solutions, can contribute in reducing excessive algae growth and improving
water quality.
Documentation
CONTROL SAMPLE
ALGAE WITH LOW
CONCENTRATION
ALGAE WITH MODERATE
CONCENTRATION
ALGAE WITH HIGH
CONCENTRATION