Paper No. 13
Presentation Time: 12:00 PM

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF URBAN AND RURAL FRESHWATER BODIES, NEW YORK CITY AND UP-STATE NEW YORK


HUSSAIN, Nida1, GIL, Yeimy2, ALLADEEN, Ruksana3, DHAR, Ratan4, SCHLEIFER, Stanley5 and KHANDAKER, Nazrul I.5, (1)Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, York College Of CUNY, 94-50 159th Street, Jamaica, NY 11451, (2)Earth and Physical Sciences, York College Of CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11451, (3)Geology Discipline, Earth and Physical Sciences, York College Of CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11451, (4)Earth and Physical Sciences, York College of the City University of New York, 94-20, Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11451, (5)Geology Discipline, Earth and Physical Sciences, York College of CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11451, r_alladeen@yahoo.com

Urbanization has taken a toll on local ponds and lakes. In this study, the physico-chemical parameters in water samples from two environmental settings (urban and rural) in New York were analyzed to ascertain the influences of urbanization on constraining water quality. Obtained data were compared between freshwater lakes/ponds located in Queens (Oakland Lake, Meadow Lake, Baisley Pond, & Bowne Pond) and 5th Lake in Rosendale, Ulster County, up-state New York. An YSI (Yellow Spring Instruments, Inc) was used to measure the real-time water quality data. The results showed some variations as follows: pH 7.52–10.1, electrical conductivity 101–4780 µS/cm, temperature 19.62–2.12oC, dissolved oxygen 8.18–22.5mg/L, total dissolved solute 0.060–2.529g/L and oxidation reduction potential -61.2–127 mV. Chemical parameters of water were investigated using CHEMetrics Vacu-vial kits, HACH Digital Titrator, and spectrophotometer. Based on these techniques, the level of chemical oxygen demand was determined to be 14.25–147.27 mg/L and the concentrations of some nutrients such as nitrate (0–1.1285mg/L), ammonia (0.068–0.346mg/L), phosphate (0.021–0.562mg/L), and total phosphate (0.0673-0.795mg/L) were evaluated as well. The Metrohm Tiamo Titration instrument (model 888) was used to determine the alkalinity in terms of CaCO3 (9.05-163.025 mg/L). Surprisingly, most of the analyzed parameters did not exceed the permissible limit from the EPA guidelines established for summer by a very large margin except for Bowne Pond (Queens) and 5th Lake (Rosendale) whose phosphate concentration were 0.562 and 0.4 mg/L, respectively. Local geologic setting and bedrock composition seemed to control the abundance of anionic complex in 5th Lake. For further study, attempts will be made to use the Lachat 8500 series II Flow Injection Analyzer (FIA) coupled with Ion Chromatographic (IC) module to better monitor and re-evaluate the water quality data.