Marsh Madness

Hello everyone, our team’s name is Marsh Madness, and our EACAP project was about water testing at various creeks near our campus. Our research mainly focused on the effect of pollutants and runoff from agriculture and waste on water quality.

(From left to right) Our team consisted of:

Will Cressman: 2nd Year Cybersecurity Major

Blake Smith: 2nd Year Secondary Education Major

Evan Kim: 2nd Year Accounting Major

Spencer Vartabedian: 2nd Year Finance Major

Research

Our research mainly consisted of conducting water tests on-site at three different creeks near the Reading, PA, area. Northkill, Plum and Tulpehocken Creek. Through our research, we were able to identify pollutants in the water from various sources, as well as the effect they had on water quality as well as macroinvertebrates.

Different creeks yielded different results, as follows:

Northkill Creek:
Air Temp: 3.1C
Water Temp: 4.3C
Conductivity: 0 (Low contaminants)
pH: 6.8
Phosphate: 0.00ppm
Chloride: 18 mg/L
Nitrates: 0.25mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen: 10.4 mg/L

Plum Creek (Upstream, near a wastewater treatment facility):
Air Temp: 13.8C
Water Temp: N/A
Conductivity: 170 µs/cm
pH: 9.4
Phosphate: 0.00 mg/L
Chloride: 40 mg/L
Nitrate: 0.5 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen: 10.5 mg/L

Plum Creek (Downstream @ intersection with Tulpehocken Creek):
Air Temp: 13.8C
Water Temp: 11.2C
Conductivity: 280 µs/cm
pH: 8.7
Phosphate: 0.28 mg/L
Chloride: 48 mg/L
Nitrate: 1.5 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen: 10.4 mg/L

Near the waste treatment facility, there was a significantly lower amount of most tested contaminants/pollutants, and as it went downstream, it collected more.

Research Presentation:

Service

We conducted all the water testing ourselves with the guidance of Steve Tricarico and other volunteers from the TCWA (Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association). A few of us also went into the water to collect samples, like in the above picture where Will went into the water to collect various macroinvertebrates, which are affected by the substances we tested for in the water.

Service Video:

Symposium Session:

Reflection

Through our participation in on-site water testing with the Tulpehocken Creek Watershed Association, we learned about the various effects of pollutants and runoff on water quality. Working in collaboration with volunteers, most notably Mr. Steve Tricarico, we discovered the different water testing methods and what certain readings and outcomes meant for that creek, such as nitrate levels the pH of the water, and more. During our short experience, it was a great experience to learn about the processes that impact the quality of water, which is a vital part of life on Earth.