The Beczak Center showed us a probe that could be dropped in the water to gather some of this information. While this high tech device is capable of running multiple tests at the same time, these tests can also be achieved through manual tests. By performing the manual tests we were able to get a better understand of the experiments and the research.
The first test we preformed was recording the temperature of the water. This was done by using simple thermometers. We recorded the information and compared it to other data recorded on HRECOS or the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System. We were informed how the temperature changes throughout the day and how even the time of year or season can affect water temperature.
We measured the salt level of the water by checking the density through the use of a hydrometer. We placed some water in a container and measured how much a float moved. This is important because if the salt level continues to rise then the Hudson wildlife is impacted. Changes in salt water can be from salt runoffs during winter as well as heat evaporation.
We also measured dissolved oxygen in the water by dissolving tablets until the water changed color, then measured the number of drops of a clarifying agent needed to make it clear again. We preformed this experiment ourselves early on in class and measured three different water sources on the Pleasantville Campus. The test consisted of checking the titration using sulfuric acid, alkaline iodide reagent, manganese chloride reagent and sodium thiosulfate titrate. This test is important in order to know how safe the water is and what plants and life it can sustain.
The last test we did was the clarity test. We were able to do this by placing water in a tube with an x on the bottom. We then carefully released the water until the image on the bottom was visible. This reading can change during the day as well as during different seasons. On windy days the constant movement of water increases the amount of sediment and reduced clarity.
All of these tests are essential to study the Hudson River. This data is cataloged and can be used in larger data bases to predict the safety of the water as well as patterns that can help predict how the Hudson will act in the future. An example of this type of analysis is this graph that explains the historical changes of the Mohawk river in 2013. While these test can now all be performed by using a probe, the manual methods allowed us to get a better understanding of what we were studying as well as the importance of the information gathered.
https://www.centerfortheurbanriver.org/
