The presentation provides a brief background on phosphorus, introduces phosphates, gives examples of forms of phosphates. It further describes how to test for the forms of phosphates as well as how to regulate water phosphate level. It ends with some basic facts "Did you know".
1. 30-Jun-14
PHOSPHATE AS A
WATER QUALITY
PARAMETER
By
Kumeh Mensah Eric
BSc. Natural Resource Mgt.
(Agroforestry)
KNUST
Ghana
2. 30-Jun-14
Presentation Outline
Background
Forms of Phosphate
Uses of Phosphate
The Phosphorus Cycle
Effects of Phosphate on Aquatic Life
Testing for Phosphate
Phosphate level and its effect on aquatic
plants life
Regulating Phosphate Levels in Water
Relationship between phosphate and some
water quality parameters
Did you know ?
6. 30-Jun-14
Forms of Phosphate
2. Polyphosphates (PolyP) - (PHO3)n
A linear, unbranched polymer of
orthophosphate residues linked
by phosphoanhydride bonds.
PolyP ranges in size from three
to over one thousand
orthophosphate residues.
Brewers yeast
10. 30-Jun-14
Effects of Phosphorus on Aquatic Life
Aquatic plants require phosphates to grow
and carry out metabolic reactions.
Phosphates often serve as the limiting factor
for aquatic plant growth because they
naturally occur only in very low
concentrations of 0.03 parts per million (ppm)
or less.
When the phosphates level in a certain body
of water reaches 0.025 ppm and above,
phosphates stimulate plants to grow more
rapidly.
11. 30-Jun-14
Effects of Phosphorus on Aquatic Life
An increase in phosphates and other nutrients
that increases the rate of plant growth
eventually results in dead plant matter
building up in the water.
A condition know as Eutrophication (Algae
bloom)
12. 30-Jun-14
Effects of Phosphorus on Aquatic Life
Eutrophication decrease the amount of
sunlight in water bodies and increase the
concentration of carbon dioxide when algae
die and decompose.
Increasing carbon
dioxide deprive
aquatic organisms
of oxygen and
eventually result in
asphyxiation of fish
and other
organisms.
13. 30-Jun-14
Testing for phosphates
Total Orthophosphate Test
A measure of dissolved and suspended
orthophosphate.
EPA approved ‘Ascorbic Acid Method’,
A reagent (either liquid or powder)
containing ascorbic acid and
ammonium molybdate reacts with
orthophosphate in the sample to form
a blue compound. The intensity of the
blue colour is directly proportional to
the amount of orthophosphate in the
water.
14. 30-Jun-14
Testing for phosphates
Total Phosphorus Test
Measures all the forms of phosphorus in the
sample (orthophosphate, condensed
phosphate, and organic phosphate)
Procedure
“Digesting" (heating and acidifying) the sample to
convert all the other forms to orthophosphate.
Measure orthophosphate using the ‘ascorbic acid
method’.
NB: Because the sample is not filtered, the
procedure measures both dissolved and suspended
orthophosphate.
15. 30-Jun-14
Testing for phosphates
Dissolved phosphorus test
Measures that fraction of the total phosphorus
which is in solution in the water (as opposed to
being attached to suspended particles).
It is determined by first filtering the sample,
then analysing the filtered sample for total
phosphorus.
Insoluble Phosphorus is calculated by
subtracting the dissolved phosphorus result from
the total phosphorus result.
16. 30-Jun-14
Phosphate level and its effect on aquatic plants
life
Total Phosphate Effects on aquatic plant
growth
0.025 - 0.1 mg/L Adequate stimulation of
plant growth
0.1 mg/L
maximum acceptable limit
to prevent accelerated
eutrophication
> 0.1 mg/L
accelerated growth and
consequent problems
17. 30-Jun-14
Regulating Phosphate Levels in Water
Addition of chemicals
Coralife's Phosphate Remover,
Sea Chem's PhosGuard
Kent Marine's Phosphate Sponge
21. 30-Jun-14
Relationship between phosphate and some
water quality parameters
Water Phosphates and Turbidity
Increasing phosphate concentration in water
increases turbidity in the long-run.
22. 30-Jun-14
Relationship between phosphate and some
water quality parameters
Increasing amount of phosphates reduces pH
making water more acidic in the long-term.
Water Phosphate and pH
23. 30-Jun-14
Relationship between phosphate and some
water quality parameters
Increasing Phosphate
reduces dissolve Oxygen
content.
Water Phosphate and Dissolved Oxygen
OXIX® DISSOLVED
OXYGEN TRANSMITTER
24. 30-Jun-14
Did You Know ?
Phosphorous was discovered by
Henning Brand in 1669 when he
distilled pure urine.
25. 30-Jun-14
Did You Know ?
Matchsticks are soaked in ammonium phosphate,
which is a fire retardant to prevents them from
smouldering after the match has gone out
27. 30-Jun-14
Thank You
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